Albania-Serbia Challenge/ State Police presents measures

2025-06-05 13:06:00, Aktualitet CNA

State Police, special measures plan to guarantee order and security before, during and after the end of the football match "Albania - Serbia", which will take place on June 7, 2025, at 20:45, at the "Arena Kombëtare" stadium, Tirana.

Based on the positive experience in planning, organizing and managing the public order and security situation during international events, the State Police has drafted a special measures plan with concrete tasks for all Police structures included in this measures plan. The measures plan foresees:

-Escorting and securing the Serbian team's footballers from Rinas airport to the hotel, to the stadium and back to Rinas;

-Escorting and securing the Albanian team's football players at the stadium;

-Conducting systematic checks in the areas inside and outside the stadium, for unauthorized citizens, objects and pyrotechnics, before fans enter;

-Organization of services to guarantee public order before, during and after the football match, not only near the stadium, but also control of the territory throughout the city of Tirana;

-Ensuring emergency service routes;

-Road traffic management in the city of Tirana, before, during and after the football match.

To guarantee security before, during and after this international match, cooperation has been established with all institutions that have a role in the smooth running of this activity, specifically with the Albanian Football Federation, UEFA, the Republic Guard, the Municipal Police, the Fire Service, private security companies (stewards and security personnel), hospitals, health centers and first aid centers.

Also, contacts have been established and cooperation is being carried out with the security service personnel of the Serbian football team, in order to increase security standards before, during and after the development of this international match.

For the smooth running of this activity, on June 7, 2025, from 3:00 PM until the end of the match, the State Police, in cooperation with the Tirana Municipal Police, will apply vehicle traffic restrictions on several road axes near the stadium, specifically:

"Martyrs of the Nation" Boulevard, from the intersection near the Presidency towards "Mother Teresa" Square, "Papa John Paul II" Street, "Dervish Hima" Street, near the US Embassy, ??"Asim Zeneli" Street, near the US Embassy, ??"Themistokli Germenji" Street, "Gjergj Filipi" Street, "Lek Dukagjini" Street, near the former Republic Guard to the stadium, "Faik Konica" Street and "Skerdilajd Llagami" Street.

Buses with local fans coming from Korça and Elbasan will be parked at the local "Kalvin" parking lot, while cars will be parked at the "Studenti" terminal near the city.

Parking for buses coming from the north and south will be done at the "Vehicle Processing Terminal" parking lot near the Kamza overpass, while cars will be parked at the parking lot near the "Asllan Rusi" sports palace, at the underground parking lot at "Skënderbej" Square, as well as at the underground parking lot at "Bulevardi i Ri", at the former train station.

In accordance with the plan of measures, State Police officers will exercise thorough control over fans before entering the stadium, in order to prevent the entry into the stadium of banners with racist content, fireworks, flares, pyrotechnics, metal coins, umbrellas, lighters, mobile phone chargers, cosmetic tools/products and other hard objects.

We also appeal to citizens not to fly drones in the security perimeter (around the "National Arena" stadium), because they will be shot down, as the State Police will use anti-drone equipment.

On this occasion, we inform Albanian and foreign citizens that, based on the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania, violent actions in sports activities, such as entering the playing field during the development of sports activities by unauthorized persons, constitute a criminal offense and are punishable by a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 lek. When this offense has resulted in the obstruction of the normal development of sports activities, it is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to three months.

Throwing hard objects on the playing field or at people, possessing or using pyrotechnics, fireworks, flares, during a sporting activity, is punishable by imprisonment from six months to three years.

Albanian criminal law considers hitting or any other act of violence against an athlete, coach, referee, or sports mediator, due to sports activity, a criminal offense, and punishes them with imprisonment from one to three years. This offense, when committed in sports facilities, more than once, or by leaders or members of sports clubs, is punishable by imprisonment from one to five years.

We ask for the understanding of fans to show up at the stadium entrance at 6:00 PM, as due to the influx of fans shortly before the start of the match, they may miss the opportunity to enter the stadium.

We also appeal to fans and sports lovers not to publish purchased tickets on social networks, as they can be duplicated in violation of the law. Each ticket is equipped with a barcode, is personal and must be kept only by the citizen who possesses it, who, in turn, will pass alone, to have their barcode checked by the device that automatically records any attempt to enter with a counterfeit or duplicate ticket.

We inform you that duplicating/multiplying a ticket is considered forgery and fraud, offenses that are punishable by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania.

If you find yourself in such illegal situations, report it immediately by calling 112.

For the smooth running of this sporting activity, the State Police has engaged hundreds of police officers, who will guarantee public order and safety, as well as provide assistance and information, if necessary, so that this activity can be concluded without incidents, in the interest of the country's image./ CNA