Serbia and Albania to Co-Host 2027 Under-21 European Championship Amid Political Tensions

Serbia and Albania will co-host the men's Under-21 European Championship in 2027. This collaborative effort aims to overcome political tensions between the two nations. UEFA announced that only their bid met the deadline for the tournament plans. The 16-team event requires eight stadiums for 31 games.

Serbia and Albania are set to co-host the men's Under-21 European Championship in 2027, a significant soccer project aimed at overcoming longstanding political tensions between the two nations.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) confirmed on Thursday that the joint Serbia-Albania bid was the only proposal meeting the deadline for detailed tournament plans.

The decision follows preliminary interest from Belgium and Turkey, but their bids left the race earlier in the process.

The Serbian and Albanian soccer federations began collaboration in May to organize the 16-team tournament, which will require eight stadiums to host a total of 31 games.

Armand Duka, leader of the Albanian soccer federation and UEFA vice president, described the endeavor as a purely football-focused project with positive political implications.

However, recent events have highlighted historic tensions between the nations, with incidents involving fans and players leading to disciplinary actions by UEFA.

Despite these challenges, UEFA, under the presidency of Aleksander Ceferin, has shown strong support for the cooperation between Serbia and Albania.

UEFA's next annual congress will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, in April 2024, while an executive committee meeting is scheduled for Tirana, Albania, in September 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)