Albania fined after booing French anthem at Euro qualifier

Albania’s football federation was fined 5,000 euros by UEFA on Monday after their fans angrily booed the French anthem at a Euro 2020 qualifier in mid-November.

The booing followed a French gaffe at a previous meeting at the Stade de France in September when the visitors were shocked to hear the Andorran anthem played instead of the Himni i Flamurit.

Albania protested and refused to play until the correct music was played, and the game kicked off more than five minutes late.

France was fined 20,000 euros ($22,099) by UEFA for their mistake and President Macron made an official apology for the embarrassing oversight.

At Albania’s stade Kombetare in Tirana, a luckless local singer was charged with performing a rendition of La Marseillaise, but was drowned out by whistling from a 22,000 crowd.

France won the matches 4-1 and 2-0 respectively, qualifying for the 2020 Euro finals.