Xherdan Shaqiri’s goal celebration, which evoked the Albanian flag and some ugly geopolitical history, rankled Serbia at the 2018 World Cup. (Getty) Switzerland stars Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri will not be suspended for World Cup games for their provocative “Albanian eagle” celebrations in their team’s 2-1 win over Serbia. FIFA announced Monday that both, along with teammate Stephan Lichtsteiner, would be fined, but would not be banned for Switzerland’s Group E decider against Costa Rica, nor for a potential Round of 16 match. Serbia’s soccer federation, on the other hand, was fined more than twice as much as the three Swiss players combined for “discriminatory banners” displayed by fans – the second such offense during the 2018 World Cup. The federation’s president was also fined for postgame comments critical of the match referee. And, last but not least, Serbia’s manager, Mladen Krstajic, was fined for comparing the refereeing in his team’s 2-1 loss to the prosecution of Yugoslav war crimes at the International Court of Justice. So, uh, yeah, a lot going on here. Let’s rewind … 2018 World Cup’s most political game Xhaka’s and Shaqiri’s goals in a dramatic comeback win over Serbia on Friday were two of the most political goals in World Cup history. The two players are of Kosovar Albanian heritage. Their families fled Yugoslavia amid oppression of ethnic Albanians by ethnic Serbs in Kosovo – now a country, formerly a region in southern Serbia bordering Albania that would eventually be ravaged by the bloody Yugoslav wars. Xhaka’s father was jailed and beaten as a college student for protesting Yugoslav rule in Kosovo. Shaqiri was born there, but moved to Switzerland as a baby. They represent Switzerland in soccer, but in a game against the nation that turned their parents into refugees, they also represented Kosovo. So when they scored, they celebrated with the “Albanian eagle” gesture, a symbol used by ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to display resistance to Serbian/Yugoslav rule, and now a nod to their heritage. Switzerland’s win over Serbia turned into a victory for Kosovo over Serbia as well. Kosovans celebrated in the streets of the capital. Xhaka referred to himself in a since-deleted Instagram story as “Granit Kosova.” So Serbs, understandably, were furious. Story continues Serbian FA calls for punishment Serbia’s soccer federation made the country’s anger official when it filed several complaints to FIFA. One pertained to Shaqiri’s boots – one of which has the Kosovo flag embroidered on the heel. Another pertained to the goal celebrations, and a third to “several controversial flags.” Savo Milosevic, the federation’s president, also bemoaned a no-call on a potential penalty. “I understand the referee didn’t see it but that is why we have VAR,” Milosevic said, referencing FIFA’s video review system. “What are those guys doing up there? Do we need another four men up there, do we need 100 people to control VAR for something we can all see perfectly well? We are Serbia and nobody cares, that is all I can think of.” Serbians – from fans to the federation – have adopted an us-against-the-world mentality. And there’s no better example of it than Krstajic’s postgame comments. Serbia coach’s political comparison The most absurd aspect of the fallout was an Instagram post from Krstajic, Serbia’s head coach. Krstajic was furious about that second-half no-call, when striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was hauled to the ground in the penalty box. “Unfortunately, only the Serbs have been convicted of selective justice, once the damn Hague and today in football VAR …” Krstajic wrote in Serbian, roughly translated to English. The post was pretty clearly a reference to the United Nations-established International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which was based in The Hague, Netherlands. That’s where various Serbian leaders and nationalists were convicted of war crimes committed during Yugoslav wars, including the conflict in Kosovo. Krstajic appeared to intimate that Serbia’s national team was selectively and unfairly punished, just like Serbian leaders who were culpable for the deaths of hundreds, and in some cases thousands. There was also apparently video of Krstajic explicitly saying the ref should be sent to The Hague. In that sense, FIFA’s fine seems lenient. FIFA’s rulings FIFA warned the three Swiss players, but ruled they hadn’t violated article 54 of the disciplinary code – “provoking the general public” – which would have called for a two-game suspension. Instead, they fined the players in accordance with article 57, finding them guilty of “offensive gestures or language.” The biggest fine, given to Serbia’s federation, was for, among other things, signage that referenced Ratko Mladic, a former Serbian general convicted of war crimes. – – – – – – – Henry Bushnell covers global soccer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell, and