The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened a file against the Serbian Association for displaying a flag in his dressing room on the occasion of the match against Brazil, on the first day of the World Cup in Qatar 2022.
The procedure, as reported by FIFA, is opened according to article 11 of the Disciplinary Code of the highest world body and according to article 4 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Regulations.
As could be seen through social networks, a flag of the Balkan country was hung in the dressing room of the Serbian team with the map of Kosovo and the expression ‘No surrender’ (do not surrender).
The motif of this flag has a very deep meaning in the political and geographical conflict between Serbia and Switzerland. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia, different countries were formed in the territory. But obviously the conflicts did not wait. One of them was through Kosovo, which at first belonged to Serbia.
Kosovo, which today is a country with limited recognition, is a subject of conflict between Serbia and Albania in that territory the majority of the population is ethnic Albanian.
In 1996, within the Yugoslav War, Kosovo Albanian separatists declared the territory’s independence. This, obviously, unleashed a terrible war in the area (NATO even intervened).
The continuous bombardments in Kosovo generated the displacement of thousands of people. Many of them went to Switzerland, like the families of the soccer player Shaquiri and Xhaka.
In 2018, Switzerland defeated Serbia 2-1 and goalscorers Xhaka and Shaquiri celebrated by making the symbol of the Albanian Eagle, a sign of war that Serbia did not like and requested the suspension of both players, who were only sanctioned.
Now Serbia left the flag as a symbol of revenge and that the fight for the territory of Kosovo is still in dispute. On December 2 they will face each other in the last match of Group H.
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