Will the political debates return to the Swiss national team? Captain Granit Xhaka’s demeanor suggests so. He could also face a ban for an obscene gesture.
Gesture to the teammate or memory of a Kosovan freedom fighter? Granit Xhaka after the game against Serbia.
So there they are, the “noise” that coach Murat Yakin wanted to avoid: When the Swiss gathered to cheer on Friday evening after the spectacular 3-2 win and qualification for the World Cup round of 16 against Portugal, Granit Xhaka touched his teammate Ardon Jashari’s shirt was turned inside out and a little later he posted a picture on Instagram with the 20-year-old FC Luzern player on his side.
It quickly became clear what was provocative about it: Jashari is also the name of a separatist who fought for Kosovo’s detachment from Serbia back in the 1990s. His name is Adem Jashari, he is the founder of the separatist militia “Kosovo Liberation Army” (KLA) in the early 1990s and is revered as a hero in parts of the country. Jashari is considered a terrorist in Serbia. Jashari was killed in 1998, allegedly in an operation by Serbian anti-terrorist units. The outraged reactions to Xhaka’s action with the shirt followed promptly, primarily in the Serbian media.
However, Xhaka will hardly have to face an investigation by Fifa for this reason. The captain denied any provocation or any political motive after the game, saying Jashari is a young player who he trains with every day and who reminds him of the beginnings of his own career. “I told him before the game that if I score a goal or we win, I’ll put his shirt on,” Xhaka said.
Whistled at Xhaka and Shaqiri while reading the lineups
Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri were whistled at by Serbian fans as the team rosters were read out. However, the whistles were harmless compared to the 2018 World Cup game in Kaliningrad. In the second half, Xhaka got caught up in a war of words with the Serbian bench.
The Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic also used abusive words. A pack formed, Xhaka made obscene gestures to the Serbian bank. This action could result in a disciplinary investigation. According to the Fifa rule book, “obscene gestures” lead to a ban. The question is whether Fifa considers Xhaka’s crotch grab an “obscene gesture”.
Xhaka being t.xhaka absolutely a bromate class?
Auto pada panas bench nya pic.twitter.com/P10v566WGY
— afkh iyh (@Natttnad) December 2, 2022
So far, Fifa has not said whether it will initiate proceedings.
SFV is not aware of any FIFA investigation
Xhaka received a yellow card in stoppage time after the Serbian goalie pushed him against the advertising board and grabbed him by the neck. There was also a wild pack formation. Nevertheless, Xhaka said: “It was a game with many emotions – but fair enough overall.”
On Saturday morning, the Swiss association was not aware of a possible Fifa investigation and announced that Xhaka had already said everything about the action with his teammate’s shirt: There was “definitely” no political or historical background.
Nevertheless, a debate is brewing in the Swiss camp that has been tried to prevent at all costs in recent months: Political issues should have no place on the football field. The mere fact that the captain has to answer questions about whether his shirt campaign is about politics can only show one thing: the calculation didn’t work out – politics has returned to the Swiss. Your captain does what he wants.
