TIRANA, July 13 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport has partially accepted an appeal by the Albanian football association, granting three points for last year’s match against Serbia, which was abandoned due to violence in Belgrade.
The Switzerland-based CAS said in a statement that Serbia would have to forfeit the game 0-3 due to violence caused by its fans. But the court did leave in force a Euro 100,000 fine against the Albanian association for the disruption to the match by a drone carrying an Albanian banner.
The court’s decision is final and not open to any further appeals.
“The CAS Panel has decided that the UEFA European Championship qualifying Group I match between Serbia and Albania be deemed to have been forfeited by the FAS [the Football Association of Serbia] by the score of 0:3,” said a statement on the court’s website.
The ruling overturned an earlier UEFA decision that noted Albania had refused to play. Serbia had been awarded a default 3-0 victory by UEFA but then deducted three points and ordered to play its next two qualifiers in an empty stadium.
In this final ruling that overturns UEFA’s decision, CAS said it found no evidence that Albania refused to play following an order issued by the referee in the 41st minute, when the match was abandoned and that FAS and not the Football Association of Albania must be considered as responsible for the match not being played.
“The CAS Panel was unable to ascertain to its comfortable satisfaction that the referee issued a clear, direct and unconditional order to the players to resume the match on the basis of a definite decision that safety had been assured,” the court’s statement said.
CAS blamed the abandonment on Serbian “security lapses” and “acts of violence exerted on the Albanian players by the Serbian fans and at least one security steward.”
The CAS left in force the Euro 100,000 fine against Albania, declaring the Albanian football association was responsible for the drone operated during the match, carrying a banner depicting Albanian nationalistic and patriotic symbols.
– Albania celebrates, looks to autumn matches –
The news of the decision caused a storm of celebration among Albanians.
“Super. This is what European Justice means. 3 points for the Red and Blacks in Belgrade. Go Albania,” Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote on his Twitter profile.
Albania’s coach Gianni De Biasi said the CAS decision had increased Albania’s chances of qualification into Euro 2016, but Albania still faces a tough challenge.
“I am very happy, of course, because when justice triumphs, everybody is happy,” Albania coach Giovanni de Biasi said.
He also added that there shouldn’t be excess enthusiasm, but the team must be prepared well especially for the away match with Denmark in September.
Following that Albania plays with Portugal at home.
The two Balkan countries, Albania and Serbia are scheduled for a return match in Shkodra on Oct. 8.
De Biasi had earlier described the CAS decision as key to securing a spot in the top two in Group I, which means a direct qualification and no need for a play-off in case of a third place.
The ruling makes the pursuit of the two automatic qualification places for the Euro 2016 finals in France tighter, with Denmark ahead of Albania only on goal difference but with an extra game in hand.
Denmark coach Morten Olsen said qualifying is now “more difficult” after calling the ruling “completely incomprehensible.”
– Successful appeal of ‘unfair’ UEFA decision –
Albania was successful in appealing the UEFA decision which handed the national team a 3-0 loss and a Euro 100,000 fine over the abandonment of the match last October after a fight in the match’s first half when a drone with Albanian nationalist symbols was flown into the pitch, sparking a violent brawl which saw Albanian players running for the dressing room and hit with objects thrown from the stadium where Albanian fans had been banned from attending.
UEFA punished Albania for “refusing to play on” and Serbia for their part in the incident fueled by the “Greater Albania” map which also featured Kosovo, a mostly ethnic Albanian country which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after an armed conflict in the late 1990s. Some of Albania’s best players have roots in Kosovo and play for top clubs in Europe.
Serbia also opposed the UEFA decision which despite handing them 3-0 victory, deducted them three points as were ordered to play the next two matches behind closed doors and fined Euro 100,000. Their appeal was denied by CAS.
Albania achieved their highest ever FIFA world ranking this week following remarkable progress in their Euro 2016 qualification bid and a historic victory with France last June.
Albania climbed 15 spots to 36th in the July FIFA ranking, which is a historic high for the country’s national side since 1946 when it made its international debut with a friendly against then-Yugoslavia.
The new ranking has officially earned Albania one seeding pot for the World Cup qualifying draw Russia 2018 scheduled for July 25. Albania is set to be seeded in Pot 3 for the first time ever after having been historically seeded in inferior Pots 4 and 5 in previous draws.
Asked about the historic climb, Albania’s coach, De Biasi, avoided strong enthusiasm by saying “I will reach my conclusions when I see the teams we are drawn against. For now, we still don’t know how much the third pot is worth.”
Football experts say Albania, whose players play in prestigious leagues including Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, stands a real chance to qualify for the France Euro 2016 after historically finishing bottom and second from bottom in previous Euro and World Cup qualifying stages.
The top two group teams and the best third-placed side qualify directly for the final tournament of the Euro 2016. The eight remaining third-placed teams will contest play-offs to determine the last four qualifiers.
