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Hello fellow Steemians, today I want to share a story that is rarely talked about in football and that is a big problem with UEFA and FIFA as organisations for all football competitions in the world. We are well informed about the corruption scandals that happend but I want to have a bit of your attention to warn you about the security problems with the coming up of the World Cup in Russia in 2018. The case study would be an Euro 2016 qualifier Serbia - Albania played in 2014 in Belgrade, Sebia.

Could it have been avoided?

A football match played between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade on 14 October 2014 almost had catasrophic end result. Unfortunately I am not talking about a shocker of a result in the football match itself. The game was played in Belgrade, Serbia. There were numerous sides to be blaimed for this event, but we will focus on UEFA and Football Asocciatons of Serbia and Albania.

Even before the draw for qualifications for the Euro 2016 this could have been avoided and the blame falls on all sides immedietely. UEFA as an organisation that was delegated the responsability to organise the qualifications as well as the Euro 2016 tournament itself, has to follow some rules. The mantra "There is no place for politics in sports" is just not true. We can see that in almost every European or World cup, were various countries cannot be matched together. Span and Gibraltar, Russia and Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan for different political reasons can't be together in a qualifier. Serbia and Croatia both approved that there is no reason to avoid them drawing even though they had a recent war and political conflicts. This is a good example of cooperation. Both Football Associations (FA) agreed that there will be no away fans in the battle for the Brazil World Cup of 2014. The games were taken with very high caution, but there were no problems at the stadiums at any time of the match. So, the first mistake made by the Football Associations of Serbia and Albania were that they did not inform UEFA about the potencial problems of hosting each other even when they were drawn together.They did not do that because it sends a bad message to the world of football, and we can understand that but if you dont have trust in the other FA why risk it?

 

The first rule of avoiding a draw automatically could not be activated because Serbia and Albania were never formally in war but the dispute about the territory of Kosovo is still active. So, even when they did not inform UEFA about potencial problems, UEFA did ignore the well known fact about the dispute and even failed to make sure that the FA of both countries are cooperating together. The FA of Albania refused to cooperate knowing that the first game is in Belgrade, Serbia. This may sound crazy, but they only sent a public letter to the media where they asked their fans not to travel. That is not how you cooperate to avoid violence on stadiums. To avoid conflicts and incidents, which are usual in Serbia's stadiums when there is away fans, the FA of Serbia was forced to seek help from the government who then banned all Albanian supporters trying to enter the country. That did not work great because many citizens have two passports so they could enter with a passport of another country. Without any help of the FA of Albania and their government that was a poor effort to stop someone from coming in. 

Mistake after mistake after mistake...

The Match

The match started, I was there and everything was going fine until...

A drone up high from one part of the stadium was flying. Drones were not that popular and known of and me and my friends were a bit confused because we did not see what was carrying either. After a couple of minutes the whole stadum saw the flag. The map represents "Greater Albania" meaning that they want territory's of their neighboring countries. Parts of Montenegro, Serbia, FYR Macedonia and Greece are on this map, basically all of the Albanian neighbor countries. The last thing needed in this match was a spark to lit up the atmosphere into a massive brawl. The Serbian FA and the Serbian police made a big failure in organisation. Luckly this time it was only a flag from an harmless Albanian fan but it could have been a BIG disaster if anyone dangerous had something else in mind.

So, lets count the mistakes so far, two for UEFA, two for Serbia's FA and one for Albanian FA.

Let's continue...

You can see it yourself and really feel the hostile atmosphere, even though you do not understand what the crowd is chanting, you can guess it is not for a football and sports manifestacions. The drone was flying about 5 to 8 minutes and there was no reaction from the police or armed forces that were there. It could have been a bomb or somthing more dangerous that would harm everyone. It goes as far as to the point were a Serbian player Mitrovic decides to jump to take it down to continue the match. That was a mistake by him. When there are pitch invaders or anything else that pauses the match, players have to remain passive. Albanian players rushed to him taking the flag and giving a crowd an impression that they are attacking the Serbian player. I belive they would not do the same if the police was taking it down. Thats far as failing organisation goes I belive.

