Granit Xhaka has found himself at the centre of another controversy involving Serbia after donning a shirt with 'Jashari' on the back following Switzerland's 3-2 win in Doha.
Xhaka produced a man-of-the-match display on Friday as the Swiss hit back from 2-1 down to secure second place in Group G and advance to a last-16 clash with Portugal on Tuesday.
But his actions after the final whistle could attract the attention of FIFA.
In the post-match celebrations, Xhaka put on a shirt carrying the name 'Jashari'. Asked afterwards what it meant, the Arsenal midfielder claimed it was for Switzerland squad member Ardon Jashari.
However, the name carries significance in other ways with Adem Jashari a late founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a Kosovo Albanian separatist group that fought for independence from the former Yugoslavia.
Xhaka is of ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but has not been recognised by Serbia.
Asked about the shirt afterwards, Xhaka said: "There's no political background to it whatsoever.
"Ardon is part of our squad and we spend a lot of time together. I told him if we won I would wear his shirt."
Xhaka was a key figure throughout a feisty encounter. He also prompted a second-half melee that saw the Serbia bench encroach onto the pitch after making a crude gesture, thought to be in the direction of substitute goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, whose personal life has been the subject of speculation this week.
It is not the first time Xhaka has been embroiled in controversy against Serbia. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he and Xherdan Shaqiri were fined after crossing their hands to mimic the eagle displayed on the Albanian flag in Switzerland's 2-1 win.
Switzerland boss Murat Yakin said he will "wait and see" if action is taken against Xhaka.
"We will enjoy this moment, it cost us a lot of emotions and energy. It was a fair match," he said.
"We are happy we are moving on. Everything else is speculation and we will wait and see."
On the incident involving Rajkovic, Yakin added: "What I saw was a Granit Xhaka who was focused fully on football and performed very well.
"I saw the players from Serbia crossing the line, and others trying to calm them down. It was a normal exchange."
Australian Associated Press
