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"My dream is to one day become the coach of Albania"/ Former midfielder: In Serbia, after they beat us, they told us: Get back on the field!
2025-06-06 08:12:38 / SPORT
The match between Serbia and Albania, held in Belgrade on October 14, 2014, has gone down in history. Tensions reached a peak after a drone, carrying a flag of Greater Albania with Ismail Qemali and Isa Boletini next to it, appeared above the stadium.
The incidents spilled onto the pitch, with Albanian players physically attacked by Serbian hooligans, Serbian players and security personnel. The way the Albanian players, or most of them, reacted has made them unforgettable among Albanian fans. UEFA awarded the match 3-0 in favour of Albania, but only after a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). One of Albania's players in that historic match was Burim Kukeli.
GROUP – The former midfielder, in an interview for "Koha", recalled what happened at the Partizan Belgrade stadium.
"We had a difficult group in the qualifiers and no one believed we would qualify, but we started well, with a victory over Portugal. It started well and then in the game in Belgrade against Serbia everyone saw the injustice that was done to us. The minimum reward was three points on the table," Kukeli began his story.
UNPROTECTED – He says that in Belgrade they were lonely, without protection from anyone.
"Before the game it was okay and after. But during the game there was a bad energy. We felt the hatred they had towards us. It was just us players and the people from the federation. It was not a good feeling to have the whole stadium against us. We tried to show our best. In the end, justice prevailed and we won the game on the table."
The 41-year-old Kukeli was born in Gjakova. He was not the only player with Kosovar roots playing for Albania at the time. Even today, the number of players with Kosovar roots is large in Albania. So is the impact on the field.
"We knew we wouldn't be well received, but we didn't expect such great hatred. People are strange. You can't imagine how they are like that. The images showed everything and the game in those conditions could not continue. We were insulted and beaten. And after they beat us, they wanted us to enter the field again. It was impossible to continue the match," says Kukeli.
"AS IF" - Even if the match had continued, Kukeli still feels today that Albania had its chances to win on the field.
"The situation was not at all safe. At certain moments there is fear. But, in many cases, one copes with it, as there was no other way out. We were able to show our best, as we had good phases on the field and if we had played 90 minutes, the chances of winning were great. It was not the right behavior, and the organization was not right."
RETURN MATCH – Kukeli was a starter in the match against Serbia in Belgrade, while in the return match in Elbasan in 2015 he was on the bench. Serbia won 2-0 in Elbasan, under strict security measures. But Kukeli insists that they have been an example for the whole world. He wishes for an incident-free match in Tirana on Saturday, when Albania faces Serbia in the framework of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
"In Elbasan we have shown culture and respect for humanity. We have behaved well, not like they did to us. We have received gratitude from other countries. We have done our best and now I hope it will be well organized in Tirana as well. After all, it is sport and we must behave in that spirit. In the end, I hope that Albania wins the match," said Kukeli.
FANS – Kukeli was one of the key players of the Albanian national team. He played as a central midfielder, a key role in the organization and defense of the team. He will not be present on Saturday at the “National Arena”, but emphasizes that he will be an ardent fan of Albania. He expects a fiery atmosphere.
"Fans should not bring hatred. Support Albania's players. We need to give positive energy, not hatred," says the former hard-working midfielder.
CAREER – He started his career as a coach of the U-21 team of Zurich. He was also a player at Zurich from 2012 to 2017. Kukeli has had a pretty good career in Switzerland. He says he is happy with the career he has developed, while he expects to have success as a coach as well. He has experienced the dream of appearing with the Albanian jersey in big events. Now he hopes to experience it as a coach as well.
"At the moment I am moving step by step. The U-21 level is very good here in Switzerland. I want to learn and develop my ideas. But my wish is to one day work in the Swiss Super League. Then Kosovo and Albania are out of the question. It is a dream for me to be the coach of Albania or Kosovo," said the former midfielder. Kukeli has played 27 matches for the Albanian national team. In almost every one of them he has been one of the best on the field.
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