The Kosovo Olympic Committee, KOK, has demanded an explanation from the European football governing body, UEFA, after the Kosovo flag was reportedly removed at the Federation’s Congress in Belgrade, Serbia, on April 3, and burnt outside the venue, an action that sparked outrage in Kosovo’s public. 

In a statement on Friday, the KOK condemned the removal of Kosovo’s flag from the Congress venue, calling the act “unacceptable.” 

The committee expressed particular concern over the fact that the flag, which had been placed among the flags of other countries, was taken by hooligans who later burned it in front of the venue where the Congress was being held.

“Even more concerning and shameful is the fact that the flag, originally placed alongside the other national flags, ended up in the hands of hooligans, who burned it in front of the Congress venue,” the KOK stated in its reaction.

The KOK also called on UEFA to take action against Serbia. Videos shared online suggest that Serbian authorities were involved in the removal of the flag during the Congress proceedings.

“Kosovo and our sports institutions are equal members of all relevant international organisations and should be treated with dignity and respect at every sporting event, regardless of the host country,” KOK added in its statement.

The incident garnered attention on social media on Wednesday after a video surfaced showing Kosovo’s football chief, Agim Ademi, posing next to Kosovo’s flag at the UEFA event in Belgrade.

On Thursday, the day of the UEFA Congress,  the Serbian Football Federation claimed it had removed the flag, blaming UEFA for its placement.

The Serbian Football Federation claimed that the organisation of the UEFA Congress was overshadowed by “an oversight by the organisers, allowing one Congress participant to attempt to exploit the event for non-football related interests.”

“We reacted quickly, decisively, and with full responsibility, informing the public that there were no flags of the so-called ‘Kosovo’ at today’s UEFA Congress in Belgrade,” the Serbian Federation stated in its announcement.

However, the Football Federation of Kosovo debunked this claim, adding that the flag had remained in place until the conclusion of the meeting.

It remains unclear exactly when the Kosovo flag was removed from the Congress venue.

Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku, condemned the act, describing it as a “direct attack on the state integrity of Kosovo” and emphasised that such actions could not go unaddressed at the international level.

Çeku also said that he expected an official explanation from UEFA regarding the incident.

The 49th UEFA Congress took place at the Sava Centre in Belgrade. The annual gathering brought together the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA’s 55 national member associations to discuss key issues shaping European football.

In May 2016, UEFA’s annual congress voted to accept the Football Federation of Kosovo’s application for membership, paving the way for teams from the country to enter European club competitions.

The UEFA decision was made despite strong opposition from Serbia, which strongly opposes Kosovo’s recognition.

Until then, Kosovo teams were unable to compete internationally, although two years before, FIFA agreed to allow the national team to play in the so-called ‘friendlies’ with other countries under special conditions.