Zdravko Mamić has been sentenced to 6.5 years in jail on corruption and tax evasion charges. He most notably has siphoned funds from the transfers of Luka Modrić and Dejan Lovren; keeping the cash for himself instead of reinvesting it back into Dinamo Zagreb.
Here’s the story in English: BBC
Here’s the story in Croatian: Dnevnik.hr (with live video)
The day before the verdict was read, Mamić left for Međugorje, which is in Bosnia & Herzegovina. It’s unknown how long he will stay there, but all at Dinamo Zagreb who have been accused of these crimes are expected to appeal.
Here are the burning questions:
Will this sentence change the face of Croatian soccer? Or will status quo remain?
How will the Croatian national side take this news? Especially former Dinamo Zagreb players.
Will the news motivate them at the World Cup in Russia?
Ok, I’ve read a couple of articles on this “Israeli” company wanting Argentina kicked out of the WC.
The conclusion I’ve come to is that they want Argentina kicked out for not doing “Israel’s” bidding, and also, because of religious discrimination, because Argentina is Catholic.
I hope Fifa kick “Israel” out of the European qualifying zone and put them in Asia, where they can play against Palestine in Jerusalem.
If “Israel” can’t play Palestine in Jerusalem then no other country should play against “Israel” in Jerusalem.
Did you guys know that Jerusalem means Vision of Peace?
@razbajic. i also love the idea of 352 for the samr reasons and LAknat has been saying the same for a while. cacic tried it in the friendly that began pjacas injury nightmare i forget against who, was it estonia? and if you wanted even more fire power you could go 343 like chelsea played last season, drop badelj from your line up and put rebic, pjaca or kalinic up there too. the problem is the players are not used to playing that way, so yo lose a little cohesion but it has to worth one more shot right? because if it works we have solved our 2 biggest problems. it also means we can put lovren, corluka and vida on the pitch together which is a great combination for a back 3 IMO
The other day we had @Poglavnik endorsing a Holiga article, an article that called Kramaric a “man of principles,” and I thought I’d ask a question,
Would you guys like Modric the perjurer (the man of no principles) to do well at the World Cup?
Ante K is Stimac, isn’t Stimac a corrupt guy as well?
Poglavnik, let me guess, you’re Dado Prso?
Sorry Eva Peron, but you’re cut.
Crnkovic, you’re my Ciro!
@Crnkovic
You’re Coach Crnkovic, well it’s out of you and A. Holiga to coach that team.
@Poglavnik
That seems to be a Yugo team to me.
I’ve taken the liberty to come up with the teams nickname as well!
DUŠMANI
not happy i’m not in the team poglavnik…
@iggy, i was thinking exactly the same thing. its not as if mamic coached the players…
^ ^
Unlike a Cacic, I’ll get ya in there! 😉
Poglavnik, I’m not even a sub?
It sounds like Dalic and assistants are trying to convince Perisic that it is important that a player like him play a bit deeper. I am sure he is not happy as they probe the possibility, but I am also sure that his total whiff on Rebic’s awesome cross vs Brazil didn’t help Perisic’s case about staying up high.
@Maminjo- your 3-5-2 is good except Dalic might start Rebic over Mandzukc or Kramaric.
…and AnteK’s position in Pog’s starting lineup is actually Corluka. Lovren rarely plays on the right for us.
what does ante b think about this mamic decision
LOLLL let’s hope the actual repka plays just a tad better than that team would 😉
Noooooo…
I’d say he’s more of a Stimac. 😉
Did you intentionally put Ante K as Lovren?
……………………..Poglavnik…………………..
…………..LAKnat……………Cico #50,000…
Ante BBB………….Ziva Istina……………….Iggy
Armada 87…….Denis…….Ante K…….Maminjo
………………………..Soul Champ……………………..
2 0 1 8 S A M P I O N E ! !
Let the bribery begin!:
http://www.goal.com/en-ke/news/kenyan-referee-aden-marwa-kicked-out-of-world-cup-after/17ovq8uxr1rxr12cidptxwcuaz
Talka ’bout killin’ two birds with one stone, ’cause 3-5-2 certainly does the trick!
1) It circumvents our thorny left back problem.
2) Adds some additional firepower up front, as scoring has been weak of late.
