• International football

Ivanovic wanted to play on in Belgrade

Fans and Albania players were involved in fighting after an Albanian flag was flown over the stadium © AP

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Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic says he wanted to play on in Belgrade despite the violent scenes which caused Tuesday's Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania to be abandoned.

The match at Partizan Stadium was called off by English referee Martin Atkinson after a drone carried an Albanian flag over the pitch during a break in play, sparking fighting between players, staff and supporters close to half-time with the score goalless.

The brother of Albania's Prime Minister was reportedly arrested later and the scenes on the pitch were hard to comprehend, according to Serbia captain Ivanovic, who was one of several high-profile players in his team, with Chelsea team-mate Nemanja Matic and Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov and Matija Nastasic in the starting line-up and Liverpool forward Lazar Markovic on the bench.

UEFA charges football associations

• Serbia and Albania are facing stiff sanctions after UEFA charged the countries with a number of offences following the abandoned Euro 2016 qualifier in Belgrade.
• The match was abandoned after a melee erupted after a mini unmanned drone trailed a pro-Albania flag over the stadium.
• UEFA has announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the football associations of both countries.
• Read the full story here

"We can only regret that football took a back seat," Ivanovic said. "On behalf of my team, all I can say is that we wanted to carry on and that we shielded the Albanian players every step of the way to the tunnel (after the riot broke out).

"The Albanian team said they were unfit physically and mentally to carry on after talking to the officials and they will now decide the fate of this match. It is difficult to draw any conclusions now."

Atkinson halted the match, Albania's first visit to the capital of their neighbouring nation since 1967, when the problems started and called the Group I game off after a 50-minute delay.

According to Serbian state television channel RTS, Olsi Rama - brother of Albanian premier Edi - was detained in an executive box at the stadium, apparently for controlling the device which prompted an already tense fixture to descend into violence.

Albania captain and former Sunderland defender Lorik Cana told broadcasters from his own country: "I saw my players being attacked and hit inside the tunnel, and even by the stewards. We were not in the right psychological or physical state to continue playing."

The two countries, separated by the disputed territory of Kosovo, share a tense history and Albania's federation did not make tickets available for travelling fans after a recommendation from UEFA. Albanian fans attempting to enter the ground faced the possibility of the arrest if they carried Albanian symbols.

Before the match, the Albanian anthem was loudly jeered by Serbian fans and derogatory chanting was heard throughout the first-half.

The drone, clearly visible in the lights of the stadium, made a series of passes above the field. The banner displayed an Albanian flag and a map of so-called "Greater Albania", an area that comprises territory within today's Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and northern Greece.

The banner also portrayed two Albanian nationalist leaders - Ismail Qemali, who declared Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and Isa Boletini, an Albanian fighter against the Turks.

Branislav Ivanovic was upset by the scenes in Belgrade © AP

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