OT: Euro Qualifying Story Gets Weird (WARNING: SOCCER)
Off-Topic so mods delete if appropriate but figured bye week and crazy story would be worth some discussion.
Euro 2016 qualifying has been happening the past week and the last matches for this session took place yesterday. Serbia-Albania had to be abandoned just before halftime after a drone flew over the pitch in Belgrade carrying an Albanian flag. The players started brawling after one of the Serbian players tried taking down the flag which led to violence all through the stadium.
Here's where the story gets really weird though. CNN just reported that the pilot of the drone was THE BROTHER OF THE ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER who was in attendance at the game. I just...Soccer provides all sorts of weird stories throughout the world but this has to be up there with the all-time craziest if true.
October 15th, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^
I'm gonna need a character map and flow chart please
October 15th, 2014 at 9:04 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 9:11 AM ^
It is indeed a crazy incident, but from what I read it went down a little differently.
The flag was not "the Albanian flag," but a flag with a map of "greater Albania" on it. "Greater Albania" includes Kosovo, which explains why it was so inflammatory to Serbs.
Also, the players did not brawl. The fans hurled projectiles at the Albanian players and rushed the pitch. The Serbian players apparently shielded the Albanian players as they fled.
Story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/sport/football/serbia-albania-game-abando…
October 15th, 2014 at 9:15 AM ^
Only saw the highlights and looked as if players had gotten in to it before leaving the field.
As for the part about the PM's brother flying the drone...It's too crazy to believe really considering CNN is citing Serbian sources only. But either way, I read that this morning and was almost on the floor laughing.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:18 AM ^
that Dave Brandon wasn't responsible for the drone? I just don't buy the brother-of-the-PM story.
In which case, this is so NOT OT.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:19 AM ^
Would explain where he's been. Can't rule it out.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:39 AM ^
We'll know for sure if FREE KOSOVO appears in skywriting over Belgrade.
October 15th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
Not sure we should joke about that given that an actual war was fought over that issue (and Belgrade still bears considerable wreckage from the bombing).
October 16th, 2014 at 8:42 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^
I logged in just to say that it was probably Dave Brandon behind the drone. :(
October 15th, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 9:24 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^
THIS A FOOTBAW BLOG NO EUROPEAN PANSY KICKING BALL IS SO BORING THEY FAKE INJURIES MURICA!!!!!!!11!!!
October 15th, 2014 at 9:33 AM ^
URNS!
October 15th, 2014 at 9:33 AM ^
You have to understand the history to know what a major "in your face" move this was by the people behind the Drone Stunt!
October 15th, 2014 at 9:39 AM ^
The civilized part of me is shaking my head. The cave man part LOVES it.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^
I recall two hilarious incidents involving lower-level Romanian club matches:
- A team was getting just smashed, and so the fans warned their goalkeeper if he gave up another goal, they would bum-rush him. He promptly gave up a goal, and the fans stripped him naked.
- Another time, a fan threw a bag of snakes onto the pitch at the opposing goalkeeper.
*citations needed
October 15th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
Denmark blew it against Portugal, conceding an at-the-death header to Ronaldo...was harsh....Then, Denmark almost tied it up on the last play of the game when their goalkeeper nearly headed in a corner.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:44 AM ^
Ronaldo involved in a at-the-death header goal? Good thing that would never happen to the Yanks.
October 15th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^
See now, rather than Kosovo vs Belgrade, _this_ is what we shouldn't be joking about.
#toosoon
(actually I was thinking the same thing... but still too soon! :) )
October 15th, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
Rooney will have some time on his hands . . .
October 15th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^
Another win for them upseting Greece 2-0. Have to imagine the pubs were a wee bit celebratory.
October 15th, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^
I also noticed Cyprus knocked off recent WC participant Bosnia.
October 15th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
Iceland is 3-0 in their group including a 3-0 win over Turkey and a 2-0 win over the Netherlands.
October 15th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
That's just good branding not being taken seriously by those in power.
October 15th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
Video of the incident is here. There's no embed code on the Deadspin page...
October 15th, 2014 at 11:07 AM ^
Anybody read Simon Kuper's "Soccer Against the Enemy"? Been interested in reading it for a while, but my library system doesn't have it and I'm leery of buying it. Sounds like a potentially good read.