I sure as heck hope Dalic is experimenting with different line ups, ’cause we may have to change formations depending on the opponent or situation in the match.
It would be cool to see Dalic wipe the dust off the 3-5-2 and bring it back to life:
Subasic–Lovren, Corluka, Vida–Vrsajlko, Rakitic, Badelj, Modriç, Perisic–Kramaric, Mandzukic.
…………………mandzukic………………..
………..rebic……………….krama………..
Kovacic…………Modric…………..rakitic
Vida…..lovren………Corluka…..Vrsaljko
…………………Subasic………………………
Perisic doesn’t tickle my fancy anymore. He can sub in as well as pjaca and or Kalinic/badelj
Da!
No doubt that’s the best way to get our XI best on the pitch, just tbd if it’s our best XI.
Is this the 3-5-2 World Cup winning squad everyone wants to see on the field?
……………….Mandzo-Krama
…Perisic-Rakitic-Badelj-Modric-Vrsaljko
……………Vida-Lovren-Corluka
………………..Lovre Kalinic
3-5-2 is the only way we should play! Perisic must be a wing back along with Vrsaljko. 2 strikers. Kramaric and Rebic.
Lovren, Charlie, Vida 3 at the back. Croatia has never dominated with one striker. And we never will. We also don’t have it in us to sit back and bunker for 90 so lets go at our opponents with 2 STRIKERS!
I think Dalić REALLY wants to start all three of Vida, Lovren and Ćorluka… But probably doesn’t want any of them playing as fullbacks.
right. Should be interesting, prelimarily I like it.
Playing Strinic at 2-way LW wld prob be the default I guess. But honestly, then you lose someone else, which is likely Badelj. And 1. – the need for a true defensive midfielder increases dramatically with only 3 in the back line. and 2. – Badelj has looked very strong in this particular role for the repka. So I think you have multiple reasons to have Perisic at LW (benching Strinic/Pivaric and keeping Badelj in), with instructions to be a little more defensive-minded than usual.
right. Should be interesting, prelimarily I like it.
Playing Strinic at 2-way LW wld prob be the default I guess. But honestly, then you lose someone else, which is likely Badelj. And 1. – the need for a true defensive midfielder increases dramatically with only 3 in the back line. and 2. – Badelj has looked very strong in this particular role for the repka. So I think you have multiple reasons to have Perisic at LW (benching Strinic/Pivaric and keeping Badelj in), with instructions to him to be a little more defensive-minded than usual.
Guys my 2 year rant about us needing to play Perisic on the left as an LB or Wingback might come to fruition. If we don’t do this, we leave Russia early, BZ guaranteed! While I prefer Perisic at LB in our traditional 4-2-1-2-1, Dalic is at least flirting with the idea of ditching Strinic and Pivaric.
As per chi1’s link (translated for the puposes of this site):
In this system 3-5-2 Rakitić, Modric and Badelj would still be confident in the heart of the tie line, while Mandzukic, Kramaric, Rebic and Perisic would fight for the first two in the first 11. With the possibility that Perisic plays on the left side instead of Strinic.
Cro seen practicing w a 3-5-2 yesterday for the 1st time.
https://m.vecernji.hr/sport/dalic-za-sp-priprema-iznena-enje-napravit-ce-ono-sto-i-ciro-1250420
There are no crooks in Croatian football worse than Mamic. All the others had to get approval from him to conduct their smaller operations.
His influence extended beyond football into other businesses throughout the former Yugoslavia.
As much as was known is a greater unknown that will start to come out.
Nigeria gets to play 3-5-2!
Best player Moses thrives at Chelsea in the system.
http://twitter.com/EddyDove/status/1004730018365353984
What is the best system for Modrić … our best player?
4-3-3
3-5-2
4-4-1-1
Point is we need to create chances and score goals.
We have enough attacking talent to create offense.
Dalić … any ideas?
We need Grgur Ninski imagination!
On the eve of the World Cup, Mamic gettin’ sent to the slammer for 6,5 years couldn’t have come at better time!
Hopefully, this placates scores of disgruntled fans–and there won’t be any flame throwing incidents.
@ Ante: to answer your question, yes there will be a change. Now while there will always be some sorta corruption–it won’t be on the scale of Mamic! Who was siphoning off millions from Dinamo, treating players like cattle, his tentacles reaching into HNS–basically creating an overall corrosive environment and negative atmosphere surrounding the repka.
