Albania and Serbia will co-host the 2027 Under-21 European Championship, Europe’s football governing body UEFA said on Tuesday, after the two Balkan countries set their differences aside and submitted a joint bid.
The 16-team tournament will be played at four stadiums in Albania (Tirana, Shkoder, Elbasan and Rrogozhine) and four stadiums in Serbia (Novi Sad, Loznica, Leskovac and Zajecar).
The opening match is set to take place in Serbia while the final will be held in Albania. Both countries will also qualify as hosts, with 14 more slots up for grabs in qualifiers.
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Relations between Serbia and Albania have long been hostile and hit their lowest point during a war in the former Serbian province of Kosovo in the late 1990s when NATO, concerned about the “ethnic cleansing” of Albanians, deployed airstrikes against Serbian forces.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia refused to recognise it, saying the territory, which has a majority Albanian population, is a heartland of the Serbian nation.
On the pitch, a Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania in October 2014 was called off when a drone flew the flag of “Greater Albania” above the pitch, sparking a brawl that forced Albanian players to flee and caused a diplomatic row.
Unlike the senior men’s Euros which are played every four years, the Under-21 edition is held every two years. Slovakia will host the 2025 edition in June with England defending its title.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com