A breathless Serbia-Switzerland

News on Mondays – Alexandre Wälti

The soccer World Cup is in full swing in Russia, and a controversy is swirling around the Nati's performance against Serbia. Or rather, it's swelling around the two-headed eagle sign on the Albanian flag that Xhaka, Shaqiri and Lichtsteiner mimed during the two-goal celebrations. Soccer, after all, isn't all that important, is it?

FIFA has therefore launched a formal investigation into the three Swiss players for taunting the crowd, citing Article 54 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. They face a two-game suspension and a fine of at least CHF 5,000.

Why? Because diplomatic relations between Albania, Kosovo, and Serbia have never been entirely peaceful since the war in the former Yugoslavia, and the Serbian government has never recognized Kosovo’s independence. That’s why the three players’ gesture sparked so many reactions following our Swiss national team’s marvelous victory. Because, yes, we’re talking above all about a hard-fought 1-2 win that brings the Nati one step closer to the World Cup round of 16.

Foul odors

Admittedly, the gesture—whether intentional or not—wasn’t the smartest of the evening. Sports should always take precedence over politics and family background. Especially since soccer is a game known throughout the world that can build bridges between different groups and diverse cultures. It’s more urgent than ever to remember this when reading the tweet from Zurich SVP member Natalie Rickli, who spouted the following: «I can’t really celebrate. The two goals weren’t scored for Switzerland, but for Kosovo.»

This remark also deserves condemnation. The same goes for two reactions from among the Serbian players. First, Mladen Krstajic, Serbia’s head coach, who, the day after the match, referred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia while pointing to the penalty that referee Felix Brych failed to call. Le Monde noted the following statement: «I wouldn’t give [him] a yellow or red card; I’d send him to The Hague. There, they can judge him, just as they did with us. » Aleksandar Mitrovic also weighed in on Shaqiri’s case before the match began. The same newspaper quoted the Serbian forward as asking: «If he loves Kosovo so much, why didn’t he want to play for their team?»

Ah… when the lingering stench of political or historical grudges mixes with sports, the smell is more like the soles of shoes at the end of a game than the fresh grass at kickoff.

A Report on an Important Game

What about soccer in all this? What about the thrill of sports? Friday night was wonderful! Watching the Nati win brought back the excitement I felt as a kid. Of course, I bit my nails down to the quick in the process, and I got really upset about some of Vladimir Petkovic’s decisions.

By the way, on that note—just a thought, Coach, if I may, and if you happen to read this sometimes—please start Gavranovic up front in place of Seferovic, Embolo on the wing in Dzemaili’s position, and move Shaqiri back into the number 10 role. Your fans will thank you when you face Costa Rica!

I was just a kid in the middle of the crowd in a fan zone, proudly wearing my Swiss jersey right next to a Serbian fan who was just as proud—I swear! I saw a wonderful multicultural team, just like Switzerland itself, with a steely resolve that defeated the strong and solid Serbian team in the final minutes of the match. I want to thank Akanji for his solid defense throughout the game and the hero, Sommer. They really made my day! Well, I’ll admit it all started off very badly in the fifth minute with Mitrovic’s early goal, as Schär stood by passively. What happened next? A first half in which the Serbian players never stopped pressing and putting Switzerland on the back foot. I then spent 45 minutes in despair watching the lackluster attacks by our Swiss team. My heart was in my throat.

Suddenly, boom! Everyone hugged each other and cheered! The ball was on its way. A perfect strike by Xhaka, curled just enough to get past the Serbian goalkeeper and find its way right where I like it to go: into the back of the net. The fan zone was still buzzing right up until the 90th minute and Shaqiri’s clinical finish. Finally, relief and the honking of horns!

That’s what a game is all about! The emotions—as basic as they may seem—far removed from political considerations and other provocations. Soccer may be more important than we realize. It has the power to bring people together and bring joy to so many, even as it disappoints the other half. That’s where it all happens! And a little bit on the field, too.

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