This sends a message to would be thieves in Croatian football, as now they will be going to jail–where as in the past they could just get away with it.
Also, with Mamic and his cronies outta the picture, this could be the catalyst which takes Croatian football–as a whole–to another level, as it’s no longer bogged down by massive corruption.
Furthermore, I think the repka players deep down are happy, as it will help create a positive atomsphere surrounding the team.
Btw, any of you guys watch the Stimac / Boksic interview where Boksic says Hajduk has been corrupt since he was there and nothing has changed on that matter since he’s left?
http://www.vecernji.hr/amp/sport/boksic-progovorio-o-reprezentaciji-i-sukeru-divim-se-sto-vatreni-jos-zele-igrati-za-hrvatsku-1250013
It’s the same everywhere but everyone focuses on Dinamo because at least they were good at what they were doing. Hajduk are just as corrupt but suck at it.
So, I assume that Igor Stimac, Damir Stimac, and Fredi Fiorentini will be receiving similar sentences for their role in the transfer of Dario Srna and Stipe Pletikosa for 7 million dollars…yet Hajduk only saw 2 million transferred to its account?
Or the sale of Igor Musa for 300K that, according to Fiorentini, was never paid to Hajduk by FC Xeres (but the FIFA investigation proved that it was and it was just the Hajduk executives telling everyone that it wasn’t).
And when Musa’s manager Dino Pokrovac was later killed, suddenly nobody knows anything.
Mamic got what he deserved, but you are all delusional if you think this will change anything. This was a borderline witch hunt, in a country that still needs a boogeyman for everything. There are tons of crooks in Cro football (worse than Mamic, who have actually killed people) and it’s a shame that these murderers will fly under the radar because the public focused all their effort on the loudest thug (Mamic).
wow just realized I’m working the 16th time to quit
@Ante K
“But unless you actually talk to these guys, their play on the field will not dictate any sense or lack of motivation.”
Well, you asked the question, “Will the news motivate them at the World Cup in Russia?”
In my opinion actions speak louder than words, and it was their actions against Ukraine that prompted you to ask “was Cacic to blame all along” for some of those poor performances in qualifying, where previously you tried to link their poor performances to Mamic, I assume without talking to the players?
Anyway, the World Cup should be motivation enough for any player.
for transforming dinamo into squads of overpaid brazilian ball kicking janitors over the years, and other things said and done, I hope mamic gets fkd daily up his ass with a plastic spoon or other utensils, he’s already dam lucky he didn’t get his melon blown of his pointless carcass, fkng pointless opfer.
Did you hear the latest? Trump is going to pardon Mamic, but jail Lovren and Modric for standing at attention for the wrong anthem and he’s gonna bomb Croatia for what we did during the war of 1812.
That was the point Iggy. No changes on any fronts, despite the boogey man/wicked witch being gone
The Croatian talent will still be there, just won’t be exploited in the same way. It’s not like Mamic personally trained Modric how to play or something, lol.
And Sammir hasn’t been on the team for about 4 years so no change there.
https://www.facebook.com/ChatHrvatskaUSrcu/posts/1680077965445922
Despite all the shady shit that hes pulled over the years, you cant argue that Dinamo has been a pipeline of talent across Europe and for the National team as well. In order for the bullshit and corruption to stop, yes, this guy needs to be jailed, and probably for longer than 6 years. The big question is, does the talent that flows from the Dinamo system also disappear?
Thank goodness. Now, FINALLY… Hajduk can actually win, and the conspiracy theorists among Hajduk supporters can stop complaining.
AND… Dinamo fans can finally stop complaining and be satisfied for once… and Dinamo can win a championship or two, maybe even the Champion’s League itself.
We can also finally get that darned Sammir off of our national team
I think some Dinamo players could feel relief as justice has been brought down. But unless you actually talk to these guys, their play on the field will not dictate any sense or lack of motivation.
That Medugorje part is hilarious.
Mamic gonna Mamic I guess 😀
Will the news of Mamic’s sentence motivate the players at the world cup?
I know @Ante K’s answer would be, “no, it will serve as no motivation to the players at the world cup.”
But what do the rest of you guys think?