on Facebook. More from Yahoo Sports: • Swedish players defend teammate targetted by racist trolls • Egypt’s 45-year-old goalie saves penalty, sets World Cup record • Julian Edelman reportedly planning major defense against suspension • Rapper T.I. plans to boycott NFL over national anthem rules<doc-sep>The Serbian soccer association said they have appealed to FIFA over referee Felix Brych’s officiating during the thrilling 2-1 defeat to Switzerland on Friday in World Cup Group E which jeopardised the nation’s hopes of reaching the last 16. “We have submitted seven video-recordings clearly showing Brych’s tendency to make decisions against our national team,” said a statement from the Serbian association. “The footage reveals Brych’s double standards in brandishing yellow cards, as he was quick to book our key players while he didn’t do the same in similar situations at the other end.” Chief among their complaints was the decision to not award Aleksandar Mitrovic a penalty in the second half when the game was poised at 1-1, an incident where referee Brych chose not to consult the video assistant referee (VAR). A strike from Xherdan Shaqiri in stoppage time completed Switzerland’s comeback from a goal down and means Serbia face the daunting task of beating Brazil in their final game on Wednesday to guarantee their place in the next round. If they draw with Brazil, however, they would qualify in the unlikely scenario that Switzerland lost to Costa Rica by more than one goal in the other Group E game. “The most glaring poor decision was not awarding Serbia a penalty for a foul on Mitrovic with the score 1-1, and awarding the spot kick could have turned the match our way,” added the statement. “The whole world saw the penalty except Brych and it should have gone to VAR analysis. “We are wondering why Serbia is the only team in the World Cup where the match official chose to ignore controversial situations at it raises the legitimate question whether the VAR is being used selectively.” (Reporting by Richard Martin, additional reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)<doc-sep>
SAMARA, Russia (Reuters) - Critics of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system were handed ample ammunition when Serbia were somehow denied what appeared a blatant penalty in their defeat to Switzerland on Friday. Soccer Football - World Cup - Group E - Serbia vs Switzerland - Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Russia - June 22, 2018 Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic talks to referee Felix Brych REUTERS/Mariana Bazo Serbia fell to a 2-1 loss in Kaliningrad with Xherdan Shaqiri snatching a last-minute breakaway goal, but it could have been very different had Aleksandar Mitrovic been awarded a penalty. Midway through the second half, Switzerland defenders Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schar both grabbed hold of the Serbia striker, dragging him to the ground in the penalty area. German referee Felix Brych waved play on and inexplicably the decision stood, despite the VAR system being in use and designed to prevent those types of controversies. Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic kept his council in his post-match news conference, refusing to condemn the officials. “As far as the referee is concerned, it is not up to me to comment or to berate the referee, it is up to you to assess that,” he told reporters. The Serbian football association vice president and former international Savo Milosevic was less reticent, saying it was the second decision to have gone against Serbia after Mitrovic had a penalty appeal turned down in their opening Group E win over Costa Rica. “I understand maybe the referee didn’t see it, but that’s why we put VAR on. What are (those) guys doing up there?” Milosevic was quoted as saying in the media. “Two decisions in two games is too much. This is a World Cup.” Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand described the failure to award a penalty as “a mugging”. “I think it had to go to VAR. I don’t know what the people (VAR) making the decisions are doing but they need to look at themselves because there’s two people wrestling Mitrovic,” Ferdinand said while working for the BBC. “That’s a mugging on the streets, it’s unbelievable,” he added. The decision drew comparisons with a similar incident in England’s game against Tunisia when striker Harry Kane was wrestled to the ground by a defender in the area without being awarded a penalty. Defender Pablo Zabaleta, who has won more than 50 caps for Argentina, was in agreement with Ferdinand. “It’s a foul - I can’t believe it wasn’t given. “I think it is a clear view from the referee and the center back isn’t even looking at the ball. He’s just holding Mitrovic.” The defeat left Serbia needing to beat Brazil in their final game to qualify without relying on the result of the Swiss game against Costa Rica, who are eliminated after losing their first two matches.