FIFA has launched an investigation against the Football Association of Serbia after a photo emerged of a flag in the team’s locker room showing the Serbian flag above an outline of the independent country of Kosovo.
The photo of the flag, reportedly taken before Serbia’s World Cup match against Brazil on Thursday, shows the outline of Kosovo, which has been an independent state since 2008, filled in with the flag of Serbia and the words “No Surrender” written on it . the.
Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku, called the image “disgraceful” in a tweetsaying it displayed “hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages towards Kosovo” while also exploiting the World Cup platform.
The governing body of the World Football Association said the proceedings were opened on the basis of Article 11 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 4 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Regulations, which prohibit violations of “offensive gestures, gestures or language” and “use of a sporting event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.”
Çeku and the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) filed a formal complaint with FIFA over “aggressive behavior by the Serbian national team”.
“FFK strongly condemns the aggressive action against the Republic of Kosovo of Serbia in the ‘Qatar 2022,’” FFK said in a statement on Friday. “The World Cup is an event of joy and unity and should send messages of hope and peace, not messages of hate. We call on FIFA to take action against such actions.”
The Football Association of Serbia did not immediately respond to DailyExpertNews’s request for comment.
More background: Kosovo has been recognized as an independent state by more than 100 countries, but not by Serbia or Russia. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, supported by the United States, Britain and most EU member states, but its UN membership is blocked by Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally.
Serbia, which lost 2-0 to Brazil on Thursday, will then play against Group G opponent Cameroon on Monday.