As you can see on the video, he had no intent to destroy the flag as he continues to pull the drone down even when the flag was taken from him forcefully. It maybe ridiculous but the drone flew in just as Serbia was getting the grip on the match and it looked like they would score. The intent of Albanian players to protect the flag caused mayhem. I must say while the whole situation was going on you could feel a high level of fear amongst the supporters. And what happends when you are in a big crowd, scared and you feel attacked? You strike back, and many did as we can see here

ANOTHER mistake... Has anyone seen a SPORT match with this kind of violence? Absolutely embarrassing for everyone involved and for the football as a whole. I cannot describe the feelings I went through that night. My friends and I went to support our national team and this happend. Scared, angry, dissapointed, then fear again and a feel that even though the police and special forces were there we could end up injured.

Aftermath

The game was abandoned, tensions were high all over the Balkans, Greeks attacked in Albania, Albanians in Serbia, Serbians in Albania and so on...
UEFA made a decision at first to punish both Football Associations with the same fees, and the game result was 3:0 to Serbia, if anyone cared anyway.
Then came the complaints, riots in Nion by Albanian supporters and a final decision was that Serbia lost the game 3:0 and lost three more points and Albania lost three points. At the end of the day does it even matter? Was anything worth of endangering peoples lives?
After this scandal we have seen many more drone incidencs in world of football, but why? World is a dangerous place and with all of the security problems Europe is having right now do we need another tragedy to wake us up? Rules are made to prevent these types of situations but did someone avoid them on purpose?
I could not stress out more the problem with the FIFA and UEFA organisations that have many corruption scandals over the years but this is a much more serious problem. If you are interested in scandals you can find them here here and here made by John Oliver.
If you prefer watching insted of reading or would like to find out more you can see it here

Thank you for your attention!

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Srpska verzija

Želim odmah da naglasim da će se ova verzija značajnije razlikovati od engleske, prvenstveno zato što strana publika nije upoznata u ovaj nemili događaj kao što je to publika u regionu.

Kako smo mogli ovo da izbegnemo?

Fudbalski meč između nacionalnih reprezentacija Srbije i Albanije odigrao se 14. oktobra 2014. godine u Beogradu na stadionu fudbalskog kluba Partizan. Stiče se utisak da je lančani niz pogrešnih odluka, kako UEFA tako i Fudbalskog saveza Srbije i Albanije doveo do usijanja već postojeće netrpeljivosti sva tri učesnika ovog događaja.
Smatram da su svi učesnici podjednako krivi i mnogo pre samog izvlačenja parova za kvalifikacije na Evropsko fudbalsko prvenstvo i namera mi je da pokažem kako je Evropska kuća fudbala donela pogrešnu odluku. Postoje pravila i procedure prema kojima se UEFA kao organizator takmičenja usmerava kada izvlači grupe za kvalifikacije za takmičenje. Tu spadaju i rangiranja nacionalnih selekcija (koeficijenti) kako bi po grupama bili pravedno raspoređene nacionalne selekcije, ali i izbegli eventualni problemi kada bi se takmičile dve susedne države sa neraščišćenim političkim problemima.
Neki primeri gde se izbegavaju fudbalski mečevi u kvalifikacijama su Španija i Gibraltar zbog spora oko teritorije i Jermenija i Azerbejdžan zbog šestogodišnjeg rata od 1988. godine. Od nedavno Rusija i Ukrajina zbog rata. Zanimljivo je da su Srbija i Hrvatska pristale da igraju i igrale su u kvalifikacijama za Svetsko prvenstvo u Brazilu 2014. godine bez većih incidenata. Pod tim smatram ponašanje koje je u istoj meri kao i uobičajno ponašanje domaće publike kada se igra sa bilo kojom drugom reprezentacijom. Tu je veoma važno naglasiti da su se dva fudbalska saveza (FS) sarađivala i sprečila bilo kakve veće probleme te je sport bio u prvom planu. Takođe, dva fudbalska saveza mogu da zatraže od UEFA da ih ne spaja u kvalifikacijama zbog potencijalnih sukoba, što bi u ovom slučaju bio loš politički znak za Srbiju i Albaniju. Pošto Srbija i Albanija nisu direktno i zvanično ratovale, po pravilniku su mogle da budu zajedno u kvalifikacionoj grupi. Postojao je još jedan način da se izbegnu sukobi posle tog ,,nesrećnog” žreba, a to je da se na nivou FS dve države dogovore da zabrane gostujuće navijače kao u slučaju FS Srbije i FS Hrvatske. Za mnoge je bilo iznenađenje kada je FS Albanije odbio ovu ponudu već unapred znajući da oni prvi gostuju.
Smatram da to nije bilo iznenađujuće jer je FS Albanije već bio donosio takve odluke u prošlosti, prvenstveno iz političkih razloga. Teza da ,,u sportu nema politike” pogotovo ne pije vodu na ovim prostorima. Takav niz grešaka i okolnosti doveo je FSS u nezavidan položaj gde su oni pod političkim pritiskom tražili zabranu ulaska državljana Albanije nekoliko dana pre utakmice i na dan utakmice jer nije postojao drugačiji način da se spreče eventualni incidenti i mnogo pre dolaska gostujućih navijača u Beograd.

