FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbian players and fans for alleged misconduct, including offensive chants at their group-stage match against Switzerland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

FIFA opens disciplinary probe against Serbia (AP)

By India Today Web Desk: FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbian players and fans for alleged misconduct, including offensive chants at their group-stage match against Switzerland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Switzerland beat Serbia 3-2 in their final Group G to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup. Anti-Kosovo chants were heard from the section of Serbia fans, who targeted Switzerland’s Xerdan Shaqiri with verbal abuse in the first half.

In the 77th minute of the game, a public announcement was made asking the crowd to refrain from discriminatory chants and gestures.

FIFA released a statement saying they have opened proceedings against the Serbian football team due to incidents related to their match against Switzerland.

“The FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against the Football Association of Serbia due to potential breaches of articles 12 (misconduct of players and officials), 13 (discrimination) and 16 (order and security at matches) of the FIFA disciplinary code related to incidents during the Serbia v Switzerland World Cup match that took place on 2 December,” read FIFA’s statement.

Eleven players, seven of them Serbian, were booked during the game that saw a heated confrontation break out between the Swiss and Serbian players. Things got heated when Granit Xhaka made a remark to the Serbian bench after they had appealed for a second-half penalty. Xhaka was subsequently involved in a on-pitch confrontation with Serbia’s Nikola Milenkovic.

Serbia is already facing a probe by FIFA for displaying a flag that included Kosovo in their national territory in their dressing room before facing Brazil in the group-stage earlier. The flag showed an outline of Kosovo filled with the Serbian flag, with the words ‘no surrender’.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. But, Serbia, which is a traditional ally of Russia, does not recognize Kosovo as an independent country.