Question for the Europeans. What's up with the Kosovar Swiss? I have the slightest understanding of the Balkan situation. But I watched the Swiss' goal celebrations and couldn't see anything other than the sign of peace, the dove of peace. But now they're saying that the gesture was supposed to be the two-headed eagle, an Albanian symbol... Do you think this will be an issue for Switzerland? I know Alan is a Croat, hopefully he'll be kind enough to explain it to me.
So the Kosovars are ethnic Albanians, and the symbol Xhaka and Shaqiri made was definitely the double headed eagle, which is often used by Albanians. Apparently the Kosovars playing for Switzerland were provoked by Serbian fans' anti-Albanian chants, hence the celebrations. Not sure whether this is true, but there were some unsavoury characters among the Serbian fans, so I wouldn't put it past them. It's basically a nationalist shitshow.
There is talk of some sort of sanctions for Switzerland if FIFA decides that the gestures were political. For now they're still under investigation. From what I've read earlier this year, the Swiss national team is somewhat segregated between the old Swiss (German, French, etc.) and the immigrants/second generation. But I just read that the Swiss captain Lichtsteiner also made the gesture and is under FIFA investigation. I can also see the Swiss fans being pissed off at their players for dragging them into Balkan politics.