FIFA announced on Saturday that it had begun legal action against the Serbian football association for allegedly hanging a flag depicting Kosovo as a part of Serbia in the locker room before Serbia’s World Cup match against Brazil.
When Hajrulla Ceku, Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, posted the picture of the flag with the words “we do not surrender” in Serbian, it quickly gained popularity on social media.
Using the FIFA World Cup platform, Ceku posted on Twitter, “Disgraceful photographs from Serbia’s locker room, expressing nasty, xenophobic and genocidal messages towards Kosova.”
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Given that the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) is a full member of FIFA and UEFA, “we expect concrete initiatives from FIFA.”
Eight years after separating from Serbia, which opposed the move, Kosovo became a member of UEFA and FIFA in 2016.
According to a statement, “the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has begun procedures against the Football Association of Serbia due to a banner exhibited in their locker room on the occasion of the Brazil v. Serbia” match.
Articles 4 of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Regulations and Article 11 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code served as the foundation for the opening of the procedures.
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 because it is a joyful and unifying event. We urge FIFA to take action 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.