This was probably bound to happen as Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo’s independence and a match between these two countries would be fraught with the memories of Balkan ethnic cleansing.

A drone carrying a flag with the insignia of Greater Albania descended on the pitch in the 40th minute during a delay as referee Martin Atkinson halted play after flares had been shot in the direction of the Albanian players. Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic hauling the flag down set off a chain of events as he was initially set on by two Albanian players before it landed in the hands of striker Bekim Balaj who ran to the sidelines. Pandemonium ensued on the field as players milled around before Balaj was attacked by a Serbian fan wielding a plastic chair. That brought on the cavalry charge. The long and short of it, Atkinson was forced to abandon the match and the Albanian players made their escape into the tunnel ducking objects thrown at them from maddened fans. It was Albania’s first visit to Belgrade since 1967.

Serbian media accused Orfi Rama, the brother of Albanian PM Edi Rama, and in the stands of controlling the drone. The drone is fast becoming the 21st century’s carrier of grim tidings.

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