Switzerland goal scorers could be suspended for 'controversial gestures'

[SunSeeker]

FIFA has been asked to impose two-game bans on Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka after the pair made a strong political statement following their goals in Friday's 2-1 victory over Serbia.

After Xhaka scored early in the second half to pull Switzerland level with a fierce left-footed strike, he put his hands together in a "flapping eagle" gesture that is a symbol of Albanian nationalism.

When Shaqiri prodded home the winner in the final minutes, he followed suit, with images of the action being beamed around the world.

The gesture, with thumbs locked together, is widely understood to imitate the two-headed eagle that is featured prominently on Albania's flag.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2018/06/23/world-cup-xherdan-shaqiri-granit-xhaka-gesture-switzerland-serbia/727828002/

Come on guys! We get it that you're Albanians who hate Serbia, but if you're going to play for the Swiss team, act Swiss and stay neutral! We don't need to refight the Kosovo war at the World Cup!

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Heh heh.

Act Swiss and stay neutral.

[Ron Obvious]

2. I hope so

But FIFA are known to favour Switzerland (where they're hosted). I'll believe it when I see it.

[SunSeeker]

3. Yes. The German FIFA ref certainly favored Switzerland in that game.

How was this group body tackle of a Serbian player in front of the goal by two Swiss defenders not a penalty--and no VAR? Swiss #22 is not even looking at the ball, he's just bear-hugging the Serb.

[Ron Obvious]

4. Agreed

It's a good thing Serbians aren't predisposed towards believing themselves victimised by conspiracies. (<--- I hate having to use that)

[SunSeeker]

5. LOL

Yes, if getting bombed ny NATO did not do that to the Serbs, nothing will.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Serbia aren't exactly innocent in this

Shaqiri, who was born in Kosovo, played with the Kosovan flag stitched to one boot and the Swiss flag stitched on the other. Xhaka’s parents are from Kosovo and are of Albanian heritage. The Arsenal midfielder’s father was imprisoned and beaten in the former Yugoslavia for campaigning in favour of Kosovan independence and his brother Taulant plays for Albania’s national team.
...
Those players had been whistled by a crowd in which it appeared most Russians in the stadium supported Serbia. There were chants of “Serbia-Russia! Serbia-Russia” and a banner declared the two countries “brothers”.
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The buildup to the match had seen exchanges between Serbia players and Shaqiri. Mitrovic, who scored Serbia’s goal, asked: “If he loves Kosovo so much and decides to flaunt the flag, why did he refuse a chance to play for their team?”

There were a couple of clashes between the pair on the pitch too. At one point, Mitrovic leant forward to say something to Shaqiri when he was on the floor, covering his mouth with his hand as he did so. “I didn’t understand, maybe he spoke Serbian to me,” Shaqiri said. “I had told him already to keep calm and do his job… Of course the Serbian fans were whistling, that’s normal, no? We knew it was going to come but we kept calm. Both teams played with respect and that’s important.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/23/xhaka-and-shaqiri-goal-celebrations-bring-balkan-politics-to-world-cup

[Ron Obvious]

7. The Kosovar flags should not have been allowed

By the Swiss federation for one, by FIFA for two. They were obviously meant to be provocative.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Not necessarily

Shaqiri once wore boots bearing Switzerland, Kosovo and Albania flags when Switzerland played against Albania in a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup.

“I was born in Kosovo, my parents are from Kosovo but I grew up in Switzerland,” he said.

“I live the Swiss mentality, but the Kosovo mentality too because when I go home, I speak Albanian.

“I live both mentalities so for me, it’s not a big difference.”

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/switzerland-xherdan-shaqiri-serbia-goal-1606194

[SunSeeker]

10. Wrong. Wearing the Albanian flag when you're on the Swiss team is clearly a political statement.

Your cited quotes just confirm it was a political statement.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. But it doesn't have to be provocative

since it wasn't when he played against Albania.

He's saying he has some love for the country he was born in too; and for the country that is where his native language comes from. That doesn't have to be political.

[SunSeeker]

12. It violates FIFA rules. If he wants to wear the Albanian flag, he should play for Albania.

It absolutely was provocative to Serbs.

[SunSeeker]

8. The 2 Swiss players violated FIFA rules by their flashing Albanian nationalism political symbols.

Those two players should be banned for 2 games, as FIFA rules require. Nothing fans or players did on or off the pitch exonerates what they did. No one forced them to flash the Albanian nationalism symbol. They knew what they were doing was against FIFA rules.

These rules exist for a reason. Politics needs to be kept out of the World Cup.

If Serbia violated the rule, they should be penalized as well, but I did not see Serbian players do that, did you?

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Switzerland trio avoid bans for 'eagle gesture' goal celebrations

Switzerland's Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner have avoided bans for their 'double-headed eagle gesture' celebrations in their side's World Cup win over Serbia.

Fifa fined Xhaka and Shaqiri 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,632) and Lichtsteiner SFr5,000 (£3,816) for "unsporting behaviour" for the gesture, which symbolises the Albanian flag.
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Serbian Football Association president Slavisa Kokeza and Serbia head coach Mladen Krstajic were each fined SFr5,000 for their comments after Friday's 2-1 defeat.
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The Serbian FA was also fined SFr54,000 (£41,217) for the behaviour of fans during the game - the display of discriminatory banners and the throwing of objects.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44606965

Good. They didn't 'provoke' the Serbian fans, who are quite capable of being arseholes all on their own. They do come, after all, from a country with a recent record of crimes against humanity.

[SunSeeker]

14. Good that they were at least fined for their unsportsmanlike behavior.

Any political beef with Serbia should be pursued off the field. If they want to wear the Albanian flag, they should play for Albania. That is indeed provocative to Serb fans and players. And it obviously did indeed provoke them into equally unsportsmanlike behavior, for which the Serb team was also fined.

There is a reason political displays should be kept off the field.

Both Serbia and the Kosovo Albanians have a recent history of crimes against humanity arising from the secession of Kosovo from Serbia. The soccer field is not the place to adjudicate that.