'I respect Xhaka and Shaqiri as footballers, but if you like Albania so much, then why don’t you play for Albania?' Nemanja Matic on Serbia rivalry and political tension

The history of the Balkan territories in Eastern Europe is stippled with violence, independence movements and conflicting views on statehood.

Whilst Serbia believe the autonomous nation of Kosovo belongs to them, Albania support Kosovo's right to self-determination due to the country's large Kosovar Albanian demographic.

In this part of the world, nationalism is especially deep-seated and expressions can often surface at sporting events.

'If you like Albania so much, why don't you play for them?'

Serbia and Kosovo are prohibited from playing each other in official UEFA and FIFA competitions due to security concerns and political tension, however, Serbia and Albania have faced one another on four occasions since the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Ahead of a Euro 2016 qualifier 11 years ago, the two countries' first meeting since 1967, a drone flew over the stadium with a banner depicting a map of 'Greater Albania' which features territories including Kosovo, whose nationhood Serbia disputes.

This followed incendiary chanting ahead of kick-off in Belgrade. The game was subsequently abandoned after the banner was dragged from the remote-controlled drone by a member of the Serbian team, prompting an on-field brawl between both sets of players, a pitch invasion and further violence.

Subsequent fixtures have taken place with heightened security provisions in place to avoid similar scenarios, but there are still occasions when Serb-Albanian tensions arise, even when the two are not playing each other.

At the 2018 World Cup, Serbia were beaten 2-1 by Switzerland whose goals were scored by Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, both of whom have Albanian heritage.

The pair celebrated by performing a hand gesture depicting an eagle, which can be seen on the country's flag and is a well-known symbol of Albanian nationalism.

Nemanja Matic played that day in Kaliningrad and doesn't agree with the two players' conduct.

“I respect them as footballers, I played against them a few times in the Premier League. But with those little things, they collect cheap political points," Matic told FourFourTwo. "They were raised, I think, in Switzerland. By doing that, you’re not showing respect for the country you play for. If you like Albania so much, then why don’t you play for Albania? That’s my question.

"You can like a few countries, that’s not a problem. I like Serbia, it’s my country. I also like England, I spent a lot of time there. But I will never say that I like England more than Serbia. You need to be honest.

"I played against Xhaka many times and never had a problem. We always shook hands, he’s a good player – so is Shaqiri. But I would never do that to provoke someone. I respect everyone.”

The two most recent Serbia-Albania matches have largely passed without incident, particularly after smaller venues in arterial cities were chosen to host the fixtures.

Nevertheless, tensions between the two countries remain high, particularly on the issues of Kosovo's statehood and lasting ill-feeling towards the actions of Serb forces during the Balkan conflicts of the late 1990s.