None of us deserved this

Even those who thought moving the match to Leskovac was a good idea were thoroughly disillusioned during the 90 painful minutes of a game that was supposed to be the most important of the year.

Albania’s visit to Serbia, especially after the 2014 drone incident, naturally generated immense interest and tension, which completely vanished with the decision to move the match from Belgrade to Leskovac.

In this southern Serbian city live and work genuinely good people who love football and enjoy watching it. That is why the only truth coach Stojković always repeated is that the national team is always warmly welcomed in the capital of the country known for the best barbecue.

However, this time the players left southern Serbia “roasted” and humiliated by some Albanian opponents, as under no circumstances should such a match have been moved from the capital.

Srdjan Stevanovic/Starsport

 

• A painful defeat: Albania in Leskovac pushes Serbia further away from the World Cup

The national team was “taken away” from the majority of its fans — the same fans who a month ago were calling for and predicting Piksi’s departure. Had it happened after the debacle against England, perhaps it would have been less painful to remain at the “Marakana” and, with a new coach, endure the thunder of 40,000 supporters, possibly avoiding one of the most painful — if not the most painful — defeats ever.

Instead, what we got was, at best, a theatrical atmosphere, with almost no cheering. At certain moments, the silence was so intense that instructions from Silvinho on the bench, conversations between players on the pitch, and even referee István Kovács’s explanations could be clearly heard.

“It felt like we were playing in Albania,” said Elseid Hysaj after the match.

Pedja Milosavljevic / STARSPORT

We looked at each other as a chill ran down our spines from the piercing silence, and it was clear that this affected the Serbian players as well, who were completely emotionless — the very emotion needed to carry a match like this properly.

We already knew that Serbian fans have never been particularly organized in their cheering, but this was below any previous standard. And that must be said.

We shared the press box with Albanian colleagues, most of whom were professional, celebrating their goal and victory in the same way we would have, if only we had managed to score.

The only one who went too far was a cameraman who, after the final whistle, took off his jacket and put on an Albanian jersey, prompting reactions from nearby Serbian fans and then the police.

Another striking impression from the scene was the panic-stricken, overly strict security checks at the entrances, where the guards were so intimidated that they confiscated journalists’ pencils and even chewing gum. Initial instructions even covered laptop chargers and camera tripods.

Fortunately for our work equipment, we managed to convince the security staff that the cable with the adapter wasn’t intended for any wrongdoing, but solely for professional use.

The whole package — the defeat against Albania, the likely elimination from the World Cup, the coach’s departure, the unexpected struggle to save our chargers, and the painfully tense atmosphere — leads to the conclusion that none of us deserved this. Not the players, not the coaches, not the journalists, and especially not the fans.

And even if we did, at least it didn’t have to happen this way.