DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Serbian soccer federation was charged by FIFA on Saturday for hanging a political banner about neighboring impartial state Kosovo within the locker room earlier than taking part in Brazil on the World Cup.It confirmed a map of Serbia that included the territory of its former province, which has been an impartial state for practically 15 years, and the slogan “No Give up.”Pictures circulated of the banner draped over the lockers of Milos Veljkovic and Andrija Zivkovic forward of the group’s 2-0 loss to Brazil on Thursday in Qatar.Kosovo’s soccer federation formally complained to FIFA and its sports activities minister, Hajrulla Ceku, described the picture as utilizing the World Cup to advertise “hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages.”FIFA cited a piece of its disciplinary code that covers misconduct together with “offensive gestures, indicators or language” and “utilizing a sports activities occasion for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.”Soccer’s governing physique gave no timetable for a verdict, although Serbia subsequent performs on Monday in opposition to Cameroon.Since Kosovo was made a member of FIFA and UEFA in 2016, the European soccer physique has ensured for safety causes that its nationwide groups can’t be drawn with Serbia or Bosnia- Herzegovina in qualifying teams for the World Cup and European Championship.The problem of Kosovo’s independence sparked a 1998-99 struggle through which about 13,000 folks died. Serbia launched a brutal crackdown to curb a separatist insurrection by the territory’s ethnic Albanians. NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 to finish the struggle.Kosovo unilaterally broke away from Serbia in 2008. The Serbian authorities, with assist from China and Russia, has refused to acknowledge Kosovo’s statehood. The USA and most of its European allies acknowledge Kosovo as an impartial nation.___
Serbia charged over locker room Kosovo flag at World Cup
