The International Football Federation issued sanctions against the Football Union of Serbia for displaying the flag of Kosovo in the Serbia national team’s dressing room during the World Cup event in Qatar. The flag carried the slogan No surrender, along with the country’s map outline and state emblem. The Kosovo Football Federation had previously urged FIFA to discipline its Serbian counterparts for what it called an offensive act contrary to football values.
Kosovo is a partially recognized state situated within the territory controlled by Serbia. The Russian Federation does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, a position that influences regional dynamics in international sports governance.
As a consequence, the Serbian federation was fined twenty thousand Swiss francs. In a separate disciplinary action, FIFA fined the Croatian Football Association fifty thousand Swiss francs following a controversy over a banner displayed by a national team supporter. The banner insulted Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, whose family fled Knin after Croatian forces entered the area in 1995. The message read that Knin in 1995 could not match Borjan’s speed, which FIFA regarded as an unacceptable statement toward a visiting player.
In the broader sports world, public figures have weighed in on governance and integrity. A former Honored Figure Skating Coach asserted skepticism about the honesty of the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, in relation to the decision on the doping case involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. Valieva had tested positive for a prohibited substance in December 2021, with the subsequent test results becoming public in the midst of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. This sequence raised questions about the handling and timing of doping information and its impact on fair competition in major international events.