Albania striker Mirlind Daku banned for two Euro 2024 games after derogatory chants

He will miss the last group game and the round of 16 if Albania qualify

Albania forward Mirlind Daku is set to miss two games after being suspended for steering the fans to make derogatory chants with a megaphone after their 2-2 draw against Croatia.

Daku, who has now issued an apology for his actions, will not be present in Monday’s match in Düsseldorf against Spain, where Albania may go to the knockout stages for the first time ever with a victory.

Should Albania advance, he will also be ineligible for the round of 16. Daku, a forward for Rubin Kazan, didn’t start playing for Albania until last year when he took advantage of FIFA regulations to modify his ability from Kosovo, the ethnically Albanian former part of Serbia that gained independence sixteen years prior.

“Daku will be banned for a total of two UEFA representative team competition matches for which he would be otherwise eligible,” a statement from European football’s governing body confirmed on Sunday.

“[Daku] failed to comply with the general principles of conduct, violated the basic rules of decent conduct, used sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and brought the sport of football into disrepute.”

“I am not here to speak about politics, this is a thing UEFA has to take care of,” Albania captain Berat Djimsiti said in a news conference on Sunday. “The main reason we are here is to play an important, big game tomorrow and have chances on the pitch.

“This is the most important thing, to have our fans with us, there will be a lot of people here tomorrow, and to make them proud and also ourselves.”

In the meantime, fireworks were let off during the same game, the ground was invaded, and the Albanian Football Association was fined a total of €47,500 for sending out offensive messages unfit for a sporting event.

In addition, Croatia were fined €28,000 for lighting fireworks and hurling them during the match.

Jovan Surbatovic, the executive director of the Football Association of Serbia, urged Serbia to withdraw from Euro 2024 if UEFA did not address the issue following a film of Daku using the loudhailer and, subsequently, fans from Albania and Croatia combining in anti-Serbia chants.

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