A banner depicting Kosovo as a part of Serbia is believed to have been placed in the locker room before their World Cup match against Brazil, according to a statement released by FIFA on Saturday. This prompted FIFA to initiate legal action against Serbia’s football organization. Check out complete details about it below.
FIFA is looking into Serbia for having a “hateful” Kosovo flag in the locker room
Hajrulla Ceku, the minister of culture, youth, and sport for Kosovo, posted a picture of a flag that said in Serbian, “We do not surrender,” and the picture quickly gained popularity on social media.
According to Ceku on Twitter, “disgraceful photographs from Serbia’s locker room, exhibiting nasty, xenophobic, and genocidal statements towards Kosova while misusing FIFA World Cup platform.”
“Given that the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) is a full member of FIFA and UEFA, we expect FIFA to take decisive action,” the statement reads.
In 2016, eight years after deciding to secede from Serbia, which had fought the decision, Kosovo became a member of UEFA and FIFA.
The statement said, “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has begun procedures against the Football Association of Serbia owing to a banner exhibited in their changing room on the day of the Brazil vs. Serbia match.”
The FIFA Disciplinary Code’s Article Eleven and the FIFA World Cup 2022 Regulations’ Article Four were the foundations upon which the procedures were initiated.
The “aggressive action” taken against the nation, according to the FFK, was fiercely denounced.
The World Cup should convey messages of optimism and peace rather than messages of hostility since it is a joyful and unifying event. We urge FIFA to take measures to stop such behavior,” they declared.
Serbia will play Cameroon on Monday after losing to Brazil 2-0. When contacted for comment, their football federation (FSS) did not offer any.