Albanian police arrested Ismail Morinaj, the man believed to have flown a drone carrying a nationalist banner over a stadium in Serbia during a European qualifier. The incident caused a diplomatic incident between the two countries and ignited racial violence.
Morinaj and three others were arrested as part of a major security raid on the eve of the return match in Elbasan, Albania. The accused lives in Italy but is a regular spectator at the Albanian national team’s matches outside the country.
The police seized two handguns, ammunication, 36 match tickets and a Serbian-made Zastava pistol as well as a Chinese handgun.
There are draconian measures ahead of Thursday’s game with more than 2,000 officers deployed ahead of the match. Fans will need to show ID before entering the stadium.