Reaction to the Albanian Football Association for the raise of the Flag of Northern Epirus during the Match Greece - Montenegro

The National Association of Northern Epirus 1914 has made the statement for the declaration of the Albanian Football Association..


Incredible audacity distinguishes the complaint of the Albanian football association to FIFA in which reproaching the Greek side "appearance of a giant flag" in the stadium Karaiskakis during the match Greece - Montenegro, on 24 March, which it claims "causes a spirit of open hatred '.
As noted by the Football Association of Albania "these incidents are not related to football and breach of FIFA rules," and completes its complaint citing that "the competent committees of FIFA will have to take a stand on this nationalism promotion case and it has nothing to do with the spirit of Fair Play ».

The cause discomfort both the Albanian federation and united the Albanian press, is to post large flag of Northern Epirus by our Association during the recoil of Hymn to Freedom before the start of the friendly match, the eve of the national day of 25 March.

On all sides we note the following:

1st) The flag hung the flag of the autonomous state of Northern Epirus, which was recognized on May 17, 1914 by the Protocol of Corfu by the Great Powers and Albania itself, which has not been repealed. Thus a historical and internationally recognized local symbol has no right to claim that "causes the open hate spirit".

2nd) by the entire Albanian society (politicians, people, SMEs) celebrated freeboard displaying large flag with the map of "Greater Albania" over the stadium of Partizan Belgrade during the match Serbia - Albania on October 14, 2014.

This particular map, which the Albanian footballers defended with passion in the episodes that followed, containing territories of Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the next president of the Albanian democracy greeted majestically international country at presidential palace .
Obviously for Albanian these events had little to do with football and not violate the rules of FIFA ...

3rd) During the football match Albania - Greece in Tirana on September 4, 2004, Albanian fans in the stands waved banners which referred to "Tsamouria" and "United States of Albania" and waved flags and the puppet regime in northern Cyprus.

For the Albanians but these images are not a "nationalism promotion case" ...

4th) Before the start of the football match Skanderbeg - APOEL Korca on July 13, 2011 for the qualifiers of the Champions League, from the loudspeakers of the pitch sounded Albanian nationalist songs with irredentist references against Greece and other neighboring countries. Also attendance spectators hoisted placards that read "Cyprus is Turkish"!
But the Albanian side the specific moves were under the Fair Play spirit ...


These then all conclude that the Albanian side following as always regular "ours ours and yours ours' is bottomless impudence and not allowed to make objections of" hatred "and" fair play spirit, "he says and a wise Greek proverb "in glass houses should not throw stones."

We call while the Greek Football Association and the competent Greek authorities not to retreat in the face of Itami and unjustified Albanian challenges.


National Association of Northern Epirus 1914
March 29, 2016