Prifti: Joint organization of the European Championship by Serbia and Albania is good news; tensions need to be reduced

Sports journalist and host of the "Sportcenter" program on ABC News, Nertan Prifti, believes that the joint organization of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship by Serbia and Albania would be positive for both countries, however, he warns that recent events in stadiums highlight that tensions and fan passions remain high.
"From a sports perspective, this is something positive for both countries, the opportunity to organize the final phase of a European championship, even for the Under-21 category, which is the second level below the A national teams. Such an endeavor also generates revenue, but that primarily applies in a normal situation, and we all know the situation is far from normal," Prifti said in an interview with Kosovo Online.
He adds that such an event could foster closer ties between the two countries, but recent incidents demonstrate the need for "significant and thoughtful collaboration" between the two football associations.
"The federations can implement their own mechanisms to reduce tensions, whether by activating security agents or engaging in dialogue with ultras fan groups to 'cool things down' between the two supporter groups. This is especially necessary in light of recent events. We have seen what has happened in some stadiums across Europe, not just in Serbia or Albania. The recent case in Bucharest against Kosovo, where the match was interrupted due to anti-Albanian chants, clearly shows the situation is not good," the sports commentator noted.
He emphasizes that efforts to reduce tensions must begin well before the championship starts, as failing to do so poses significant security risks.
"This event could undoubtedly serve to improve relations between the two countries, but strong collaboration between the two federations is required to reduce or eliminate all these tensions, and this must happen before the European Championship begins. If things continue as they are, there will undoubtedly be risks of incidents that will be far from positive and entirely unrelated to sports, whether inside or outside the stadiums," Prifti stressed.
0 comments