So, Liverpool will play Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
The match in Belgrade should be ,to say the least 'interesting' given Shaqiri likely presence (if only on the bench) for Liverpool. Shaqiri was born in Kosovo. Kosovans are ethnic Albanians.They and Serbians in significant numbers in my experience hate each other. I've repeatedly seen normally liberal sensible Serbs go completely off on one when the topic of Kosovo comes up.
As well as Shaqir's Albanian eagle display (and his boots logo) when Switzerland played Serbia at the World Cup, let's remember the amazing scenes a few years ago when a Serbia v Albania game in Belgrade was abandoned after someone flew in a drone with the Albanian national symbol on it to hover above the pitch!
Then there's Red Stars 'ultras' who have been known to focus on the 'ultra violent' part of the3 word ultra not infrequently.
As the Guardian reports:
'Red Star Belgrade have said they will protect Xherdan Shaqiri from “unwanted situations” when the Liverpool winger arrives for their Champions League group match in November.
The club’s general director, Zvezdan Terzic, believes the Switzerland international, born in the former Yugoslavia to Kosovan-Albanian parents, will be under “unbelievable psychological pressure” because of his background.
Alisson will be Liverpool’s first choice in Champions League, says Klopp
Shaqiri courted controversy during the World Cup when he celebrated a last-minute winner against Serbia with an “Albanian eagle” gesture.
He and his Swiss teammates Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner were all fined for unsporting behaviour for making the gesture, which symbolises the Albanian flag.
“Personally I can’t imagine that an Albanian will play for Red Star,” Terzic told
Belgrade newspaper Kurir. “Red Star is a Serbian club, Partizan [Belgrade] was Yugoslav.
“I think that Shaqiri will be under unbelievable psychological pressure because he will know where he is coming; he knows that the Red Star is a symbol of Serbia and playing the Marakana, I don’t know whether he will play.
“Of course, as a football club we treat our rivals equally and we do not have to deal with the past and the history.
“Red Star must do everything to make Shaqiri feel that he came to play football and it is our duty to protect him in the case of unwanted situations. Let’s be good hosts.”
The match in Belgrade should be ,to say the least 'interesting' given Shaqiri likely presence (if only on the bench) for Liverpool. Shaqiri was born in Kosovo. Kosovans are ethnic Albanians.They and Serbians in significant numbers in my experience hate each other. I've repeatedly seen normally liberal sensible Serbs go completely off on one when the topic of Kosovo comes up.
As well as Shaqir's Albanian eagle display (and his boots logo) when Switzerland played Serbia at the World Cup, let's remember the amazing scenes a few years ago when a Serbia v Albania game in Belgrade was abandoned after someone flew in a drone with the Albanian national symbol on it to hover above the pitch!
Then there's Red Stars 'ultras' who have been known to focus on the 'ultra violent' part of the3 word ultra not infrequently.
As the Guardian reports:
'Red Star Belgrade have said they will protect Xherdan Shaqiri from “unwanted situations” when the Liverpool winger arrives for their Champions League group match in November.
The club’s general director, Zvezdan Terzic, believes the Switzerland international, born in the former Yugoslavia to Kosovan-Albanian parents, will be under “unbelievable psychological pressure” because of his background.
Alisson will be Liverpool’s first choice in Champions League, says Klopp
Shaqiri courted controversy during the World Cup when he celebrated a last-minute winner against Serbia with an “Albanian eagle” gesture.
He and his Swiss teammates Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner were all fined for unsporting behaviour for making the gesture, which symbolises the Albanian flag.
“Personally I can’t imagine that an Albanian will play for Red Star,” Terzic told
Belgrade newspaper Kurir. “Red Star is a Serbian club, Partizan [Belgrade] was Yugoslav.
“I think that Shaqiri will be under unbelievable psychological pressure because he will know where he is coming; he knows that the Red Star is a symbol of Serbia and playing the Marakana, I don’t know whether he will play.
“Of course, as a football club we treat our rivals equally and we do not have to deal with the past and the history.
“Red Star must do everything to make Shaqiri feel that he came to play football and it is our duty to protect him in the case of unwanted situations. Let’s be good hosts.”
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