July 11 – Balkan political posturing has not been confined to the Euros as chanting of insulting messages marred the Champions League first preliminary round match between Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania’s FC Egnatia
The game was interrupted in the second half, after FC Egnatia players were asked by the team’s coaching staff to leave the field because of chants from the stands of ‘Kosovo is Serbia’.
Polish referee Daniel Stefanski briefly stopped the match, but after a conversation with the delegate of the game, the match was resumed.
In the end, the home side from Borac won the match 1-0 after Damir Hrelja’s goal in the stoppage time, which was 14 minutes. Egnatia’s team finished the match with nine men after two of the away players received red cards.
The rematch between Borac Banja Luka and Egnatia is in seven days in Elbasan, Albania.
It is not yet clear whether UEFA will investigate the incident and take any action against the clubs.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1732363377labto1732363377ofdlr1732363377owedi1732363377sni@o1732363377fni1732363377