Xhaka in the jersey dispute after Switzerland progressed
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Xhaka produced a matchstick display man as that The Swiss fought back 1:2 and secured second place in Group G and reach a round of 16 duel with Portugal.
But his actions after the final whistle could attract FIFA’s attention.
At the post-game celebrations, Xhaka donned a jersey with the name “Jashari” on it.
Asked what that meant, the Arsenal midfielder claimed it was Swiss squad member Ardon Jashari.
However, the name is significant in another way as Adem Jashari is a late founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a Kosovo Albanian separatist group that fought for independence from the former Yugoslavia.
Xhaka is an Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but was not recognized by Serbia.
Asked about the jersey afterwards, Xhaka said: “There is no political background to it whatsoever.
“Ardon is part of our squad and we spend a lot of time together. I told him if we won I would wear his shirt.”
Xhaka was a key figure during a lively encounter. He also sparked a melee in the second half, with the Serbian bench edging onto the pitch after a rude gesture, presumably in the direction of backup goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, whose personal life has been the subject of speculation this week.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said he will “wait and see” if action is taken against Xhaka.
“We will enjoy this moment, it cost us a lot of emotion and energy. It was a fair game,” he said.
“A lot of people talked about the situation before the game, but we were able to face this challenge.
“We are happy to continue. Everything else is speculation and we will wait and see.”
On the Rajkovic incident, Yakin added: “What I saw was a Granit Xhaka fully focused on football and performing very well. I saw the players from Serbia crossing the line and others trying to calm them down. It was normal exchange.”
It’s not the first time Xhaka has been involved in a controversy against Serbia. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he and Xherdan Shaqiri were fined after crossing hands to mimic the eagle on the Albanian flag in Switzerland’s 2-1 win.
Shaqiri also played his part in Switzerland’s victory here, scoring the opener at the Stadion 974 but seemed annoyed to be substituted after 69 minutes.
“No one likes being substituted,” Yakin said. “Every player wants to play the whole game but it’s part of my responsibility to protect the players. He scored his goal and had a great assist.
“The substitutes brought a lot of energy and I thought they did well.”
The hot spots overshadowed a wonderful game in which Switzerland’s greater composure proved crucial at crucial moments.
Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic praised his players but regretted that so many struggled with fitness throughout the season in Qatar. He also insisted he had no intention of resigning.
He said: “We’re not happy with the result but given the issues we’ve faced since arriving here and the injuries we’ve struggled with, it was too much for us to deal with.
“The boys fought but at this level it’s not enough.
“As for my future, we start the European Championship qualifiers in March and we’re very keen to qualify.”
Stojkovic claimed not to have heard any of the chants, which led to an announcement over the public address system urging fans to refrain from discriminatory songs or gestures believed to have originated from sections housing Serbian fans were.