Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said yesterday he was worried about the impact of the false testimony charges against captain Luka Modric on his performance less than four months before the World Cup. Croatian prosecutors charged the Real Madrid midfielder last week with giving false evidence during the multi-million-euro corruption trial of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic in Croatia.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail. “I cannot interfere in what is going on but it certainly worries me,” Dalic told reporters when asked whether he feared the charges could affect Modric’s performance.
“But knowing Luka and his character... I believe that he will stoically endure all this. “For me it is more important that he recovers from his current injury and that he plays,” Dalic said. He was speaking as he presented a 29-strong list of players for friendlies with Peru and Mexico to be played in the United States this month as part of preparations for the World Cup.
Modric’s indictment has yet to be approved by a court and the 32-year-old is currently not threatened with arrest. Mamic is accused, along with three other people, of abuse of power and graft that cost Dinamo, the former Croatian champions, more than 15mn euros ($18.4mn), and the state 1.5mn euros. Cash was allegedly embezzled through fictitious deals related to player transfers. Modric testified last June over the details of his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. From there he joined Real Madrid in 2012.
Modric has shaken off a thigh injury and travelled with the Madrid squad to France for Tuesday’s second-leg last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain. He is considered the biggest star Croatia have had since 1998, when they surprised the football world by reaching the World Cup semi-finals before losing to eventual winners France. Croatia play in the World Cup Group D along with Argentina, Iceland and Nigeria.
Fans burn car, shoot house of struggling club president
Fans of Argentine football side Almirante Brown, angry at a string of poor performances that left them bottom of the third tier, shot at the club president’s house over the weekend, local police said yesterday.
Supporters attacked Antonio Argento’s home and burnt a car in his drive on Sunday morning, shortly after a 2-1 defeat by San Miguel, their fourth loss in a row, Argento said. The result left the club five points adrift at the bottom of the Primera B Metropolitana standings.
Football-related violence has spiralled in Argentina in recent years with threats and physical violence against players and officials now commonplace.
Man City defender Mendy returns to training
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has stepped up his recovery from a long-term knee injury by returning to training with the Premier League leaders. City released photographs of the France left-back participating in a session with his teammates yesterday.
Mendy, 23, who has been out of action since suffering knee ligament damage and undergoing surgery in September, last week suggested he was close to a return. Pep Guardiola’s City have an enormous lead in the Premier League and are all but guaranteed a Champions League quarter-final slot after a 4-0 win against Basel in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
FA chief sorry for ‘offensive’ Star of David comment
English Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn apologised yesterday for “offensive” comments he made comparing the Jewish Star of David with symbols such as the Nazi swastika.
Glenn’s remarks, criticised by a leading member of Britain’s Jewish community, came as he tried to justify the FA’s decision to charge Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders.
Guardiola yesterday accepted the charge that he has breached FA regulations that ban the wearing of political symbols and following his admission of the charge, a hearing has been requested, with a date still to be set.
The FA has faced accusations of hypocrisy, given their prolonged campaign to persuade world football chiefs to allow players to display a poppy on their shirt to mark Armistice Day.
But Glenn, speaking following a meeting of the IFAB (International Football Association Board), football’s global law-making body, in Zurich, rejected the comparison.
Marseille draw with Nantes
Olympique Marseille snatched an equaliser five minutes into stoppage-time to draw 1-1 at home to Nantes in Ligue 1 on Sunday and avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions. Florian Thauvin bundled the ball into the net in a goalmouth melee following a corner after Nantes had taken the lead early in the first half through Leo Dubois, who beat Steve Mandanda with a right-foot shot from Valentin Rongier’s cut-back.
Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois was sent off after a second booking for dissent immediately after the equaliser for protesting that he had been fouled by Marseille’s Luis Gustavo. Marseille, who enjoyed more possession but squandered a string of chances, notably three by France international Dimitri Payet, remained third in the standings on 56 points from 28 matches. They are four points behind second-placed Monaco and 18 adrift of leaders Paris St Germain, who won 2-0 at Troyes on Saturday. Fourth-placed Olympique Lyonnais were also held to a 1-1 draw at Montpellier and remained five points behind Marseille.
Luka Modric
