Xhaka, Shaqiri, Lichtsteiner escape bans for controversial eagle gesture
Swiss internationals Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Stephan Lichtsteiner avoided bans on Monday for making a political gesture during a tense Group E encounter with Serbia.
The trio was instead fined by FIFA for "unsporting behaviour."
"The Swiss players Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Stephan Lichtsteiner have been sanctioned with fines of CHF 10,000, CHF 10,000, and CHF 5,000 respectively and warnings for having infringed art. 57 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code for unsporting behaviour contrary to the principles of fair play during their goal celebrations at the match Switzerland vs. Serbia," FIFA said in a statement obtained by the New York Times' James Montague.
Serbia's football association, meanwhile, was fined CHF 54,000 for "the display of discriminatory banners and messages by Serbian supporters."
Head coach Mladen Krstajic was also deducted CHF 5,000 after comments suggesting match official Felix Brych should be sentenced in the Hague.
There were fears Xhaka and Shaqiri - the goalscorers in Switzerland's 2-1 win over Serbia - would be suspended for their country's group-stage finale on Wednesday as well as a potential last-16 match. Both players, who were booed throughout the contest by rival Serbian supporters, celebrated their goals with the now infamous "double-eagle" sign. It's a nod to the Albanian flag, and as ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, the two incensed the Serbians for what they believed was political provocation.
Lichtsteiner, who has no Albanian roots, joined in with the controversial celebration after Shaqiri's winning goal.
FIFA decided their behaviour was simply "unsporting" in nature. If the gestures were defined as provocative, FIFA would have the right to ban the players for two matches.
Krstajic was so upset with the officiating that he felt Brych had discriminated against the Serbians.
"We were robbed," said Krstajic, via the AFP, insisting that striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was hauled down in the box. "I wouldn't give (Brych) either a yellow or red card, I would send him to the Hague. Then they could put him on trial, like they did to us."