Xhaka & Shaqiri Avoid Ban After Controversial Celebration2 min read

The game between Switzerland and Serbia on Friday during Matchday 2 was a crucial one for Group E.

The Swiss scored in the last minute to save themselves from elimination at the group stage.

They are now equal on points with Brazil but stand second on their table.

Both goals scored by the hosts at the Kaliningrad were marred with controversy during and after the game because of the players’ celebrations.

The goal scorers, Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, are of Albanian descent.

As both Serbia and Albania have bad history among the Balkan states, many away fans were furious when the Swiss players celebrated by making an eagle symbol with their hands.

The eagle is a symbol of Albanian heritage and angered many Serbian fans to the point where their FA lodged a formal complaint to FIFA.

This is because it isn’t permitted to use any political references in association football and can result in a ban or even a sackable offence.

Luckily the players along with Stephan Lichtsteiner were treated leniently for the sake of the tournament and are available to play their next match.

On Monday, both players were fined just over $10,000 for “unsporting behaviour”.

Should they have been suspended on matchday 3, Switzerland would be in a lot of trouble on the field.

Despite the likes of Breel Embolo and Blerim Dzemaili in their squad, the offending trio are the heartbeat of the Swiss team.

With someone in attack like Shaqiri while Xhaka & Lichtsteiner playing defensively, there would be no balance on the pitch.

Switzerland will play Costa Rica this week while Serbia face Neymar’s Brazil.

By the looks of it, the Swiss will qualify but just in case, they need to be on their A-game against the American side in order to secure a place in the last 16.

 

Source of Image: Getty Images via The Telegraph