Both Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri celebrated their goals for Switzerland against Serbia on Friday by making a nationalist symbol of Albania in a gesture likely to inflame tensions among Serb nationalists and ethnic Albanians.

Switzerland rallied to beat Serbia 2-1 at the World Cup, but Albania's national flag was at the centre of attention.

Xhaka and Shaqiri, both of ethnic Albanian heritage, put their open hands together with their thumbs locked and fingers outstretched to make...

TIRANA, Albania -- Albanian police have told a group of home fans to stay away from the country's UEFA World Cup qualifier against Italy on Monday.

A statement on Sunday said the Illyria Elite group was banned from the stadium in northern Albania after "problems" at Albania's game in Italy in March. Italy won that game 2-0 which saw flares thrown on the field by a group calling itself Illyrian Elite.

Police also said they were taking extra security steps in the light of concerns over what they called...

The Albanian Football Association has kept faith with Italian coaching methods by appointing former AC Milan and Roma defender Christian Panucci as Gianni De Biasi's successor.

The 44-year-old former full-back, who played for Chelsea on loan at the turn of the century, was announced as the head of the national team on Wednesday morning.

Panucci -- briefly Fabio Capello's assistant in Russia -- follows in the footsteps of Treviso-born De Biasi, who secured Albania's surprise qualification for Euro...