And now for a truly surreal story featuring international soccer, geopolitical beef, tussling players, riot police and -- of course -- a flag-waving drone.
To set the stage: Serbia and Albania played a qualifying match for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament on Tuesday night in Belgrade, Serbia. It was Albania's first match in Belgrade since 1967. The two countries have long had major, and sometimes violent, tension. No visiting fans were allowed in the stadium.
The evening did not end well. In fact, it ended in disaster when a drone flew over the pitch while waving a flag, inciting passions, sparking fights and leading to the match being called off early.
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Albania and Serbia are near one another in Eastern Europe, separated only by the partially-recognized state of Kosovo, which sits north of Albania and south of Serbia. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo have for decades wanted independence from Serbia, and declared just that in 2008. But Serbia refuses to grant Kosovo full independence and there are still serious hard feelings between many Serbians and Albanians.
Kosovo is not recognized as a country by FIFA or UEFA, European soccer's governing body, so can't compete in official international matches. Several of Albania's players, though, were born in Kosovo.
That history of tension, and a resulting fear of violence at the match in Belgrade, is why the Serbian Football Federation's head of security told The Guardian before the match that "every Albanian supporter that tries to attend the match will be arrested and prosecuted.”
But someone -- Albanian supporters who weren't allowed in, one assumes -- flew a drone waving a pro-Albanian flag into Partizan Stadium in Belgrade during the match's first half. Much of the crowed howled in rage, according to soccer writer Nick Ames, and it got worse from there.
Play stopped as a drone flies right above the pitch, dangling an Albanian flag right above it! This is incredible. Crowd going mad.— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) October 14, 2014
Here's video of the drone. The flag reportedly contained an map of Kosovo, the word "indigenous" and other pro-Albanian messages.
Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic grabbed the flag being trailed by the drone. That triggered a tussle between players from both teams, according to The Guardian. Then a small group of fans invaded the pitch, some tussled with players and riot police attempted to restore order while "players retreated into the tunnel as flares were thrown from the terraces."
Insane. Here are more photos.
Drone waving pro-Albanian flag flies over stadium.
Serbian supporters light flare and yell.
Serbian player grabs flag as Albanian players move toward him.
Serbian players surround flag.
Masked men invade pitch.
Serbian and Albanian players tussle on pitch.
Fans and players skirmish.
Albanian players cover themselves while fleeing pitch.
Serbian riot police face off against Serbian fans.
The match was suspended by referee Martin Atkinson. Initial reports said it would be resumed, but it ended up being abandoned altogether. No word yet on if and when it will be resumed or replayed. If and when that happens though, it will certainly be another tense affair.