Diogo will not dally for Jose
But general director Zvezdan Terzic believes the Switzerland international, born in the former Yugoslavia to Kosovan-Albanian parents, will be under “unbelievable psychological pressure” because of his background.
Shaqiri courted controversy during the World Cup when he celebrated a last-minute winner against Serbia with an ‘Albanian Eagle’ gesture.
He and Swiss team-mates Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner were all fined for unsporting behaviour for making the gesture, which symbolises the Albanian flag.
“Personally, I can’t imagine that an Albanian will play for Red Star,” said Terzic. “Red Star is a Serbian club, Partizan (Belgrade) was Yugoslav.
“Shaqiri will be under unbelievable psychological pressure because he will know where he is coming; he knows that the Red Star is a symbol of Serbia and playing in our stadium, the Marakana, I don’t know if he will play.
“Of course, as a soccer club, we treat our rivals equally, and we do not have to deal with the past and the history.
“Red Star must do everything to make Shaqiri feel he came to play football and it is our duty to protect him in the case of unwanted situations. Let us be good hosts.”
Shaqiri was born in the former Yugoslav city of Gjilan, now part of Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population ended with NATO military intervention in 1999.
Kosovo, with a mainly Albanian population, declared independence in 2008 but Serbia refuses to recognise it as a state and it has led to tense relations between the two countries.
Striker Divock Origi has been named in Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
The Belgium international, who was also named in their Premier League squad despite making his last appearance for the club over a year ago due to a loan spell at Wolfsburg, has not made a match-day squad
SPORT IN BRIEF
DIOGO DALOT is ready to start repaying Jose Mourinho’s faith in him.
Dalot has finally recovered from the knee injury suffered before he joined Manchester United in a £19million deal in June. The 19-year-old Portuguese, hailed as “the best young full-back in Europe” by Mourinho when he signed, hopes to make his United debut after the international break. And he is keen to start paying Mourinho back for buying him when he had made only a handful of appearances for Porto.
“If the manager thinks I’m ready and he wants me to play, I will play for sure,” said Dalot. “I’m going to prepare myself for that and as soon as he wants me I’ll be ready. “His history talks for itself. He’s a great manager, one of the greatest. He believes in me, that’s the most important thing. I’m hoping to repay that and give him what he wants from me. The communication helps, too.”
Dalot last played a senior game in March but came through 78 minutes for United’s U23s in their win over Stoke on Friday in front of Mourinho.