Heavy security in Kosovo ahead of Israel soccer game

As Israel’s footballers prepare to play Kosovo in a Euro 2024 qualifier tomorrow — their first international fixture since the war broke out in the country in October — Pristina police are on alert after a series of social media posts calling for the game to be canceled.

Although a vast majority of Kosovo citizens are Muslim, it considers itself the most pro-US state in the world and firmly adheres to its most important ally’s foreign policy.

However, after dozens of messages criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began to circle social media under the hashtag #BabyKillersAreNotWelcomedHere, Kosovo police tell local media that they have been “increasing security measures” so that the game “goes as smoothly as other sport events.”

Kosovo authorities have already announced that each of the 14,000 tickets released for Sunday’s game will be personalized, and only fans that present both tickets and their ID cards will be allowed into the Fadil Vokrri stadium.

The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) admitted that they considered holding the game in an empty stadium due to security reasons.

“After the meeting with UEFA, the decision was made to play the game with spectators,” Agim Ademi, the chairman of the FFK, tells local media.

He adds that all the measures foreseen by the UEFA regulations will be taken, so that the match is not followed by any possible incident.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on October 15 but was postponed after Hamas fighters poured across the border with Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages.