The North Macedonian soccer federation says it has submitted an official request to UEFA asking for Austria striker Marko Arnautović to be punished for a nationalist outburst after he scored a aim on the European Championship
BUCHAREST, Romania — The North Macedonian soccer federation has submitted a request to UEFA asking for Austria striker Marko Arnautović to be punished for a nationalist outburst after he scored a aim on the European Championship.
The federation mentioned the outburst was directed at Ezgjan Alioski, who’s of Albanian origin. Arnautović’s father is Serbian and his mom is Austrian.
“We’re at all times towards nationalism, discrimination and all different types of insults and outbursts that aren’t within the spirit of soccer and the values that all of us stand for collectively,” the federation mentioned in a press release launched late Monday. “We are going to at all times rise up and defend the pursuits and dignity of the Macedonian nationwide crew wherever they play.”
Arnautović scored the ultimate aim in Austria’s 3-1 victory over North Macedonia on Sunday on the Nationwide Enviornment in Bucharest.
He wrote in an Instagram story that he was sorry for what occurred and acknowledged “some heated phrases yesterday within the feelings of the sport for which I want to apologize – particularly to my buddies from North Macedonia and Albania.”
“I want to say one factor very clearly: I AM NOT A RACIST!” Arnautović wrote. “I’ve buddies in virtually each nation and I stand for variety.”
The Albanian minority varieties a couple of quarter of North Macedonia’s 2.1 million inhabitants.
Tensions between North Macedonians and ethnic Albanians within the small Balkan nation erupted in 2001 when Albanians took up arms and fought with authorities forces, demanding extra rights.
The battle ended after seven months with a deal that granted extra rights to Albanians.
Ethnic Albanian events have been a part of each authorities within the nation because it declared independence from the previous Yugoslavia in 1991.
Serbia and ethnic Albanians have additionally been in battle in Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008.
Kosovo’s majority inhabitants are ethnic Albanians, and Serbia has by no means acknowledged the nation’s independence.
Albania, Kosovo and Serbia all border North Macedonia.
In 2017, Serbia was angered by North Macedonia’s intention to assist Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO.
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Related Press author Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, North Macedonia, and AP Sports activities Author James Ellingworth in Baku, Azerbaijan, contributed to this report.
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Extra AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports activities
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