President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, has strongly condemned the fascist anti-Albanian chants heard during the basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania this past weekend in the city of Kumanovo. In a statement posted on Facebook, she expressed shame on behalf of the Macedonian people, calling the incident a disgrace.
“Due to our sports illiteracy — repeated who knows how many times — the backlash over the horrific incident during the basketball game in Kumanovo is entirely justified. A group of irresponsible fans fired bullets of hatred at our fellow Albanian citizens — but in reality, they hit us all, including themselves. Once again, we are ashamed,” the President wrote.
She emphasized that sports arenas must no longer be transformed into “gladiator fan arenas,” stating that the first lessons on how to cheer respectfully are learned at home and reinforced in schools. According to her, the state must confront hate-filled fan culture and instead promote cheering as a form of sporting joy.
“What we need in North Macedonia is an ‘alphabet of cheering’ — one that turns support for teams into a celebration, not a threat,” she added.
Disturbingly, chants such as “Clean Macedonia,” “The only good Albanian is a dead Albanian,” and “Gas chambers for Albanians” were heard from local fans — slogans tied to genocidal, Nazi-era rhetoric. The chants occurred in the presence of North Macedonia’s Prime Minister and other high-ranking government officials.
The incident has sparked outrage across the region, including official reactions from both Kosovo and Albania, condemning the hate speech and calling for accountability.
