By
Akeem Lawal
WITH
just few days to their opening match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Croatia camp in being distracted with the news
that Captain Luka Modric is facing the prospect of jail term while center back Dejan
Lovren could be charged over corruption scandal that has taken down Zdravko
Mamic – the most powerful figure in Croatian football, Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com reports.
On Wednesday, a
Croatian court sentenced the former boss of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic to
six-and-a-half years in prison for tax evasion and siphoning off profits from
player transfers, allegedly including that of Luka Modric to Tottenham Hotspur,
Dejan Lovren to Lyon and Mateo Kovacic to Inter.
Along with Mamic, his
brother Zoran, former coach of the first team, was sentenced to four years and
11 months while Damir Vrbanovic, a senior official in the Croatian Federation,
got three years; and tax officer Milan Pernar four years and two months.
A provincial court in
Osijek ruled that the three were guilty of causing losses of €15 million euros
to Dinamo and evading €1.5 million in taxes.
They had been also
charged, among other crimes, for illegal transfers of money abroad through
companies in tax havens, related to transfer operations of several players.
Modric now charged
with perjury having made false statements during the trial, when he was
questioned about his 2008 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. If found guilty the
Real Madrid midfielder could be facing six months to five years in jail.
Lovren, who faced Modric in the Champions League final with Liverpool in Kiev
last month, is being investigated for giving a false testimony as well and is
expected to be charged.
Both Modric and Lovren
refused to comment, but one can only imagine what this means for the mood in
the squad heading to Russia, where they are in Group D that includes Nigeria, Argentina,
and Iceland.
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