The State Police have prepared a dedicated action plan to maintain order and safety before, during, and after the match. This involves escorting and protecting the Serbian team players from Rinas Airport to the hotel, then to the stadium, and back to the airport, as well as providing escort and security for the Albanian team players at the stadium.

To facilitate the smooth running of the event from 3:00 PM until the match concludes, the State Police, working together with the Tirana Municipal Police, will implement traffic restrictions on various roads surrounding the stadium, specifically:

“Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard, from the intersection near the President’s office towards “Mother Teresa” Square; “Pope John Paul II” Street; “Dervish Hima” Street near the U.S. Embassy; “Asim Zeneli” Street near the U.S. Embassy; “Themistokli Gërmenji” Street; “Gjergj Filipi” Street; “Lekë Dukagjini” Street near the former Republic Guard up to the stadium; “Faik Konica” Street; and “Skerdilajd Llagami” Street.

Buses carrying local fans coming from Korça and Elbasan will be parked at the “Kalvin” venue parking lot, while private cars will be parked at the terminal near the city, “Studenti.”

Buses arriving from the north and south will be parked at the “Vehicle Processing Terminal” parking lot near the Kamëz overpass, while private cars will be parked near the “Asllan Rusi” sports palace, in the underground parking at “Skënderbej” Square, and in the underground parking on the “New Boulevard” near the former train station.

Pursuant to the action plan, State Police officers will conduct thorough checks on fans before entering the stadium, aiming to prevent the entry of banners with racist content, fireworks, flares, pyrotechnic materials, metal coins, umbrellas, lighters, phone chargers, cosmetic products, and other hard objects.

Additionally, the Police urge citizens not to fly drones within the security perimeter around the “National Arena” stadium, as they will be brought down due to the State Police’s use of anti-drone equipment.

“On this occasion, we inform Albanian and foreign citizens that, according to the Penal Code of the Republic of Albania, violent actions during sporting events, such as unauthorized entry onto the playing field during the event, constitute a criminal offense and are punishable by a fine ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 lek. If such actions obstruct the normal conduct of the sporting event, the offender may be punished with a fine or imprisonment for up to three months,” the police declared.

Throwing hard objects onto the playing field or at people, as well as possessing or using pyrotechnic materials, fireworks, or flares during a sporting event, is punishable by imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.

Albanian criminal law considers assault or any other act of violence against an athlete, coach, referee, or sports official because of their sporting activity a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment from one to three years. If this offense is committed more than once in sports venues, or by leaders or members of sports clubs, the punishment increases to imprisonment from one to five years.

The police respectfully urge fans to be at the stadium entrance by 6:00 PM, as the large crowd arriving shortly before the match could result in some being unable to enter.

Additionally, the police urge fans and sports enthusiasts not to share images of their purchased tickets on social media, as this may lead to duplication in violation of the law. Each ticket is equipped with a barcode, is personal, and must be kept only by the ticket holder, who will pass through the checkpoint individually for the barcode to be scanned by a device that automatically records any attempt to enter with a counterfeit or duplicated ticket.

To ensure the smooth conduct of this sporting event, the State Police have deployed hundreds of officers who will maintain public order and safety, as well as provide assistance and information if needed, so that the event concludes without incidents, in the interest of the country’s image.

/sm/