Some Albanian Canadians upset at FIFA fine against ethnic Albanian players

TORONTO — A decision by FIFA to punish two ethnic Albanian players for hand gestures of a national symbol at a World Cup match has upset some in the Albanian community in Canada.

FIFA warned and fined the two players on the Swiss team for unsporting behaviour after they celebrated their goals at a Friday game against Serbia with the hand signals.

The players, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, have ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia doesn’t recognize that independence.

Some in Canada’s Albanian community said they were angry at the incident.

“We have always displayed pride as a defence mechanism, not really as something to poke into somebody’s eye,” said Ely Lokku, an ethnic Albanian originally from Macedonia who now lives in Toronto.

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Both Xhaka and Shaqiri put their open hands together with their thumbs locked and fingers outstretched to make what looks like the double-headed eagle displayed on Albania’s flag. FIFA’s disciplinary council deemed the gesture political, and therefore prohibited by the soccer organization.

Xhaka and Shaqiri were each fined the equivalent of $13,500, while the Swiss team captain, who also made the gesture but is not of Albanian heritage, was fined half that.

“Obviously this runs deep with Serbian insecurity,” Lokku said, noting he was disappointed but not surprised that FIFA would choose to act on the gesture.

Agim Hadri, of the Albanian Canadian Association Kosova of Canada, said he too was disappointed by FIFA’s decision. He said the hand gesture at the centre of the case is a sign of pride, but not political in nature.

“I am so disappointed … because this is our national symbol — the Albanian national symbol — like the maple leaf in Canada,” he said. “Who can be offended by the maple leaf symbol?”

Meanwhile, FIFA fined the Serbian football federation $54,700 for incidents involving its fans at the same game in a separate ruling Monday.

Serbia was charged for fans’ “display of discriminatory banners and messages by Serbian supporters as well as for throwing objects during the match,” FIFA said.

— with files from the Associated Press.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press