Players and fans alike broke out in brawls after a drone dangling an Albanian banner hovered over a soccer match with Serbia.
The violence grew so intense that authorities were forced to halt the match, leaving the outcome of the European Championship qualifier in limbo, The Associated Press reported.
The Union of European Football Associations later said the game was cancelled because of a “disturbance” on the field, AP said.
The game was shut down at a score of 0-0, after Serbian players grabbed the banner from the drone and Albanian players tried to protect it. Several players from both teams then broke out in fights, AP said.
“We wanted to continue the match, but Albanian players said they were not psychologically ready,” said Serbia team captain Branislav Ivanovic, in the AP report.
The match-off between the two teams was tense before the drone incident, which occurred at the 41-minute mark, AP said.
Fans jeered loudly throughout the pre-game playing of the Albanian national anthem, and Albanian players said they were pelted by food and other objects from the stands in the first few minutes of the match.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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