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By:
Arsim Magjera
- November 3, 2024 11:01
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Four defeats in the last five championship games. Albion Rrahmani has not scored a goal in the championship since October 6. Ermal Krasniqi entered the game in the 55th minute and left the field due to injury in the 64th minute.
All these, but also many other, more serious things, confirm that Albanians are going through difficult days in Sparta of Prague.
On Saturday night, the great Czech team lost 3:1 at home to Ostrava. The match took place in the 14th round of the Czech championship. The reigning champion has already fallen far behind in the title race.
Sparta fans on Saturday whistled at the players. Only the Serbian player of the team, Velko Birmančević, came out in support. He didn't play. Officially, he did not play because he is injured, but there are doubts that he has a conflict with the club's leaders. And while Birmançeviqi was passing near the fans, they unfurled the "Support for Burman" banner. He held up the team's scarf and received applause. In the group of fans, as has often happened in the past, many flags of Serbia were displayed over the map of Kosovo. It is the flags for which UEFA often gives punishments to the Serbian federation.
In fact, it is no secret that the fans of Sparta Prague, as well as many other fan groups in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Greece and Russia, have an anti-Kosovo attitude. And this is often expressed by unfurling the flag of Serbia over the map of Kosovo.
But in Sparta there are four Albanians. Krasniqi and Rrahmani were transferred in the summer. The two Albanian representatives, Qazim Laçi and Indri Tuci, were there before.
Most likely everyone knew that they are transferring to a team that has fans with anti-Kosovo attitudes. And they were convinced of this on Saturday night.
The pressure on the players and coach of Sparta Prague is increasing, in the absence of results. The pressure on Rrahman and Krasniqi could be even greater. Expectations are high from both of them. Rrahmani is the club's most expensive purchase. And the support that the Serbian footballer received from the fans could be another blow for Rrahman and Krasniqi. Birmançeviqi, like the two representatives of Kosovo, plays in the attacking part.
"The club should examine whether the decline in Birmancevic's productivity is related to the summer changes in the squad. Sparta brought Kosovans Rrahmani and Krasniqi to the team. The Albanians Laçi and Tuci were already in the team. All of these are representatives of the country that does not have the best relations with Serbia due to the recent turbulent history", wrote the Czech medium "Sport", in an analysis of Birmančević's situation.
Of course, it would be different if the team had results and continued the title race. But Sparta is in crisis and now even the position of coach Lars Friis is in doubt.
"The fans come to see Sparta win. So the whistles are understandable", Friis said at the press conference after the match.
He also spoke about Ermal Krasniqi's injury. He said that after a sprint, Krasniqi had muscle pain.
"I cannot say at this moment how the situation is, but I am positive as he asked to continue the match. In the end it didn't work", said the coach of Sparta Prague.
Rrahmani completed the match, but without scoring or assisting. In midweek he had scored in the cup match. In the championship, he remains with two goals and one assist in seven appearances. Qazim Laçi also played, while Tuci was absent for health reasons.
The loss was heavy for all Albanians. But the appearance of the fans and the flags that they presented weighs significantly more.