Niz grešaka, početak utakmice, još grešaka

U tom lančanom nizu grešaka opet je došao red na FSS i oni prave ogromnu sigurnosnu grešku gde se blizu poluvremena utakmice, na kojoj je usijala atmosfera, ali bez incidenata pojavljuje dron sa mapom takozvane ,,Velike Albanije” na kojoj se pretenduje na teritorije država koje se graniče sa Albanijom. To je bila varnica koja je bez problema zapalila oko 25.000 prisutnih gledalaca kada počinju da se dešavaju nemiri na tribinama.
Organizator utakmice FSS je bio i više nego neodgovoran u situaciji kada je ugrožena bezbednost svih učesnika događaja. Umesto policije, žandarmerije ili vojske prisutne na stadionu, igrač reprezentacije Srbije, Stefan Mitrović, je pokušao da reši agoniju i uzrok nemira na stadionu. Napad na njega u režiji fudbalera reprezentacije Albanije je doveo do krajnje erupcije emocija i ulaska navijača na teren. Bezbednosne snage su kasnije osigurale teren, delegat utakmice tražio da se utakmica nastavi dok je Albanska reprezentacija odbila da nastavi duel. Prvobitna odluka UEFA u vezu sa ovim događajima bila je da se FS Srbije dodeli zvanična pobeda od 3:0 zato što je FS Albanije odbio da pod bilo kojim okolnostima nastavi utakmicu, ali se FS Srbije oduzimaju bodovi zbog ,,učestvovanja” u sukobu (odnosi se na srpskog fudbalera koji je skinuo dron umesto bezbednosnih snaga). Oba FS kažnjena su identičnom novčanom sumom dok je FS Srbije zabranjeno da ima domaću publiku na sledeće dve utakmice zbog upada navijača na teren.
Kasnije je utvrđeno da je domaća publika dovela do napuštanja meča i Albanija je odnela pobedu od 3 gola razlike. Ono što je začuđujuće i zabrinjavajuće je što niko nije osuđen povodom leta spornog drona iznad stadiona. Optužen je Ismail Morina tek posle par meseci i trenutno se nalazi u pritvoru u Hrvatskoj. Ako počinioci nisu pronađeni ili osuđeni zakon nalaže da odgovaraju oni koji su bili odgovorni za bezbednost na utakmici jer je očigledno da je olako moglo da se desi i nešto mnogo gore od mape na tom dronu. Potencijalni teroristički napad ovom ili sličnom metodom je sasvim izvesna opasnost, uzimajući u obzir tehnologiju. U domenu i FS Srbije i bezbednosnih institucija je kažnjavanje svih propusta, ali se samo spekulisalo i o počiniocima i o odgovornima o bezbednosti.
Predstavnici FS Albanije odbili su da nastave utakmicu, ali su zanemarujući incident i napad na srpske fudbalere dočekani kao heroji iako nisu dostojno obavljali svoju profesionalnu dužnost. Ceo splet događaja i odluke FS Albanije može da se protumači kao politički čin u poboljšavanju položaja u regionu, iako se to može zdravorazumski zaključiti i samo kada se sagleda situacija i odbijanje saradnje FS Albanije. Odgovornost se, i pored ovakvog mogućeg zaključka, ne umanjuje. Smatram da je UEFA morala da kazni FS Albanije zbog neodgovornog ponašanja njenih igrača, a ne samo da nastavi da novčano kažnjava učesnike, kao što to radi već godinama.