October 15th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
I have it. Really is worth it but to be fair I have generally really liked Kuper's stuff. If you have read Foer's "How Soccer Explains the World" there is a chapter on clubs in Sarajevo that is in the same neighborhood of Soccer against the Enemy
October 15th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
I haven't read Soccer Against the Enemy but I did read his book on Ajax, which came out last year and was excellent, I also read his weekly column in the Financial Times, which is not soccer-specific. I also read Soccernomics, which he and Michigan Professor Stefan Syzmanski wrote together, which is incredible. I can't recommend it highly enough.
I like Foer's book a lot the first time I read it. There's been some backlash against it in the past few years but I liked it.
I'd also recommend their shared Soccernomics Blog, which isn't updated very often but always very good. Syzmanski also puts his academic papers online, which are always data-driven but really interesting. Link is here
October 16th, 2014 at 1:50 AM ^
One of the best sports books ever. Consume it.
October 15th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^
go hand in hand in many parts of the world
October 15th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
the most distateful thing about Italian soccer.
October 15th, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^
I think it is one of the most endearing things about the beautiful game. Violence and bigotry aside the fact that you identified with a club based on deep rooted cultural, political and ethnic grouds makes your club choice that much more important.
Ever seen the Seinfeld bit where he talks about cheering for the Giants and question what exactly you are cheering for? A jersey?
Soccer generally doesn't have this problem, you would never see a club move, a la the Browns, Supersonics, Raiders because it is rooted in the community it was started in.
October 15th, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
But that's not what Seinfeld was talking about. He was talking about how you don't really root for indivdual players but "the team" in the abstract. When a player leaves your team, he becomes "the enemy" even though you cheered your heart out for him.
I'd say this is even more the case in pro soccer because most clubs go through massive player turnover on an annual basis. Having a player under contract is no guarantee of anything in soccer, other than that you'll receive some transfer fee. Year after year the big clubs make offers for stars that the little clubs can't refuse.
October 15th, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^
Poland also beat Germany. First loss in 19 competitive games all time between the 2 countries. Poland Germany has a lot more meaning than most matches for obvious reasons. That was also Germany's first loss in Euro qualifying since 2007 (Czech).
October 15th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
October 15th, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^
First off, both federations agreed not to let opposing fans into the games played at their venue, it was agreed that no Serbians would be allowed to watch the game in Albania, just as it was agreed that no Albanian fans would be allowed to watch the game in Serbia, that was agreed upon long ago by both federations, do not make that one sided. Both federations agreed.
2nd off, flying a drone and being the prime ministers brother of Albania,or even 3 albanians outside the stadium who did, with tension already over Kosovo, and I did watch the game. Thats squarely on the Albanians for doing something so fucking stupid.
Once the flag got brought down that was off the drone. The Serbian player was folding it when the Albanian Players went in to mob him,it was like 6 players on 1 player, until the Serbians evened things up, Had the Albanians let him fold the flag as he was trying to give it to the ref, and they would not have mobbed him,, than things would not got out of hand, but because the Albanian players began to mob the one serbian player, thats when things got out of hand.
For the prime minister of albania's brother, or 3 albanians outside the stadium to do something that stupid to try to incite something, especially over the tension over Kosovo , was beyond stupid, something luckily that didn't cause something much worse to happen even outside the stadium.
Are the Serbian fans the wildest in Europe, yes I will agree on that. But once the Albanians flew that drone into the stadium, and the 6 players went after the one, their lucky somebody wasn't killed or severely hurt.
Point is- Albanians do not fly the drone in, none of this shit happens. Trying to incite something over a region ( Kosovo) that both sides are fierce over. Just stupid. Play the game. No drone, no fights, no nothing.
Yes UEFA should not have put them in the same group, Just as They have made exceptions with other countries who are in dispute.
i am not serbian or croation or albanian or any descent of that region.
I am italian, and i do remember the incident in Genoa, but that incident is nothing on the political landscape of stupid as flying a Kosovo Albanian flag into a soccer game to incite hatred.
October 18th, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^
October 18th, 2014 at 8:38 AM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
Ames: Why Albania?
Conrad: Why not?
Ames: What have they done to us?
Conrad: What have they done FOR us? What do you know about them?
Ames: Nothing.
Conrad: See? They keep to themselves. Shifty. Untrustable.