FIFA world 2022 Switzerland vs Serbia: Sometimes a World Cup game is not just confined to the field of play. It reaches politics. Switzerland vs Serbia match is another such game.
Sometimes World Cup games are not just confined to the field of play. It reaches politics. In the wake of the Falklands War in 1986, there was great excitement surrounding Maradona's Argentina match against England. Maradona avenged the Falklands War by defeating England 2-0. On Friday (December 2), another World Cup match saw politics likely to loom large over the game. The Serbia vs Switzerland match is sure to be important in terms of progress in the World Cup. However, the importance of this match is not confined only to the field of play. Politics is overshadowing the game.
In fact, in the last World Cup in Russia, this match was the subject of intense controversy. Switzerland defeated Serbia 2-1 in 2018. Switzerland's current captain Granit Xhaka and one of Switzerland's greatest ever footballers, Jordan Shaqiri, scored in that match. After the goal, both of them celebrated their goal in a special way. They showed a two-headed eagle to the audience with a hand coin. which can be seen in the national flag of Albania. It was this particular gesture of goal celebration that provoked great controversy. Due to which they were fined by FIFA. The Serbian Football Federation was also fined. Because, in the audience, the supporters of Serbia put up hateful posters-banners with hateful slogans on their faces.
Why this controversy about showing the symbol of the national flag of Albania? To know, you have to go to the pages of history. In the 1990s, Yugoslavia was torn apart by a series of civil wars. The war that ended with the partition of the country. Two new countries were born – Serbia and Croatia. However, Kosovo was still under control. Serbia-ruled Kosovo became independent in the Kosovo War of 1998-99. Currently, 92 percent of the population of this independent country is Albanian. The Kosovo Liberation Army waged a guerrilla war against Serbian forces and police. At least 12,000 Kosovo Albanians died in the war. In the end, Serbian forces were forced to retreat by NATO air strikes. Kosovo became independent in 2008 after nearly a decade under a NATO-led government.
Serbia has not yet recognized Kosovo's independence. 4 percent of Kosovo's population is ethnically Serb. After the Brazil match in the current World Cup as well, a controversial map of Serbia was seen in the Serbia dressing room. On that controversial map of Serbia, Kosovo was also shown as part of Serbia. Underneath was written, "We will not give up." Kosovo has already protested against that map. Kosovo also has its own football team. However, they are yet to reach a place to play in the World Cup. Hence, Switzerland will be their hope for revenge against Serbia. Because, Switzerland is the country, whose football team Kosovo-Anbanians have been able to unite.
Both Xhaka and Shaqiri, who sparked controversy at the last World Cup, were born in Kosovo. Kosovo's bet in the World Cup is Switzerland. And they have the World Cup final on Friday night. Arrangements have been made to watch this game by hanging huge screens in different parts of the country. Shaqiri's birthplace Zilan is draped in the Swiss flag. However, it is believed that the controversy like 4 years ago will not happen this time. There may be incitement and incitement of Serbia fans from the audience. However, both Xhaka and Shaqiri have said that they will not focus on anything other than football.
Do they really have all their attention on the football field? If you see Pakistan in front of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, the Serbians will not be the same in Xhaka-Shaqiri's mind?
