Shaqiri & Xhaka cause a stir with double eagle celebrations

Actually, the sporting performance of the two Swiss sons of Kosovar immigrants was the big story of the Friday football evening. With their goals in the 2-1 win against Serbia, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri shot their country clearly towards the round of XNUMX at the World Cup in Russia. But the supposed heroes didn't do themselves any favors with their provocative goal celebration.

Switzerland was already 0-1 behind after five minutes. Then Xhaka came rushing in and equalized with his precise long-range shot in the 52nd minute. This was followed by the first two goal celebrations, which are now the cause of much discussion. Xhaka used his hands to form a double-headed eagle, which can be seen on the Albanian flag - a nationalistic gesture seen as a provocation, especially by Serbs.

“No message to the opponent” Xhaka defended his hand gesture after the game with just as much emotion. “It was a very special game for me,” said the 25-year-old Arsenal professional. “Thousands of people, families from Switzerland, Albania, Kosovo watched. This victory was for my family, who always support me. The celebration was not a message to the opponent. Those were pure emotions.”

To make matters worse, colleague Shaqiri did the same with his goal in the final minute. He also celebrated the double eagle - in a game that was so politically charged that it was considered a high-risk game. Shaqiri breaks his promise With Xhaka, Shaqiri, Valon Behrami and Blerim Dzemaili, there were four players with Albanian roots in the Swiss starting lineup on Friday. They have all been team members for many years; the topic of celebration had already been discussed in the multicultural Swiss squad in 2014. At that time, the players assured that they would forego the double eagle in the “Nati” team in the future. “Everyone in the club can cheer however they want. But here we are in the national team. “It never happens that someone cheers like that,” Shaqiri was quoted as saying by the Swiss tabloid “Blick” at the time.

"I do not want to talk about it. There are always emotions in football,” Shaqiri said of the gesture on Friday. He had previously let his hands do the talking and sent a “cultural code that the Serbian spectators in the stadium and on TV had to perceive as a provocation,” as the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ) commented. Later, Shaqiri did not demonstrate any particular political sensitivity. “You saw what I did. There’s no more there,” said the 26-year-old. Coach Petkovic holds players accountable After two games in Russia, the Swiss are in an excellent position with four points in Group E. Instead of being completely happy about his team's late but deserved success, team boss Vladimir Petkovic had to comment on the unnecessary action of his players. “You shouldn’t mix sport and politics. The whole association, the whole country has been of the opinion for years that we don’t need this.”

The Swiss national team has been politically controversial at home for years because of its multiculturalism. With their celebration, the players, whether intentional or not, provided the next opportunity for political capture. “Whatever the verdict, Xhaka and Shaqiri should actually have been aware of one thing: that they would reignite discussions about identity, origins and homeland,” wrote the “Aargauer Zeitung” on Saturday.

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Shaqiri & Xhaka cause a stir with double eagle celebrations

In the 2-1 win against Serbia, the focus should actually be on Switzerland's sporting success. But because the two goal scorers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri made a political statement with their celebration, a discussion about identity and origins flared up again in the Swiss team.

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