FIFA opens case against Switzerland over World Cup goal celebration
By FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened the case against Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for their controversial celebrations of World Cup goals in the game against Serbia.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for their goal celebration during the match Switzerland vs. Serbia,” the FIFA Disciplinary committee said in a statement.
Swiss national team members Xhaka and Shaqiri led the Swiss team to victory on Friday. Serbia, which led the game 0-1 after the first half, eventually lost it 2:1 after Xhaka equaled the score and Shaqiri scored the winning goal.
The two players, both of Albanian-Kosovan heritage, celebrated the goals by putting their hands together in a gesture that resembled the double-headed eagle of the Albanian flag.
A preliminary investigation has been opened against the coach of the Serbian national team, Mladen Krstajic, for statements he allegedly made after the match.
Krstajic harshly criticized German referee Felix Brych after the game, reportedly saying that his team was “robbed” of victory by Brych’s decision not to call a penalty. He was also quoted as saying that the referee should be tried by the International Tribunal in The Hague.
Besides, FIFA opened an investigation against the Serbian Football Association “for crowd disturbance and the display of political and offensive messages by Serbian fans.”.