2016 Euro Qualifier match pitting Serbia against Albania in Belgrade was abandoned by English official Martin Atkinson after fighting broke out between players, fans and team officials on the pitch of the Partizan Stadium.
The brawl, which involved representatives of both sides, arose after a drone had been flown above the pitch, lowering a flag bearing an insignia of ‘Greater Albania’.
Serbia and Albania have a history of turbulent relations, predominantly in relation to the former Serbian Province of Kosovo , which declared independence in 2008.
It has been recognized by the United States and major European Union countries, but Serbia refuses to do so, as do most ethnic Serbs inside Kosovo.
The flag was caught by the Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic, setting off chain of events.
It was Albania’s first visit to Belgrade since 1967 and a highly sensitive affair given long-running tensions over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has a majority ethnic Albanian population.
There had been little sign of what was to come in the early stages, with away supporters barred from attending the fixture.
Mitrovic caught the flag and was immediately accosted by Albanian players Andi Lila and Taulant Xhaka, the insignia eventually ending up in the hands of the striker Bekim Balaj, who began to carry it towards the touchline.