Kosovo referee suspended for alleged insulting PM

By: The Associated Press Posted: 3:04 PM CDT Thursday, Mar. 26, 2020

TIRANA, Albania - A referee in Kosovo has been suspended for allegedly insulting the country's prime minister on social media.

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TIRANA, Albania - A referee in Kosovo has been suspended for allegedly insulting the country's prime minister on social media.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/03/2020 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TIRANA, Albania – A referee in Kosovo has been suspended for allegedly insulting the country’s prime minister on social media.

Kosovo’s football referees’ commission on Thursday issued a statement saying that referee Qendrim Vata “has insulted the caretaker prime minister Albin Kurti,” adding that Vata will be called in to offer his explanation.

Vata allegedly posted a photo on Facebook comparing Kurti to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday evening, while the country’s parliament was holding a no-confidence vote for the government.

Vata has denied the accusation, saying his page was hacked and someone else had posted photos that “run counter with my etiquette and behaviour.”

Still, Vata apologized to the “affected persons” and the football federation and the commission.

The commission called on all its referees to not express political views publicly.

“Sport is just sport,” it said.

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