Arsenal star Shkodran Mustafi will NOT face any action for ‘Albanian Eagle’ goal celebration against Cardiff
The defender opened the scoring for the Gunners with a brilliant header but has escaped punishment for the controversial celebration
SHKODRAN MUSTAFI will not be punished for his 'Albanian Eagle' goal celebration in the win over Cardiff.
The Arsenal defender made the gesture after opening the scoring with a brilliant header in South Wales.
But The FA will not be taking any action against Mustafi who scored his first goal of the season.
The German headed home Granit Xhaka's corner after just 11 minutes in the 3-2 win at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Mustafi, who signed for the Gunners from Valencia in 2016 for £34.85million, celebrated by crossing his open hands across each other and flapping his fingers like the wings of an eagle.
He was born in Germany to an Albanian family from Macedonia and he made the gesture towards Xhaka at Cardiff.
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Despite being pegged back twice, Arsenal eventually sealed the win with Alexandre Lacazette's powerful finish ten minutes from time.
Club team-mate Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri used the gesture during the World Cup when they scored for Switzerland against Serbia. The pair were both fined by Fifa as a result.
It is a reference to the double-headed eagle which is on Albania's national flag and is linked to a support of Kosovo.
Why is the 'Albanian Eagle' controversial?
- Players with links to Albanian heritage often celebrate with their hands across their chest with their fingers open and flapping like a bird
- This celebration represents the double-headed eagle on the national flag of Albania
- The symbol shows support of Kosovo, a former Serbian province which declared independence in 2008
- But Serbia do not recognise Kosovo's independence and relations remain tense
- Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri both celebrated with the gesture in Switzerland's World Cup win over Serbia
- The pair were each fined £7,630 by Fifa as a result, with the governing body dubbing the move "unsportsmanlike conduct" but escaped a ban for "provactive gestures"
- Shkodran Mustafi was born in Germany to an Albanian family in Macedonia and he made the gesture towards Xhaka after scoring at Cardiff
Shaqiri's 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.