FIFA have charged the Serbian FA with misconduct for the actions of their players and fans in the World Cup match against Switzerland.
Serbia’s football clashes against Switzerland have often been marred in controversy, including the last one at the 2018 World Cup, and it was no different in Qatar, with fans charged for singing offensive chants.
Switzerland’s captain Granit Xhaka and winger Xherdan Shaqiri scored the goals in the 3-2 win – both players have Albanian roots and family ties to Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, however, Serbia does not recognise their sovereignty.
Anti-Kosovo chants were heard from some Serbia fans, who targeted Shaqiri with verbal abuse in the first half.
FIFA charged Serbia with ‘misconduct of players and officials,’ and discrimination although did not specify which incidents led to the charges.
Players from both nations were seen encroaching the referee, especially in the second half as several Serbia players in the dugout approached him after the video assistant referee didn’t give them a penalty.
Serbia’s defeat to Switzerland meant they were knocked out of the competition at the group stage for the second World Cup running and their rivals were through, where they are set to play Portugal in the last 16 for a place in the quarter-final.
