Ahead of Friday’s mustn’t-lose match against Serbia at the World Cup in Qatar, Swiss footballers are playing down political tensions from the two sides’ previous encounter.
This content was published on
3 minutes
AP/ts
Português
pt
Suíços se preparam para confronto histórico com a Sérvia
Four years ago at the World Cup in Russia, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka celebrated his goal against Serbia by making a double-headed eagle with his hands, considered to be an Albanian nationalist symbol.
Xherdan Shaqiri added another goal in the final minute of the game, and did the same thing with his hands as the Swiss won 2-1.
Xhaka and Shaqiri both have ethnic Albanian heritage and family ties to Kosovo. They were teenagers growing up in Switzerland when Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, something the Serbs still don’t recognise 14 years later.
Both players were fined by FIFA, world football’s Zurich-based governing body, during the tournament, and the government of Albania opened a bank account for people to contribute toward paying the CHF10,000 ($10,500) fines.
More
More
Swiss footballers fined by FIFA for Albanian double-eagle gesture
This content was published on
Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner will not be banned for their Albanian “double eagle” hand gesture.
On Friday, only one of the two teams will be able to advance to the next round – the last 16 – in Qatar. A draw should be enough for Switzerland, and Shaqiri should be available to play after sitting out the match against Brazil with a muscle injury.
Xhaka, now 30 and a mature leader for his country, brushed aside the controversial match from four years ago.
“[There’s] nothing in the history behind these two games,” said the midfielder for London side Arsenal. “We are Switzerland, they are Serbia, that’s it. We’re here to play football – as are they.”
Disciplinary case
Still, the Serbian delegation at this year’s World Cup has already made the politics of Kosovo an issue.
Serbia’s locker room ahead of its opening game against Brazil displayed a national flag with territory that included Kosovo and the slogan “No Surrender.” FIFA opened a disciplinary case against the Serbian football federation on Saturday.
The Kosovo football federation formally complained to FIFA after a photograph circulated and the country’s sports minister, Hajrulla Ceku, described the image as using the World Cup to promote “hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages”.
More
More
Swiss keep an eye on tensions in Kosovo
This content was published on
Things are tense in northern Kosovo as a deadline approaches for Serbs to swap their Belgrade-issued number plates for local ones.
The Swiss advanced to last 16 in 2018 after a draw with Costa Rica in their final group match, while the Serbs were eliminated after losing to Brazil. This time, the teams go head-to-head in their final group game.
“Of course, the history is the history,” said Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who also played against Serbia four years ago in Kaliningrad. “But in this moment it will be the game that is important. We know this game already. We had it in Russia.”
More
More
Switzerland disappointed at ‘OneLove’ World Cup armband ban
This content was published on
The Swiss football team has backed down on a pledge to adorn their captain with a World Cup armband sporting the ‘OneLove’ message of inclusion.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
This content was published on
Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).
Lilo Baur wins Swiss Grand Prix for performing arts
This content was published on
The Swiss actress and theatre director Lilo Baur has received this year's Swiss Grand Prix for Performing Arts, also known as the Hans Reinhart Ring.
Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
This content was published on
A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.
This content was published on
The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.
Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault
This content was published on
A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.
Red Cross denounces lack of conflict mediation as aid needs explode
This content was published on
A lack of political leadership in brokering peace deals is prolonging conflicts and stretching aid groups, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.
Swiss finance minister says stricter bank rules needed for trust
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said efforts to revamp banking regulation are designed to ensure trust in the nation’s financial centre.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
‘Project Merciless’: how Qatar spied on the world of football in Switzerland
This content was published on
Qatar orchestrated a major intelligence operation against FIFA officials helped by ex-CIA agents. Switzerland was a key theatre of operations.
Swiss-Qatar relations in the shadow of the World Cup
This content was published on
Controversies surrounding the tournament have done little to deter the Swiss business and political elite from the glint of Qatari purchasing power.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.