UEFA expels TV broadcaster from European Championship Event
UEFA cracks down: A journalist from Kosovo loses EURO credential over a gesture. The incident happened during the England game last Sunday and was reported to UEFA by Serbia's Football Association, who demanded action.
Later in the day, UEFA confirmed to dpa that a journalist had their EURO accreditation revoked due to misconduct. No name or nationality was given by UEFA.
Previously, Swiss newspaper "Blick" had reported on the matter. "It's a shady move," said Arlind Sadiku, the affected journalist, to the paper. "I didn't offend or provoke anyone. I was just displaying a symbol that represents us proudly."
The symbol in question, the double-eagle, holds great significance for all ethnic Albanians and is also a part of Albania's national flag. This gesture caused a commotion during the 2018 World Cup, as it was displayed by Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri following their goals in the 2:1 win against Serbia.
Serbia eyeing exit
According to various media outlets, Serbia's Football Association reported the incident from the game in Gelsenkirchen to UEFA the following Sunday and demanded consequences. The reporter claimed to have responded to anti-Kosovar chants from the Serbian fans.
The EURO expulsion of the journalist comes after Serbia lodged a complaint about supposedly aggressive chants from Croatian and Albanian fans and even threatened to withdraw from the tournament. "We demand sanctions from UEFA, even if it means we don't continue with the EURO championship," said Jovan Surbatovic, the general secretary of the Serbian Football Association. He referred to allegedly aggressive chants from both fan bases during the 2:2 between Croatia and Albania on the Wednesday evening in Hamburg in the second half.
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In response to the alleged incident, Kosovo's media strongly criticized UEFA's decision, arguing it infringed on the journalist's Freedom of the press. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also weighed in, expressing his concern over the EURO's handling of the situation. Despite this, Serbia remains adamant, pushing for UEFA to take action against alleged hostile chants from Croatian and Albanian fans during the tournament. This has sparked discussions within UEFA regarding potential consequences for any nation found to breach its code of conduct at the European Football Championship 2024.
