UEFA has decided to ban Merlind Dakko, an Albanian striker, from participating in two Euro 2024 matches due to his involvement in leading nationalist chants with Albanian fans. This occurred after Albania’s match against Croatia, where Dakko used a loudspeaker to chant slogans against Serbia and North Macedonia.
UEFA also fined the Albanian Football Federation for incidents during the match, which involved inappropriate chants. The decision has sparked controversy, with the Serbian Football Federation expressing strong dissatisfaction and threatening to withdraw from the tournament unless UEFA took action.
Albania faces a crucial group stage match against Spain in Euro 2024. After drawing with Croatia and losing to Italy, they currently have one point and must secure a victory to advance to the knockout rounds.
