“Death to Albanians” chants at the Macedonia – Romania basketball match, Prime Minister Mickoski was also present in the hall

“Death to Albanians” chants at the Macedonia – Romania basketball match, Prime Minister Mickoski was also present in the hall

Scenarios of anti-Albanian hate speech, racism, and xenophobia are repeated again.

During the basketball match played on Saturday between North Macedonia and Romania, some of the fans present in the hall erupted in anti-Albanian chants.

According to the INA agency, which published the footage, the fans’ chants can be heard saying: “Let the damned Albanians understand, the Macedonian name will not disappear, pure, pure, pure Macedonia.”

This was the chorus of chants that were clearly heard from some of the fans in the stands, while the authorities present took no action to stop the hate speech.

The chants continued despite the presence in the hall of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Kumanovo Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski, Foreign Minister Pancho Toshkovski, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Stoilkovic and other high-ranking state officials. This was not the only provocative moment during the match.

Throughout its development, other scandalous and inciting calls for ethnic hatred were also heard, such as the infamous slogans “A good Albanian is a dead Albanian”, as well as “Gas chambers for Albanians”, which recall the darkest rhetoric in European history.

After the match ended, there was no official reaction, public distancing, or apology from the organizers or institutional representatives for the incident.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Izet Mexhiti, has reacted sharply to these calls.

“I strongly condemn the racist and anti-Albanian chants heard during the basketball game. Insulting words and songs that incite hatred have no place in our state and society,” Mexhiti wrote in his public reaction.

He added that these actions constitute a direct attack on the coexistence and equality that, according to him, make North Macedonia a unique state.

Deputy Prime Minister Arben Fetai has also reacted sharply after episodes of xenophobia and hate speech directed at Albanians during the 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifying match, held yesterday evening between North Macedonia and Romania.

Through a statement published on social media, Fetai described this behavior as a “shameful betrayal of the values of respect and fair play that sport should represent.”

“Xenophobia and hate speech, no matter which side it comes from, have no place in our stadiums, in our society, nor in our common future,” he said.

Fetai called on fans, sports authorities and responsible institutions to take decisive measures to stop this dangerous phenomenon, emphasizing that silence or inaction only deepens hatred.

“As a state, we must promote inclusivity and respect in all aspects of life, including sports. Let us work together to build a North Macedonia where division is not an option and where diversity is our strength, while unity is our pride,” he concluded.

The Democratic Union for Integration has also expressed its deepest indignation and revolt over the scandalous event that occurred last night in Kumanovo. /Alsat/Klankosova.tv