Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josephus]

Watching Malta Norway. Not going so well.

[Josquius]

The head medical doctor of FC Bayern Munich and the German National Team, Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt:



He's 72.

I must know his secret

[Maladict]

Iceland just beat Holland 2-0 in EC qualifier. 

[Josquius]

Way to go Iceland.
Didn't they come really close to another giant killing not too long ago?

[celedhring]

A drone carrying the Albanian flag has flown over the pitch during the Serbia - Albania EC qualifying match tonight, prompting a battle royal between players, staff and fans. Ah, the Balkans....

[Duque de Bragança]

Albania is quite a wild card in this group.

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, this is going to be another suffering qualification round for Portugal. Victory versus Denmark, but with a lone goal by Cristiano Ronaldo served by my favourite Gypsy, at the +5 min mark in the extra time. Denmark had a couple good changes (post hit) in the first half. Coming after a defeat at home versus Albania.  At least the Albanians will fight every opponent, not just the Serbs. 

[The Larch]

A drone carrying the Albanian flag has flown over the pitch during the Serbia - Albania EC qualifying match tonight, prompting a battle royal between players, staff and fans. Ah, the Balkans....

The match got cancelled after all (the drone incident happened just before half time). And apparently it was not an Albanian flag, but a Greater Albania flag, with a political message supporting the independence of Kosovo (half the Albanian national team is formed by Kosovars). The brother of Albania's prime minister, who was attending the game, was apparently detained by Serbian police as the main suspect of operating the drone.

Here are some pics of the incidents:











The whole gallery can be seen here:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2014/oct/15/serbia-albania-flag-fury-match-abandoned-in-pictures

[Admiral Yi]

Any kung fu kicks? 

[mongers]

Oh those wacky Balkan fellows, though I guess fisticuffs without AK47s and 106mm RRs is progress for those time-warped lands. 

[The Larch]

Any kung fu kicks? 

At least one attempt. :p



There was also some MMA/Wrestling thing going on.



And apparently the "Albania's PM brother was behind it" story was a hoax.

[Josquius]

Amazing.
You'd think the EC draw would have included considerations of keeping apart two nations with major beefs outside of football.

[Josephus]

Amazing.
You'd think the EC draw would have included considerations of keeping apart two nations with major beefs outside of football.

It's complicated enough as it is.

[celedhring]

Spain and Gibraltar couldn't be in the same group, for example.

[Syt]

"In Wien fängt der Balkan an ..." (The Balkans begin in Vienna)

http://www.thelocal.at/20141015/serbs-and-albanians-brawl-in-vienna-after-football

Serbs and Albanians brawl in Vienna

Police in Vienna had to quell a riot in Ottakring when Serbia's Euro 2016 qualifying match against Albania in Belgrade was abandoned after fighting broke out between players on Tuesday evening.

Around 9.30pm around 50 Albanians gathered in Ottakringerstrasse and threw bottles and burning objects at a Serbian cafe.

Police were able to control the crowd but at 10:30pm a group of 250 Serbs tried to break through police barriers.

Armed police with dogs from across Vienna were called in to provide backup and Ottakringerstrasse, the outer Gürtel road and surrounding streets were closed to traffic.

Police said they were able to prevent any major clashes and at around 11:30pm the two groups dispersed. No one was injured but 14 vehicles were damaged, including police cars.

"A group of 250 to 300 people ran away in all directions, or tried to hide in cafes. Some also ran to the U-Bahn and managed to get away," police spokesman Paul Eidenberger said. He did not say how many police officers had been deployed.

No one was arrested but 30 people were reported for damage to property and could be charged.

The brawl in Belgrade involved players from both sides and a number of pitch invaders from the stands. It was sparked after a drone had been flown above the pitch, lowering a flag bearing an insignia of 'Greater Albania'.

The match was Albania's first visit to Belgrade since 1967 and was highly sensitive given long-running tensions over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has a majority ethnic Albanian population.

According to Serbian police, the pilot of the DJI Phantom drone was Olsi Rama, the brother of the Albanian prime minister.  This has been denied however.

"I am very disgusted by the allegation of my having any involvement in the piloting of the drone," Rama told CNN on Wednesday.  He said he had been taking pictures of the game from a VIP suite at the stadium.