World Cup 2018: Serbia demand Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri face Fifa probe over Albanian Eagle celebrations
Switzerland duo's tribute to Albania after their goals in Russia 2018 win angered Serbs and now they want action with potential two-game ban if found guilty of making political statement
FIFA are under pressure from Serbia to charge Swiss goalscorers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for their “Albanian Eagle” celebrations.
And the Serbs want the pair to be hit by the two-match ban that is laid down in Fifa regulations.
Both Swiss stars performed “double-headed eagle” celebration routines - the symbol of Albania - after netting in the comeback win in Kaliningrad.
Shaqiri, at the centre of a storm before the match because he wore boots bearing the flags of both Switzerland and Kosovo, was jeered throughout by the Serbian fans in the ground.
But both responded with the symbol, which caused outrage in Serbia and was implicitly condemned by Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic, himself Bosnian-born.
Shaqiri insisted: “You can see what I did and I think it’s just emotion. I’m very happy to score this goal. It was nothing more than that. I think we don’t have to speak about this now.”
Xhaka, too, explained: “Frankly, my opponents did not interest me at all.
“It was for my people, who always supported me. For those who did not neglect me, in my homeland, where my parents’ roots are. These were purely pure emotions.”
But Petkovic, who had ordered his several ethnic Albanian players not to perform the gesture when he took over the country in 2014 - an agreement they had stuck to until last night - chastised the pair.
He said: “You should never mix politics and football. It’s clear that emotions show up and that’s how things happen.
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“I think we all together need to steer away from politics in football and we should focus on this sport as a beautiful game and something that brings people together.”
Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic opted to avoid fanning the flames. He said: “I don’t have any comment. I don’t deal with these things. I am a man of sports and this is what I am going to stay.”
But Serbian FA Secretary General Jovan Surbatovic said: “We will write to Fifa. There were several controversial gestures and we all saw what happened with both goals.”
Fifa’s disciplinary code bans political slogans on kits while Section 54 states: “Anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of CHF 5,000 (£3,800).”
Serbia has refused to recognise Kosovan independence, with the majority ethnic Albanian province now an official state since 2008 but only recognised by 111 members of the United Nations.
Xhaka’s parents fled to Basel before the Arsenal man was born after his father was imprisoned and tortured, while Shaqiri was still a babe in arms when his family left Kosovo for Switzerland.
Serbia will also complain to Fifa over the failure of the VAR official to intervene when Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic appeared to be rugby-tackled to the ground by TWO Swiss defenders in the second half, with the game balanced at 1-1.
German referee Felix Brych stunned Mitrovic when he gave the free-kick AGAINST the attacker and Serbian FA vice-president, former Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic, blasted: “This was scandalous.”
Milosevic added: “We should have had a penalty called by VAR against Costa Rica but this was worse.
“The referee even gave a free-kick against Mitrovic. If that’s the case, what’s the point of VAR?
“They had the opportunity to review the video five or even 10 times. We can accept the officials on the field getting it wrong but that’s where VAR should intervene to allow them to correct these mistakes.
“It is certain that we will appeal to FIFA. It had to be seen by the VAR officials and then reviewed by the chief referee.”