“Accordingly, the sanctions ordered by the UEFA CEDB in its decision dated 23 October 2014 are confirmed, namely: (i) the FAS is deducted three points for the current UEFA European Championship qualifiers; (ii) the FAS is ordered to play its next two UEFA competition matches as host team behind closed doors; and (iii) the FAS is fined €100,000”.
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Regardless of them being awarded a default win. the Albania FA were handed a €100,000 fine, after CAS agreed that “the FAA was responsible for the drone operated during the match”.
Albania has now 10 points and ranks second, while Serbia is the last in the group with -2 points.
ANKARA – Albania on Friday celebrated a reversal of the decision to award Serbia a win from their controversial Euro 2016 qualifier in October.
Serbia are bottom with minus two points.
CAS did, however, confirm UEFA’s ruling that Albania was responsible for the drone carrying an Albanian nationalist banner hovering above the field in the Serbian capital.
Away fans weren’t permitted to attend the match due to the tensions between the two countries, which have been high since Kosovo, a majority-Albanian ex- Serbian province, declared independence in 2008.
Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic tried to pull the flag down, sparking an raging reaction from the Albania players while fans invaded the pitch.
“Those who caused the incident have been awarded, while the victim has been punished”, Vucic said.
“Lausanne Court decision is an embarrassment for justice, judiciary and an insult to all normal people”, as stated by Vucic’s tweet.
Reacting to the news on Friday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama – whose brother the authorities in Belgrade initially suspected of being behind the drone incident – posted on Twitter, “Supeeeer! Three points for red-and-blacks in Belgrade!!!” Serbian fans also attacked Albania team members and threw flares onto the field. The CAS Panel was unable to ascertain to its comfortable satisfaction that the referee issued a clear, direct and unconditional order to the players to resume the match on the basis of a definite decision that safety had been assured.
“The panel found that the match stoppage and the eventual abandonment of the match were caused by security lapses of the organizers and acts of violence exerted on the Albanian players by the Serbian fans and at least one security steward”, CAS said.
The team’s Italian coach Gianni De Biasi told the Top TV channel: “If we want to go directly to France 2016, we have to make good in the remaining matches”.
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The provocative map showed Albania’s borders expanded to include parts of four neighboring countries: Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Greece.
