Pristina — Kosovo was collecting money on Tuesday to pay Fifa fines of Switzerland players Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner for celebrating goals with a pro-Kosovo double eagle gesture in their 2-1 World Cup win over Serbia. Arsenal midfielder Xhaka and Stoke City’s Shaqiri trace their roots to Kosovo, a former Serbian province with an ethnic Albanian majority where thousands of people were killed during the 1998-99 conflict between Serbian forces and Albanian guerillas. The double eagle symbol represents the Albanian flag and is viewed as a symbol of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a move that Serbia still refuses to recognise. The players’ celebrations in the win over Serbia on Friday caused outrage in Serbia. Fifa, whose rules prohibit political symbols in stadiums, fined Xhaka and Shaqiri each €8,700 and Lichtsteiner €4,350. Nearly €12,000 was gathered less than 24 hours after a fund was launched. AFP
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.