“20minutes”: “Shaqiri Jack's” are not political at all

Swiss medium “20minutes” has talked with professors and connoisseurs of Kosovo and Serbia circumstances.

According to Balkan expert Loic Folires, the action of Swiss players does not represent any political significance.

Their performance is understood by all Albanian people and represents the Albanian flag eagle. There's no political point. It is an identity mark, as do other countries. If they did so against Portugal or England, for example, no one would be touched”, says the legalist of the Paris Catholic Institute.

The media further says that after whistles from Serbia's fans, some of whom carried fans with the image of war criminal Ratko Mladic, Swiss players have wanted to respond to those provocations.

For Gerdan Shaqiri of Grani Jaka, it is difficult to be neutral when it is known that Jaka's father has been a political prisoner from Serbia.

It's an action done under the influence of emotion and personal history. It may be unfortunate because of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, but for me it is not political action. Since the World Cup is widespread, their actions raised reactions. But it's a diplomatic epiphenomen. This will not change the situation”, Odile Perrot, director of Political Sciences and specialist for Kosovo has said.

The Swiss medium in French also mentions the support the boys received in Kosovo, from the large and small, even by raising funds to pay their fines.

But, Folires says that although in Switzerland there are those who are reluctant towards Kosovo Albanians, in this case they supported them.

“Even in Switzerland first support for these players. It's kind of funny because in Switzerland, it's a part of society that is very reluctant in relation to Kosovo Albanians and immigrants in general. But in this case, we support them”, he says.

But reactions are completely opposite in Serbia, where a diplomatic scandal was sparked. Although the Serbian Football Federation was fined 46,780 euros from FIFA for discriminating messages from their fans during the match against Switzerland, the eagle is hard to overcome by them.

“Serbs claim this eagle refers to the Great Albania (joining all Balkan Albanians into one state). But that is not true, since this project does not support current governments”, continues Odile Perrot.

However, Serbs also have a controversial act that they have used during this World. When Kolarov scored against Kostarika, he raised three fingers (the great, index and middle).

On the ground, this gesture represents the Holy Trinity. But this became a sign of clear rallies and nationalism in the 1990s. But Kolarov and even Djokovic, who lifts three fingers when you win a tournament, don't do it that way. They simply do it to send a relevant message to Serbian supporters who understand it immediately. But that happened to Costaika and no one was worried about it”, says Loic Fjores, broadcast Koha.net.

Political or not, thought or not, these gestures are part of the Balkan troubled history for decades. As in the case when an Albanian flag, bound for a scare, landed in the green field during the match between Serbia and Albania in October 2014. Consequences: major clashes and fighting interruptions.

However, experts interviewed by “20minutes” have claimed that everything has already passed.