TIRANA, June 13 – UEFA’s disciplinary committee has initiated proceedings against Albania’s football association on charges of an illicit banner by a group of Albanian fans blaming Greece on an alleged genocide of Cham Albanians who were expelled and stripped of their citizenship and property in northern Greece at the end of World War II under accusations that they cooperated with invading Italian and German forces.
The banner reading “Greece is guilty, Remember the Genocide in Chameria, 100,000 Albanian victims” was unveiled during last weekend’s Albania-Switzerland fixture as part of the Euro 2016 group stage matches.
The banner also sparked reactions by neighboring Greece, with its foreign minister Nikos Kotzias saying there wasn’t a genocide of the Chams during World War II and blamed what Greece’s Proto Thema newspaper described as a provocative banner on “special forces that are trying to influence Albanian political stage, implying the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity (PDIU), a parliamentary political party representing the Cham Albanians.
Minister Kotzia’s visit to Albania few days ago was met with protests by PDIU supporters who gathered in front of Albania’s foreign ministry, calling for the abolition of the state of war that exists between Greece and Albania and for reparations for property confiscated at the end of World War II.
Europe’s football governing body said it will also investigate Albania on the setting off/throwing of fire in a disciplinary body meeting scheduled for July 21.
UEFA says it has also launched disciplinary proceedings against Russia on heavier charges of crowd disturbances, racist behaviour and setting off of fireworks during its fixture with England.
Albania lost 1-0 in its debut Euro campaign against Switzerland, but will take on hosts France on June 15 and play Romania in their last group stage match four days later in an effort for another historic qualification.
