Serbia v Albania UEFA qualifier abandoned

BELGRADE - Serbia's UEFA 2016 qualifying match against Albania was suspended, and eventually abandoned, after a small drone with a flag bearing an insignia of ‘Greater Albania' appeared flying above the pitch at the end of the first half on Tuesday.

Serbian footballer Stefan Mitrovic caught the flag and two Albanian players rushed to try and snatch it from his hands.

This sparked a brawl between players, officials and substitutes from both teams, and several supporters who broke onto the pitch, prompting English referee Martin Atkinson to suspend the match and lead the players off the field.

While heading for the tunnel, Albania players were showered with torches and lighters, and riot police entered the southern stand to separate two groups of supporters, a Tanjug reporter said.

A supporter who entered the stadium's running track hit an Albanian player on his way to the tunnel.

The match was halted for more than 50 minutes, with consultations being held in the meantime between representatives of the two national football associations and UEFA delegates on whether it could be continued.

Following a decision to abandon the match for security reasons, the official announcer at the Partizan stadium said that the match had ended with the score at 0-0.

Photo Tanjug, Z. Zestic