Following Albania’s 2-2 draw with Croatia in Hamburg, forward Mirlind Daku was found guilty of leading his country’s fans in derogatory chants using a megaphone. As a result, the Albanian Football Association (FA) has been fined €25,000 for “transmitting provocative messages not fit for a sports event”. In addition to the fine, the Albania FA has also been charged an extra €22,500 for pitch invasions and the lighting of fireworks by supporters. The Croatian Federation has also been fined €28,000 for their fans throwing and lighting fireworks during the match.
Uefa has stated that their investigation into potential racist and discriminatory behavior by supporters is ongoing. Daku issued an apology on social media following the incident, but Serbia threatened to pull out of Euro 2024 due to the chanting between Croatia and Albania fans. The Serbian team went on to play their match against Denmark, ending in a 1-1 draw. Moreover, Daku’s actions led to the North Macedonia football federation demanding an apology from him.
