Switzerland’s loss made its upcoming World Cup rematch all of the extra attractive, and with much more on the road.
Ever because the match schedule was made in April, the Group G sport between Switzerland and Serbia has been one to control. Not simply due to the gifted gamers on each groups, however due to the political tensions they introduced on the sphere after they met on the final World Cup.
4 years in the past in Russia, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka celebrated his objective in opposition to Serbia by making a double-headed eagle along with his palms — thumbs representing the heads of the 2 eagles, fingers fanned to seem like feathers. The determine is taken into account to be an Albanian nationalist image.
Xherdan Shaqiri added one other objective within the remaining minute of the sport, and did the identical factor along with his palms because the Swiss gained 2-1 within the second of the three group matches. Xhaka and Shaqiri each have ethnic Albanian heritage and household ties to Kosovo. They have been youngsters rising up in Switzerland when Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, one thing the Serbs nonetheless don’t acknowledge 14 years later. Each gamers have been fined by FIFA throughout the event, and the federal government of Albania opened a checking account for folks to contribute towards paying the ten,000 Swiss franc ($10,500) penalties.
On Friday, solely one of many two groups will be capable of advance to the spherical of 16 in Qatar. Brazil, which beat the Swiss 1-0 on Monday and defeated Serbia 2-0 final Thursday, has already assured itself of a spot within the knockout spherical. The Swiss seemingly want solely a draw at Stadium 974, and Shaqiri must be accessible to play after sitting out the match in opposition to Brazil with a muscle harm.
Xhaka, now 30 and a mature chief for his nation, brushed apart the controversial match from 4 years in the past.
“(There’s) nothing within the historical past behind these two video games,” the Arsenal midfielder mentioned. “We’re Switzerland, they’re Serbia, that’s it. We’re right here to play soccer — them, us as effectively.” Nonetheless, the Serbian delegation at this yr’s World Cup has already made the politics of Kosovo a problem.
Serbia’s locker room forward of its opening sport in opposition to Brazil displayed a nationwide flag with territory that included Kosovo and the slogan
“No Give up.” FIFA opened a disciplinary case in opposition to the Serbian soccer federation on Saturday.
The Kosovo soccer federation formally complained to FIFA after {a photograph} circulated and the nation’s sports activities minister, Hajrulla Ceku, described the picture as utilizing the World Cup to advertise “hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages.” The Swiss superior to the spherical of 16 in 2018 after a draw with Costa Rica of their remaining group match, whereas the Serbs have been eradicated after shedding to Brazil. This time, the groups go head-to-head of their remaining group sport.
“After all, the historical past is the historical past,” mentioned Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who additionally performed in opposition to Serbia 4 years in the past in Kaliningrad. “However on this second it is going to be the sport that’s essential.
“We all know this sport already,” Sommer added. “We had it in Russia.”