Fuss about chants

Drumbeat at EM! UEFA bans Albania striker

Albania's Mirlind Daku(Bild: GEPA)

A bombshell at the EURO in Germany: UEFA has banned Albania's Mirlind Daku! The reason: after the 2:2 draw against Croatia in Hamburg on Wednesday, the striker used a megaphone to incite the Albanian fans with derogatory battle cries against North Macedonia. 

UEFA then launched an investigation into the 26-year-old on suspicion of inappropriate behavior. Daku said he had let himself get carried away by the emotions of playing at the EURO. But his apology came too late. He has now been banned for two EURO matches. 

After pictures of the action emerged, the North Macedonian Football Association demanded an apology and called for UEFA to investigate.

Heated atmosphere in the Balkans
Daku's actions come against the backdrop of ongoing ethnic tensions in the Balkans. Serbia is demanding punishment for Croatia and Albania for hashtags in which both fan groups chanted "Kill, kill, kill the Serb" during the match.

Most of the controversy revolves around Kosovo, which has a majority Albanian population and whose independence Serbia still does not recognize. Daku only switched from the Kosovo national team to the Albanian association last year.