FIFA stick to stance with action over 'hateful' Serbia flag ahead of clash

World football's governing body FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against the Serbian FA after a flag which showed Kosovo as still part of the nation was allegedly hung in their dressing room during the World Cup.

A map of Kosovo with the Serbian flag imposed over it with the slogan "Nema Predaje" - 'no surrender' - was draped over the lockers of players Milos Veljkovic and Andrija Zivkovi ahead of the nation's 2-0 defeat against Brazil in their World Cup opener on Thursday.

Two goals from Tottenham forward Richarlison - including an eye-catching bicycle kick - ensured Tite's Brazil got their campaign off to a winning start despite an admirable performance from Serbia, although their tournament is threatening to be overshadowed by the off-field incident.

Kosovo's FA formally complained to FIFA and its sports minister, Hajrulla Ceku, described the image which was widely circulated on social media as using the World Cup to promote "hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages."

FIFA have now opened disciplinary proceedings over the alleged flag and have cited a section of its disciplinary code that covers misconduct including "offensive gestures, signs or language" and "using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature."

The issue of Kosovo's independence from Serbia sparked a 1998-99 war in which at least 13,000 people died. Serbia launched a crackdown on a separatist rebellion by the area's ethnic Albanian population, which led to NATO bombing Serbia in 1999 to bring a conclusion to the war.

Kosovo unilaterally broke away from Serbia in 2008 but the Serbian government has refused to acknowledge the existence of Kosovo as a separate state - a stance backed by China and Russia. NATO members, including the UK and United States, recognise Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo was made a member of FIFA and UEFA in 2016, ensuring that the nation are represented in the qualification stages for the World Cup and European Championships, while its club sides are also included in the qualification stages for European competitions.

However, due to the sensitivity of the nation's geopolitics, the Kosovan national team are not allowed to be drawn together with either Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina in qualification stages of international tournaments.

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