Football World Cup 2018 World Cup 2018 Xhaka apologises for eagle celebration after prickly Shaqiri stirs things Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka landed in hot water for their eagle celebrations at the World Cup, but the latter has now apologised. Ryan Benson 06 September, 2018 00:24 IST Granit Xhaka celebrates against Serbia - Getty Images Ryan Benson 06 September, 2018 00:24 IST Granit Xhaka has apologised for celebrating a World Cup goal against Serbia by imitating the two-headed eagle on Albania's flag, but Xherdan Shaqiri's remorse for similar actions appeared less genuine.Switzerland beat Serbia 2-1 in its second Group E match in Russia, with Xhaka scoring their first and Shaqiri sealing a late win in dramatic circumstances.The build-up to the match had been dominated by talk of the pair's Kosovan heritage, particularly given Shaqiri was born in the partially recognised nation.READ: Germany a role model, not racist – Kroos rejects Ozil claims againXhaka's ties to Kosovo relate to his Albanian father, who was once a political prisoner in the former Yugoslavia, and both players were the targets of jeers from Serbia fans during that match in Kaliningrad.The fact Shaqiri's right boot had a Kosovo flag on its heel was merely a sidenote by the time he and Xhaka had performed their celebrations during the encounter, and it has taken over two months for an apology."I'm sorry for what happened and I would be stupid if I said I'd do it again. It will never happen again," Xhaka said in a news conference on Wednesday.ALSO READ: Dominant India beats Sri Lanka 2-0 in SAFF Championship opener"I have only one passport, the Swiss one, and I wear the red-coloured jersey of Switzerland proudly. I will be eternally grateful to [coach, Vladimir] Petkovic for supporting me before the match against Serbia. You cannot imagine how I felt before the enormity of insults and hatred of which I had become the object of."Shaqiri, however, was less repentant than his Premier League colleague, with some suggesting the Liverpool winger has only made things worse for himself by the phrasing of his apology.He said: "Sure, I apologise if people felt attacked in Switzerland. Somewhere, I don't know, maybe in the mountains, where someone watched the game and it bothered him, I would certainly apologise." Subscribe to our daily newsletter Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox! SUBSCRIBE Please enter a valid email address.
Soccer Football Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup 2018 World Cup 2018 world cup Switzerland Xherdan Shaqiri Granit Xhaka