Xherdan Shaqiri Omitted From Liverpool’s Squad To Face Red Star Belgrade

Xherdan Shaqiri has not made the trip to Serbia for Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Red Star Belgrade as Jurgen Klopp is keen to avoid off-the-pitch distractions.

Shaqiri would have been given an extremely hostile reception in Belgrade after the Kosovo-born player celebrated a goal scored for Switzerland against Serbia at the World Cup with a gesture imitating a double-headed eagle, the Albanian national symbol.

Shaqiri also wore the image of a Kosovo flag on his boot.

Kosovo is a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008, although Serbia does not recognise this.

“It’s a situation where we will go to the fantastic city of Belgrade as a football team to play football, Klopp told Liverpool’s website. “We have heard and read the speculation and talk about what kind of reception Shaq would receive and although we have no idea what would happen, we want to go there and be focused 100 percent on football and not have to think about anything else, that’s all.

“We are Liverpool FC, a big club, a football team but we don’t have any message further than that. We have no political message, absolutely not. We want the focus to be on a great game of football, free from anything else.

“We are keen to be respectful and keen to avoid any distractions that would take focus away from a 90-minute-plus contest that is important for football and only football. So for that reason, Shaq is not involved and he accepts and understands this. Shaq is our player, we love him, and he will play for us a lot of times, but not on Tuesday.

“I have heard so many wonderful things about the city of Belgrade, and the country of Serbia as a whole, from friends and colleagues who’ve visited before, so now I’m really looking forward to taking Liverpool there for a great game of Champions League football.”