The Flag That Unites – From Mitrovica to Ambrakia
By Flamur Bucpapaj
After the match with Serbia, the streets of Pristina turned into a sea of red and black. Albanian flags waved everywhere — in the hands of young people, over cars honking in celebration, from balconies, and across every square where the people gathered to rejoice. Echoing through the night was the chant that has become a national anthem of pride: “O sa mirë me qenë shqiptar!” – “Oh, how good it is to be Albanian!”
This was not just a sporting celebration, nor a moment of spontaneous joy. It was the purest expression of national unity, of a love that knows no borders, of a pride that cannot be extinguished by propaganda or political division. It was a reminder to all — that the red and black flag is, and will remain, the true flag of the Albanians of Kosovo, just as it is for Albanians in Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Preševo Valley, and the diaspora around the world.
The Flag of the Albanian Soul
The flag of Skanderbeg is not merely a historical emblem. It is the bloodline that connects centuries. It is the memory of victory and resistance — the mark that reminds us who we are. In Pristina, that flag did not fly as a challenge to anyone, but as a declaration of self-identity and belonging.
In the streets of Kosovo’s capital, the youth demonstrated that the Albanian identity is non-negotiable — that no other flag can represent a people who have sacrificed their lives for freedom, and that no artificial political project can replace a nation’s shared consciousness.
The Failure of Belgrade’s Divide-and-Rule Policy
For over a century, Belgrade has pursued policies aimed at dividing Albanians — treating them as isolated minorities without a common root. For decades, its strategy was clear: to cultivate a false “Kosovocentrism,” a political fiction designed to separate Kosovo spiritually and emotionally from Albania.
But this latest event proved more than any political analysis could. The people themselves spoke. Kosovocentrism has failed. It cannot replace the deep sense of national unity that the younger generations feel more strongly every day. Today, the Albanians of Kosovo do not see themselves as a distinct entity — they see themselves as part of one nation, united by language, history, blood, and flag.
The Natural Albania – From Mitrovica to Ambrakia
Albanians have always recognized a natural boundary — one not drawn by politics, but defined by life itself. From Mitrovica to Ambrakia, this is the space of the true Albania — unjustly divided by history, but forever united in spirit.
In every town of Kosovo, in every village of the north and south, in every school, song, and poetic verse, the same Albanian heart beats. Even when politicians attempt to impose divisions, the people transcend them — through culture, through language, through shared pride and memory.
Kosovo today has proven itself as a sovereign state, yet also as an inseparable part of the Albanian nation — a nation that understands that freedom is not only won by arms, but preserved through memory, language, and the flag.
The Flag That Cannot Be Silenced
The red and black flag is a symbol of unity, not division. It belongs not to one region but to all Albanians, everywhere. It is a mirror of collective identity, history, and destiny.
In the days after the match, as the entire city of Pristina resonated with national pride, analysts began asking: “Which is the real flag of the Albanians of Kosovo?”
The answer was already in the streets — in the hands of thousands, in the voices of the youth, in the chant that echoed through the capital: “Red and black, always and everywhere!”
Belgrade’s policies and its agents will continue to fail, because the Albanian spirit is stronger than any political design, and because national unity is not a project — it is a spiritual state of being.
Conclusion: One Nation, One Flag, One Soul
In the end, this was not merely a sporting moment — it was a national revelation. It proved that Albanians, wherever they may live, recognize only one flag and one homeland.
No border, no propaganda, and no political maneuvering can dim that truth. For the true Albania lives in every Albanian heart — in Pristina, in Mitrovica, in Shkodra, in Vlora, in Presheva, and down to the coast of Ambrakia.
And every time the red and black flag rises, that spiritual Albania stands tall again — stronger, prouder, and more united
