Football star Granit Xhaka’s dad hit out at a TV journalist after she slammed the Arsenal star for a “disgraceful” gesture on the World Cup.
Before his Swiss staff was eradicated by Portugal on Wednesday morning in devastating trend, Xhaka was in the midst of a furore surrounding his involvement within the heated clashes between his staff and Serbian rivals of their Group G match on Saturday.
The fiery Swiss captain was within the thick of it and it was his gesture in direction of the Serbian bench that prompted essentially the most explosive spotfire close to the tip of the match the place tempers threatened to boil over. At one level Xherdan Shaqiri had bottles thrown at him from Serbian supporters within the crowd as he carried out a lip-silencing purpose celebration. The match additionally had 11 yellow playing cards — essentially the most in a World Cup recreation for the reason that 2010 ultimate.
Xhaka, 30, was seen grabbing his manhood within the course of the Serbian bench at one level through the highly-charged 3-2 win.
The show sparked a mass pitch invasion from the enraged Serbian bench and a melee erupted.
There has been widespread hypothesis his gesture was directed at back-up keeper Predrag Rajkovic, whose spouse was rumoured to be having an affair with teammate Dusan Vlahovic, a suggestion which the Serb striker has vehemently denied, The Sun stories.
Xhaka was additionally on the coronary heart of the stoppage time bust-up which noticed him being grabbed across the throat by goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and threatened by Aleksandar Mitrovic and Nikola Milenkovic.
He then triggered additional Serbian anger by celebrating the win in a shirt with the identify “Jashari” on the again — Adam Jashari based the Kosovo Liberation Army.
He escaped punishment from Fifa this time, however he was fined $15,000 on the 2018 World Cup in Russia after celebrating objectives towards Serbia with a pro-Kosovo double eagle gesture.
Xhaka and Swiss teammate Shaqiri hint their roots to Kosovo, a former province of Serbia the place 1000’s have been killed and tens of 1000’s extra chased from their houses throughout a 1998-1999 battle between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian guerillas.
The double eagle image represents the Albanian flag and is considered as a logo of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a transfer that Serbia nonetheless refuses to recognise.
It’s why Xhaka’s gesture was so explosive.
Kosovan activist and journalist Zana Avdiu raged on Facebook: “Granit Xhaka’s act is a disgrace. An act of a street boy”.
She added on Albanian TV channel T7: “What does it say about our society when we celebrate such a gesture?”
The remainder of the panel — all males — tried to silence Avdiu by claiming she “doesn’t understand the emotions of a footballer” and even the gesture itself.
But Avdiu responded: “I’ll explain it to you: Granit Xhaka’s gesture symbolises a sexual assault.”
However, issues acquired heated when Xhaka’s dad Ragip joined the present on the cellphone.
Addressing Avdiu within the third individual solely, Xhaka Sr mentioned: “If she calls Granit Xhaka a street urchin, that’s a great shame!
“The woman who sits on this show and has no idea about sports, emotions, or Albanians.
“These people insult his mother, his wife and children, make a number of gestures, chant ‘Kill the Albanians!’, ‘Kosovo is Serbia!’ and she calls Granit one street boys.
“The Xhaka family has never surrendered and does not surrender. Granit’s gesture was neither political nor sexist.
“Granit is Granit. He didn’t make this gesture to offend anyone.
“I warn you again: you should be careful what you write about the Xhaka family.”
Avdiu replied: “What else happens?”
Xhaka fired again: “I’ll tell you later what happens. You will have to answer for yourself in every respect.
“But when the time comes, it will already be too late, I guarantee you that with my life. Because you don’t know the Xhaka family.”
Xhaka’s dad — who’s from Albania and moved to Switzerland earlier than sons Granit and Taulant have been born — additionally identified his son has campaigned for and supported Albanian girls who have been raped through the Kosovo War.
He added: “He is jeopardising his career and telling the world who raped our Albanian mothers, sisters and children — over 20,000 victims.”
Avdiu is reported to have obtained threats on social media since making the remark.
Xhaka, in the meantime, defended his conduct after the sport.
“It was a game where a lot of emotions were involved but in general the game was fair,” he mentioned.
“We wanted to focus on football and win the game and we did this. Now we’re in the round of 16 and we’re proud.”
Originally revealed as Dad rages at TV host after ‘disgraceful’ World Cup gesture
