Serbia

Painful defeat to Albania signals the end of head coach Dragan Stojkovic's tenure

- By Wilf MacDonnell

When Serbia and Albania met at the 8,000-capacity Dubocica Stadium in Leskovac in World Cup qualifying in October, it was always bound to be a game with far-reaching consequences – regardless of the result.

The last time these two Balkan rivals met in Serbia was in 2014. During that politically sensitive Euro 2016 qualifier, a drone towing pro-Albanian sentiments was flown over the Partizan Stadium pitch, sparking a mass brawl.

In an attempt to avoid a repeat, this clash was declared as high-risk and subsequently moved away from Red Star's famously intimidating 50,000 Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade to a sleepy city in southern Serbia.