Granit Xhaka got in trouble for his celebration back in 2018 when Serbia and Switzerland faced each other#SRB 🇷🇸 #SUI 🇨🇭#FIFAWorldCup

HISTORIC 

Why are Serbia and Switzerland rivals? European nations to go head-to-head in Group G at the Qatar World Cup

Football rivalries between countries are often steeped in historical significance and Serbia versus Switzerland is no different.

The European nations are set to face off in Group G at the Qatar World Cup and things could get a bit spicy.

It’s a fixture with a long and messy political history and it has led to some controversial moments when the two meet on the pitch.

Why are Serbia and Switzerland rivals?

Serbia and Switzerland are miles apart geographically, but the latter became a refugee for many families from Kosovo and Albania.

The likes of Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri’s family were forced to flee Kosovo and Albania in 1998 as the former Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) invaded Kosovo to stop the Liberation Army’s attacks on their military.

The war was short but brutal and led to the deaths of thousands of people and saw 370,000 people flee Kosovo and Albania.

Many of these families ended up in Switzerland.

Xhaka and Shaqiri are just two of the Swiss stars who identify themselves as having Kosovo-Albanian heritage.

They both hit the headlines when Serbia faced Switzerland in Russia at the 2018 World Cup for the first time.

They both scored and celebrated by displaying the eagle, which is on the Albanian flag.

After the match, the Serbian FA launched a complaint and FIFA had to launch disciplinary proceedings.

The pair were fined, but Xhaka defended his actions after the game, he said: “It was for my people, who always supported me. For those who did not neglect me, in my homeland, where my parents’ roots are. These were purely emotions.”

Kosovo is now an independent country but Serbia refuses to recognise it’s status, so the tension is very much there.

Therefore, when these two meet in Qatar, there is a lot more than a football match at stake.