Football loves its stories, but what happened on Saturday night with Rey Manaj is something that leaves you speechless. Just a few months ago, on June 7, 2025 at “Air Albania” , Albania and Serbia were drawn 0-0.
In that match, Manaj had the opportunity to give the Rossoneri a historic victory from the penalty spot, but he missed the penalty in the 45+2 minute.
The anger, disappointment, and waves of criticism that followed were immense, with many fans even hurling insults at him.
But this Saturday, history repeated itself… in the most incredible way possible.
In Leskovac, against the same rival, Rey Manaj scored in the 45th+2nd minute, sealing Albania's biggest victory over Serbia in history. From the point of pain in Tirana, to the peak of glory in Serbia, a cycle that only football can write with such emotion.
The match took place in a fiery atmosphere, where there were also loud chants from some Serbian fans such as "kill the Albanians" and "Kosovo is Serbia", while a provocative banner with a map of Kosovo covered by the Serbian flag was also displayed in the stands, events that are expected to bring punishment from UEFA.
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The Reds, however, maintained their composure and character, defending the result until the end.
In the final seconds, Nedim Bajrami missed the opportunity to double, but the victory was assured.
With this historic triumph, Albania consolidates second place in Group K with 11 points, leaving Serbia behind with 7 points, while England leads with 15 points.