Oba fudbalska saveza uložila su žalbe na zvaničnu odluku UEFA i njihovi argumenti su sledeći. FS Albanije u žalbi navodi da su tokom celog boravka u Beogradu bili u strahu i da se taj strah nažalost obestinio. Navode da su njihovi igrači napadnuti i povređeni na terenu od strane gledalaca i da oni zbog povreda nisu mogli da nastave utakmicu i da je odluka da zvaničan rezultat bude 3:0 za domaćina skandalozna i protivna pravilima UEFA. Očigledno je da je FS Albanije zaboravio da su njihovi igrači napali reprezentativca Srbije, Stefana Mitrovića, i da u slučaju odbijanja zahteva delegata utakmice da se nastavi sama utakmica nastavi, automatski pripisuje zvaničan rezultat u korist protivnika prema pravilniku UEFA.
Na drugoj strani FS Srbije uložio je žalbu na oduzimanje bodova smatrajći da je potez njihovog reprezentativca Stefana Mitrovića ništa drugo do želja da se utakmica nastavi, argumentujući samo njegovo ponašanje nakon spuštanja drona. Prema pravilniku od igrača se zahteva da u takvim situacijama kada neko od prisutnih prekine sportsku manifestaciju, igrači ne reaguju i sačekaju da organi reda reše problem i da se manifestacija nastavi. Poštovanje ovog pravila se moglo videti i u samom finalu Svetskog prvenstva 2014. godine, kada gledalac utrčava na teren, svi fudbaleri mirno čekaju da se problem reši. FS Srbije se pred UEFA prekršajnom komisijom i javnosti branio da je to prvi put da se upotrebio dron na sportskim manifestacijama i da nikada pre ništa slično nije viđeno.
Mnogi su zaboravili, a većina nije ni čula da se slična provokacija desila 7.10.2012. godine u Subotici na fudbalskoj utakmici između FK Spartak i FK Crvena Zvezda, kada je u gostujućoj organizaciji pre početka duela, više desetina minuta nadletao paraglajder sa zastavom gostujućih navijača. Taj potez nije shvaćen kao provokacija već kao ,,vrhunac kreativnosti” navijača i pohvale su dolazile sa svih strana. Jedina razlika je što tada atmosfera nije ni mogla da dovede do ozbiljnih incidenata, ali su sigurnosne službe morale veoma dobro da se pozabave tim vidom kreativnosti kao mogućom pretnjom da dođe do incidenata. Oba žalbena postupka odbijena su od strane UEFA, iako je ispred zgrade ove organizacije u Nionu održani protesti albanskih navijača.

Mislim da kao organizator takmičenja UEFA mora da zatraži konkretne mere FS, kao što su procesuiranja prestupnika na individualnom nivou na njenim sportskim manifestacijama i odstrani ih sa iste. Iako se to kosi sa dužnošću državnih bezbednosnih organa, ne mislim da UEFA treba da se meša u nacionalna prvenstva i sigunosti u tim takmičenjima to je već do samih FS, ali na međunarodnom nivou izgubio se smisao kolektivnog kažnjavanja kako novčano tako i sa zabranama navijačima da prisustvuju. Veliki incidenti na stadionima, kada su u pitanju internacionalne utakmice, mogu da eskaliraju u mnogo veće i strašnije sukobe koji potpuno izlaze iz sportskih okvira, kako nas i naša istorija nedavno naučila. Odluka o kaznama u ovom konkretnom incidentu mislim da je potpuno objektivna i zaslužena kada bi to bio jedinstven slučaj bez bilo kakvog prethodnog iskustva i striktnog pridržavanja pravilnika, ali kazne UEFA disciplinskog odbora su odnedavno postale potpuno besmislene. U budućnosti ako se nešto ne promeni smatram da će se i istorija ponoviti.

Reference:

1. BBC
2. ESPN
3. Court of Arbitration for Sport
4. B92
5. Economist
6. Yahoo
7. The Guardian
   All pictures are from these news articles.

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