Serbia has threatened to withdraw from Euro 2024 in protest against offensive chants aimed at their country.
According to media outlets on June 20, Secretary-General of the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) Jovan Surbatovic revealed in an interview with Serbian broadcaster RTS that chants of “Kill Serbia, Kill, Kill, Kill” were heard during the game between Albania and Croatia. Surbatovic took issue with this and stated, “Even if we have to pay the price of not being able to continue the tournament,” he demanded that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) take appropriate action.
In response, UEFA announced that it had appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate the matter at Serbia’s request.
UEFA shared that it has also begun investigating inappropriate behavior by Albanian player Mirlind Daku. The Serbian media reported that Daku had shouted vulgar chants against Serbians and Macedonians, and the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM) also publicly urged Daku to apologize.
Eventually, Daku posted an apology on Facebook, stating, “I feel a moral and professional responsibility towards those who were hurt.”
Meanwhile, Serbia has maintained tense relations with Albania and Croatia for many years.
Serbia and Albania have long conflicted with Kosovo, while Serbia was at war with Croatia during its independence from Yugoslavia.