Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and wife Leonita risk furious backlash as they share Albanian Eagle gesture over dinner – here's what it means
Xhaka, along with Xherdan Shaqiri and Shkodran Mustafi, have been embroiled in controversy over the use of the gesture
Posted Friday, November 30, 2018 by Thesun.co.uk
ARSENAL star Granit Xhaka and wife Leonita face a public backlash after they showed off the Albanian Eagle gesture over a romantic dinner.
Xhaka was out for the evening with his other half when he shared an image of the pair combining hands to show off the signal.
Granit Xhaka and wife Leonita showed off an Albanian Eagle at dinner
The Switzerland international, along with Xherdan Shaqiri and Shkodran Mustafi, have been embroiled in controversy over the use of the gesture recently.
Xhaka and Shaqiri both used the Albanian Eagle as a celebration at the World Cup, while Mustafi showcased it after scoring for Arsenal this season.
The gesture is a nationalist symbol, which represents the double-headed eagle on Albania's national flag.
Before Serbia and Sweden played each other in the World Cup, commentators noted tension between the players.
Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri showed off the celebration at the World Cup
Shaqiri, born in Kosovo, wears the Swiss flag on one football boot, and the Kosovan flag on the other.
His family fled to Switzerland as refugees when the Serbian government launched a crackdown on Albanian citizens.
Xhaka's family is also from Kosovo. His dad spent almost four years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia for supporting Kosovan independence.
While Serbia called for the pair to be punished, Albanian leaders applauded Xhaka and Shaqiri, who were booed throughout the match.
Serbia do not recognise Kosovo's independence and relations remain tense with many families choosing to move to other European counties including Switzerland.
German-Albanian defender Mustafi repeated the celebration in solidarity with the players during Arsenal's win at Cardiff in September.
Now Xhaka and wife Leonita are risking facing even more criticism after their dinner antics.
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