The tradition of a stadium announcer reading out the first name of a player before the crowd roar out their second name may be commonplace on the continent but is rarely seen in British football.
So when the very enthusiastic cheerleader at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina tried this when introducing the England team on Sunday night, he was greeted by bemused silence from the away section.
Fortunately, the Kosovan locals were more than happy to join in and help us out. Just as they were more than happy to hold up St George's flags when God Save the Queen was played and wear poppies on their shirts.
Just as the Bulevardi Nene Tereza (Mother Teresa Boulevard) was bedecked in the flags of England and Kosovo, which appeared in giant form above the home end in a choreographed display ahead of kick-off.
Just as the people of Pristina were keen to buy the travelling fans another bottle of Peja beer before kick-off and, even if they spoke just a few words of English, make us feel welcome 1,100 miles away from home.
One thing was for certain, this was no ordinary England away trip.
The default response of locals to an invasion from hordes of England fans following the national team is, at best, curiosity, and, at worst, suspicion and even outright hostility.
In this very same qualification campaign, there was tension in the air during visits to Montenegro and Bulgaria, two countries that border Kosovo.
But, as a home and away England fan for several years, this is the first time I've experienced such a genuinely warm reception and unabashed admiration and appreciation for this country.
Given that the Kosovo team was only admitted to FIFA in 2016, it's little surprise this was the first meeting of the two countries on Kosovan soil.
And there was a clear desire to express gratitude for the role the United Kingdom played in helping Kosovo gain its independence from Serbia in 2008.
After Kosovo declared its independence on February 17, 2008, the UK was among the first countries to officially recognise it. The following day, in fact. Within two weeks, it had established an embassy in Pristina.
That was the direct result of UK participation in the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and subsequent involvement of British troops in the NATO-led peacekeeping Kosovo Force.
The stadium where Sunday's qualifier was staged was once a base for Serb forces, who inflicted horrific persecution on the Kosovan population that amounted to ethnic cleansing.
Such is the level of gratitude, a good number of Kosovan children are named Tony after the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The American support for Kosovan independence is recognised by a statue to President Bill Clinton on Bulevardi Bill Klinton. Adjacent to it was a clothes shop called 'Hillary'.
The United States national side have yet to visit but in terms of quality of opposition in their 34 'official' internationals so far, England was a level well above anything previously witnessed.
It was why the first thing the England players would have noticed upon leaving Pristina Airport was an enormous billboard featuring a picture of Raheem Sterling and the message 'Welcome Brothers'.
What a marked contrast to England's visits to Montenegro and Bulgaria earlier in the qualifying campaign, when Sterling, Marcus Rashford and others were subjected to sickening racist abuse.
Given the history of this fledgling nation, there was never going to be anything like that here. The Kosovans wanted to express solidarity with England's black players after their horrific treatment elsewhere in eastern Europe.
Every bar and restaurant on the main streets of Pristina featured banners with the words 'Welcome and Respect'. The 'o' in welcome was the image of a poppy, a week after Remembrance Sunday.
One banner went further, reading: 'Both out of #EU. Together in #Euro2020. Till we meet there. #WelcometoKosovo'. A nice sentiment, though you imagine Kosovo would one day like to join the European Union.
The English and British flags already hanging in the bars were soon augmented by the usual road atlas of place names on flags brought by the travelling England fans.
Waiters in the bars were rushed off their feet sending out bottles of beer to thirsty visitors, but did so with a smile on their face.
There had been a scramble for tickets, with the stadium holding just 13,500 spectators. Enormous demand from locals had crashed the Kosovan FA's website and all available tickets sold within 15 minutes.
In the end, England were officially granted around 700 tickets, the minimum amount permitted by UEFA regulations. Enticed by the prospect of a warm welcome and a new destination, 3,129 England fans had applied.
There had been suggestions that Kosovo were bitterly disappointed the reverse fixture, played in September, had been moved to St Mary's in Southampton, denying this new nation a first chance to play at Wembley, and this explained the small allocation.
In the end, however, there were English fans dotted all over the stadium, with some locals deciding to cash in for a price no doubt well above the €5 euro face value.
A midweek defeat to the Czech Republic had ended Kosovo's hopes of automatic qualification from Group A - though they are set to play North Macedonia in March's play-off semi-finals - but that didn't affect the atmosphere.
The excitement was tangible with the local TV channels on air hours before kick-off and the stadium full to watch the players warm up. Hundreds of fans clambered on top of a high wall outside the stadium to try and catch a glimpse.
The home fans jumped about in unison and sung patriotic songs. The stadium announcer made an extraordinary declaration ahead of kick-off: 'We are all grateful for your support in our most difficult days, when you came as allies to liberate Kosovo.'
It was at that point thousands of home fans waved England flags in a display of unity unlikely to be replicated at a Three Lions game anytime soon.
Had Kosovo still had a shot at finishing second in the group, we may have witnessed a better spectacle on the field. They had a sniff of a famous result at one stage before England ruthlessly pulled away to win 4-0.
Both sides received warm applause at the final whistle, the night ending with English supporters posing for selfies with locals as they walked out of the ground.
After the ugly experiences of Podgorica and Sofia, this wonderful night in Pristina was one that left a warm glow.
And, who knows, if Kosovo can make it through their play-off, they might get their historic occasion at Wembley next summer after all.
deepaklivbar
3
Bulgarian bastards should just fcuk their mums