Jika anda perasan ketika perlawanan antara Newcastle dan Manchester City yang berkesudahan 1-3, setiap kali Kolarov mendapat bola akan kedengaran bunyi "Booo" dari kalangan penyokong Newcastle. Mengapa beliau diejek sedemikian rupa? Adakah dia membawa ancaman besar kepada Newcastle ketika perlawanan tersebut? Sesiapa yang menonton match tempohari pasti akan menjawab tidak. Adakah dia ada membuat tackle bahaya kepada mana-mana pemain Newcastle? Juga tidak. Persoalan itu terungkai apabila selepas perlawanan itu beliau disiasat kerana terlibat dalam pertelingkahan dengan beberapa orang penyokong Newcastle.
Apparently pertelingkahan itu melibatkan bendera rasmi negara Albania. Ketika Kolarov sedang warming up, beliau ternampak beberapa penyokong Newcastle mengibarkan bendera Albania. Beliau kemudian berbalas komen dengan penyokong tersebut sebelum memasuki padang. Kolarov dikatakan mengeluarkan komen berbaur perkauman dan insiden itu kini dalam siasatan polis.
Sekarang mungkin ramai yang tertanya-tanya "Ada apa dengan Albania?". Mengapa Kolarov, seorang Serbia menjadi emo dengan bendera Albania? Semua ini bermula semenjak zaman perang Yugoslav di awal era 90-an di mana ketegangan di antara Albania dan Yugoslavia meningkat specifically berkenaan isu Kosovo. Ketegangan itu memuncak apabila pada tahun 2008, Albania merupakan antara negara pertama mengiktiraf kemerdekaan Kosovo. Ketika itu, Yugoslavia sudah berpecah dan Kosovo merupakan sebahagian daripada negara Serbia. Berikut adalah ekstrak daripada Wikipedia:
Yugoslav wars
In June 1991, as the Yugoslav wars broke out, Albanian Foreign Minister Mehmet Kapllani visited Croatia. During this time, Ramiz Alia, President of Albania, began discussions with ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo. In July 1991 relations between Albania and Yugoslavia were strained. Yugoslav and Albanian leaders exchanged fire, and Serbian leaders accused Albanians of instigating unrest in Kosovo and not respecting frontier markers. The Yugoslav government released a statement accusing Albania of interfering in Yugoslavia’s internal affairs and warned Albania that Yugoslavia would react "decisively with all available means" to any challenges to its sovereignty.
In a reversal of previous policies at the time, Albania improved relations with the Soviet Union and the United States to stop possible Serbian aggression and to stop the superpowers from exploiting unrest in Albania.
In 1998, as Kosovo Albanian refugees were fleeing across the border into northern Albania, Albania had proved that Yugoslavia had executed a campaign of ethnic cleansing, and called on the international community to intercede.
In 2008, after Kosovo proclaimed its independence, Albania was one of the first countries to recognize it. Serbia's reaction was that of recalling the Serbian ambassador for consultations in protest from any state recognizing Kosovo.
Sumber rujukan: Wikipedia, The Guardian
