Football
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Police say drone from Serbia-Albania Euro 2016 qualifying clash found

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbian police say they have found the drone that flew an Albanian nationalist banner over a stadium in Belgrade, igniting a brawl on the pitch and fueling simmering political tensions between Balkan rivals Serbia and Albania.

The small drone with four rotors -- last seen being carried off by a Serb fan during the stadium brawl that saw the Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday night abandoned -- will be checked to see where it was manufactured and purchased and who could have flown it, police chief Nebojsa Stefanovic said on Thursday.

He accused Albanians of being "exclusively'' to blame for the clashes.

The violence broke out after the drone, dangling a map of Albania enlarged to include areas of neighbouring Kosovo and Serbia, circled over the field towards the end of the first half, sparking the scenes which led to the match being called off.

Serbia and Albania have been at odds for decades, mainly over Kosovo, a former ethnic Albanian-dominated Serbian province that declared independence in 2008.

Serbia has never accepted Kosovo's independence.

UEFA opened disciplinary cases against both countries over the match. Besides the brawls on the pitch, the Albanian anthem was loudly jeered by Serbian fans before the game in Belgrade and derogatory chants were heard throughout.

Serbian supporters also threw flares and other objects at Albanian players, as well as attacking them on the field.

The Albanian Football Federation said on Thursday that its players were repeatedly hit by fans and police and had to endure offensive chants like "Kill the Albanians!''

It defended the Albanian players' decision not to continue the match.

"The AFA is of the opinion that the ... mentioned actions negatively impacted the normal conduct of the match, which was ultimately abandoned,'' the federation said.

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