FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Swiss players for ‘Albanian eagle’ celebrations
Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are facing FIFA disciplinary charges over their controversial goal celebrations during their 2-1 win World Cup win over Serbia.
Xhaka and Shaqiri both scored in the second half and celebrated their goals by making a nationalist symbol of their ethnic Albanian heritage.
The players put their open hands together with their thumbs locked and fingers outstretched to make what looks like the double-headed eagle displayed on the Albanian flag.
When asked about his celebration Shaqiri said, 'It's just emotion. I'm very happy to score this goal. It's not more. I think we don't have to speak about this now."
But that does not appear to be FIFA's view.
World football's governing body also opened disciplinary proceedings against the Serbian Football Association for crowd disturbances and the display of political and offensive messages by Serbian fans at the game.
FIFA is also reviewing statements Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic made after the match.
The BBC reported that Krstajic was speaking to Serbian reporters about German match referee Felix Brych when he said: "I wouldn't give him either a yellow or red card, I would send him to The Hague. Then they could put him on trial, like they did to us".
Shaqiri — whose 90th-minute winner sparked wild scenes of celebration — was born in Kosovo, the former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008.
Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence and relations between the two countries remain tense in the wake of a war in the late 1990s.
Xhaka's parents are originally from Kosovo, of Albanian heritage, and his father spent time in prison in Yugoslavia for his support of Kosovan independence. His brother plays for Albania's national team.
Years of war in Balkans sent many families to western European countries, including Switzerland. The Swiss have dozens of ethnic Albanians in their national soccer program.
Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic — who was born in Bosnia — did not approve of the celebrations.
"You should never mix politics and football. You should always show respect," he said after the match. "It's a wonderful atmosphere and a positive experience and that's what football should be about."
The Polish Football Association was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,100) and given a warning by FIFA's disciplinary committee on Saturday for a banner that the governing body deemed political and offensive. The banner was displayed during Senegal's 2-1 win over Poland on Tuesday in Moscow.
The disciplinary committee also opened disciplinary proceedings against the federations of Argentina and Croatia for crowd disturbances during Croatia's 3-0 win in Nizhny Novgorod.
AP/ABC
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