October 7 – The Football Association of Serbia (FSS) has announced that no tickets will be available for public sale for the upcoming football match between Serbia and Albania on October 11 at the Dubočica Stadium in Leskovac.
The decision, made by the FSS Committee for Emergency Matters, is based on the classification of the match as a “highest security risk” event.
The stringent measures were adopted following assessments by FIFA, instructions from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, consultations with UEFA, and, most importantly, the negative experience from the match between the two teams in 2014, which was interrupted and ultimately resulted in Serbia being administratively denied qualification for a major tournament.
Attendance will be controlled through the distribution of tickets solely to the football community. These will be allocated to regional associations, clubs, participants in football schools and their parental escorts, professional football organisations, official sponsors and guests of the FSS, accredited media representatives, as well as medical and other necessary teams.
In line with security guidelines, there will be no visiting fans in the stands.
Entry to the stadium will be permitted only with strictly personalised tickets and upon presentation of a personal identification document (ID card or passport). Rigorous security checks will be conducted at the entrances, fully aligned with the highest security standards. Specifically for this occasion, FIFA is sending two security officers to Leskovac.
Albania and Serbia have already played a match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with the match ending in a goalless draw in Tirana on June 7.
The FSS reminded the public that the Serbia vs. Albania match in Belgrade in October 2014 was interrupted, leading to severe consequences for the Serbian national team, including loss of qualification for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France.
The Football Association of Serbia has also appealed to all attendees to contribute with their behaviour to a fair and sporting atmosphere, allowing the Serbian national team to achieve the best possible result on the pitch.
Contact the writer of this story, Alexander Krassimirov, at [email protected]