Members of the Serbia soccer staff in the course of the FIFA World Cup sport in opposition to Brazil. AP
Doha: FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings in opposition to the Serbian soccer federation after the staff hung a controversial flag depicting Kosovo of their altering room earlier than their loss to Brazil on the World Cup.
The Kosovo soccer federation (FFK) filed a criticism with the governing physique after photographs confirmed a model of the Serbian flag with a map together with Kosovo as a part of the nation and stamped with the slogan “there can be no give up”.
Kosovo, a former Yugoslav province with an Albanian majority, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade refuses to recognise.
“The FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings in opposition to the soccer affiliation of Serbia attributable to a flag displayed of their dressing room on the event of the Brazil v Serbia FIFA World Cup match performed on 24 November,” FIFA mentioned in a press release.
FIFA’s disciplinary code prohibits “offensive behaviour and violation of the rules of honest play” and “utilizing a sports activities occasion for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature”.
Kosovo sports activities minister Hajrulla Ceku on Friday tweeted his anger at “disgraceful photos from the Serbia locker room, displaying hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages.”
Ceku added: “We anticipate concrete actions from FIFA contemplating that (Kosovo) is a full FIFA and UEFA member.”
Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.
“Such a chauvinist act has no place at sporting occasions and even much less inside institutions the place the largest world soccer occasion is happening,” the FFK mentioned in a press release.
“It’s unacceptable that this act is handed over in silence and we insistently demand that FIFA strictly apply its guidelines and punish the Serbian soccer federation for this aggressive act opposite to the values that soccer transmits,” it added.
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