The chaotic abandonment of the Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania is a reminder that nowhere is the combination of sport and politics more volatile than the Balkans.
In a troubled region, football has often provided a stage for the deep-seated ethnic and regional tensions to be played out.
So it proved in Belgrade as the worst fears about Albania's first visit to the Serbian capital since 1968 were confirmed, albeit with a thoroughly 21st Century twist.
One assumes English referee Martin Atkinson was made aware of the political context of the match in the safety briefings that came before kick-off. But little in the former policeman's experience can have prepared him for dealing with an intervention from the skies as opposed to the stands.
With Albanian fans banned from the match, the drone that flew over the ground towards the end of the first half was a deliberate provocation of the Serbian majority.
It carried a banner depicting "Greater Albania", including the disputed territory of Kosovo, which contains many ethnic Albanians. To drum home the message, the banner carried the word "Autochthonous", which roughly translates as "indigenous".
It was more than enough to ignite an already tense atmosphere. According to journalists present the Serbian fans had chanted "Kosovo - Serbia" before kick-off, and jeered the Albanian players throughout.
Even with the political context there is little defence for the loss of control by the players, nor the security forces who failed to prevent supporters attacking the Albanian players.
This is not an isolated incident in recent Serbian history. Two years ago England's under-21 players were racially abused and attacked. And Partizan Belgrade are currently under investigation after their fans unveiled an anti-Semitic banner during a Europa League tie against Tottenham last month.
UEFA will wait for official reports before deciding what to do about this latest incident, but the governing body already faces questions about why the game was allowed to proceed.
It is not averse to intervening on political matters. Gibraltar were admitted to the European Championships for the first time this season but only on condition that they will not be drawn against Spain. Armenia and Azerbaijan are also kept apart.
That Gibraltar dispute is tame compared to the deep and bloody divides in Eastern Europe, and UEFA may have to consider extending its policy. For example, could Ukraine safely play a game against Russia in the current climate?
More immediately, UEFA now has to decide whether it can risk allowing a re-match in Belgrade, and the equally provocative return tie in Albania next year. If it does, security will be a huge challenge. If it does not, a precedent will have been set.
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