During a training session ahead of a round of 16 match against Switzerland, Swedish defender Pontus Jansson flashed a provocative gesture with political overtones that previously sparked a controversy during the FIFA 2018 World Cup, the tabloid daily newspaper Expressen reported.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed in Switzerland, where several national players were previously fined for the same gesture, perceived as showing allegiance with Albania. Swiss journalist Andreas Böni argued that the Swedish national team was picking a fight ahead of Tuesday's match.
"The Swedes begin the psych war!" Böni tweeted, posting an image which caught the Swedish defender red-handed.
Die Schweden beginnen den Psycho-Krieg! Pontus Jansson macht im Training den Doppeladler…#SWESUI #WorldCupRussia2018 pic.twitter.com/SFLum09aIJ
— Andreas Böni (@AndreasBoeni) 2 июля 2018 г.
Florian Künzi of Swiss broadcaster Telebasel criticized Jansson's actions.
"Maybe he wants to show solidarity with the players who were punished. But, above all, I think he wants to show he is ready to fly home tomorrow," Künzi said.
READ MORE: Kosovo-Born Shaqiri Denies Political Message in His Gestures Towards Serbia Team
"He showed the same kind of humor children do in a playground. For Swiss children, the eagle gesture is just poking fun," Sven Schoch of Die Stortinformation Si AG said.
Shortly after the training, Pontus Jansson himself uploaded an image on Instagram explaining his gesture. He argued that he had never meant to provoke.
"About my eagle today, had nothing to do with Switzerland or something politic, just a thing I have done since I was young for my Albanian friends," Jansson wrote.
When Switzerland met Serbia in Group D's second round, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, both of Kosovo Albanian origin, scored a goal each and celebrated by shaping their hands like the eagle that adorns the Albanian flag.
Wow #Xhaka and #Shaqiri both doing the Albanian Double Eagle celebration against Serbia! Real G’s right there! #WorldCup #SERSWI 🇷🇸 🇨🇭 🇦🇱 pic.twitter.com/a0DuQG1ixh
— JLM (@JamesLawsonMiln) June 22, 2018
While a ban for two matches was considered, Xhaka and Shaqiri ended up each being slapped with a $10,000 fine.
"If he loves Kosovo that much that he shows off its flag, why did he refuse to playing for its national team?" Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic said after the match.
Team Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner, who will miss the match against Sweden, argued that the Swiss team has several players of Kosovo Albanian origin. He called their celebration "perfectly normal" and "part of their lives."
Kosovo, which is considered the cradle of the Serbian nation, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after enjoying broad autonomy in the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia between 1974 and 1989. Today, Albanian-dominated Kosovo is recognized by 117 states, including Sweden — but not Serbia.
