In the middle of the interview, Shaqiri suddenly wears the jacket of a civil war militia
After beating Northern Ireland in the World Cup qualification, Xherdan Shaqiri is available for an interview. In the middle of the conversation, a speedster puts a jacket over the Swiss. On closer inspection, a political provocation. Shaqiri reacts calmly.
Xherdan Shaqiri has been praised by the Swiss Football Association (SFV) for his level-headed behavior when attempting a political provocation by a spectator. “Xherdan Shaqiri reacted in an exemplary manner, remained calm and did not respond,” wrote the association on Sunday in the short message service Twitter.
After the 2-0 in the World Cup qualification against Northern Ireland on Saturday in Geneva, a viewer suddenly put a jacket on the former professional of FC Bayern Munich during a television interview with a logo with the letters “UCK” on it.
The KLA was a paramilitary organization that fought for Kosovo’s independence in the 1990s. The civil war militia was at times considered a terrorist organization in several countries, which disbanded after the end of the Kosovo war under pressure from NATO and the UN.
Shaqiri reacts calmly
Shaqiri, who turned 30 on Sunday, has Kosovar roots. He reacted calmly to the action: After briefly looking at the logo, he pulled off his jacket with a smile and tucked it rolled up under his arm.
In Serbia, on the other hand, the moods were much more heated. The tabloid “Kurir” spoke of a “scandal” and asked in the title how long Uefa would tolerate “this nonsense”. The harsh criticism continued in the article, and there was talk of abomination. “Obviously this is an abuse, a heavy meddling of politics in the sport,” comments the paper.
The Swiss association acted consistently after the incident. “It is unacceptable that people want to abuse football stadiums, and in this case the interview with a player after a game, for political propaganda,” the SFV criticized the fan’s action. The man was interrogated by the police and was then banned from the stadium.
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