We can all relax now. Croatia is in. The Vatreni will be in France. Exhale. (Breath in and rinse and repeat if needed.)
Croatia needed a bit of help on the last day but all that matters is that they have qualified for Euro 2016. And for those of you requiring change at the top of the HNS to once again enjoy watching and supporting the team, I tell you this.
Change at the top may never happen. Not in our lifetime. But the beautiful game is not for them, it’s for us. And for Croatia not to be at a major tournament. Well, it would suck.
Not for them. But for us.
One of my favorite things to do in life is to put on my jersey on game day, rally the troops and get together to watch Croatia play. And that will happen again next summer.
And those days are not for Mamic or Suker or the shady business men at FIFA, they are for us, the fans.
So on this night I tip my hat off to the fans, who always stick by their teams no matter what. But specifically those teams that have never been to the big dance before.
So congratulations to the fans of Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Albania, who will all be able to experience the big tournament life like Croatian fans have grown accustomed too.
(The following Key & Peele skit could have gone either way with Croatians, Bosnians, or Montenegrins, but they went with Albania and Macedonia instead.)
Enjoy the Euro 2016 berth Croatia fans. Now go have mama make you some čevape and have a good night.
God, how many times do I have to hear about that damn Back to the Future prediction.
They also predicted flying cars boys.
@Jurgen
And they predicted that they would win it over Miami (which didn’t have a team back in ’85, but now they do).
They were wrong about the World Series matchup, but they at least predicted that Miami would have a team too.
Samo naprid.
Back to the Future 2 predicted the Chicago Cubs would win the 2015 Word Series.
Well said, Ivan !
Ivan Perišić: “Dok sam bio dijete i gledao Šukera, Bobana i Bokšića, imao sam svoj san. Igrati za Hrvatsku. Taj san se ispunio. Sad mi netko dođe i poziva na bojkot?! Ne znam kako se bilo tko usuđuje tražiti tako nešto?”
I talk with Cacic, I tell Cacic to put in squad Ante Coric for Euro 16. I want to see Coric, my friend Luka Modric and Halilovic, dis can be for us like Iniesta, Xavi and Messi. We will be bringing how de Spanish say tikki takka football to the Euro 16. I tell first here because you my Croatian people!!!
For me, of course, all about de players, the person sitting in stand watch the players, if no players you can’t sit in stand because who you watch if no players. The people boycotting like to watch me not the players. But I welcome Ante B to game, he is not on my list!
You’re right Bobby!
Laku noc!
Frowned upon?
Hey i live in aus – i don’t even get the luxury of clicking a remote ! Have to put up with shitty quality firstrow streams since that’s the only option but what ya gonna do
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@ Slavonac – It is sad. Don’t get caught up in the “greatest Croat” competition on this site.
Everybody background and experiences are different – not better – than others.
Alen Halilovic was named player of the month for Sporting Gijon.
U-17 World Cup starts tomorrow. Croatia is in a group with Chile, Nigeria, and USA.
http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/groups/index.html
Only on this site is it frowned upon when you actually go to games and your passion isn’t limited to the click of a mouse, a remote and writing novels on playing days from 35 years ago and then bringing up the issue of relevancy. E moj narode…
It’s only here, on this site where you’ll get someone claiming a person is relevant to knowing the game because they fly across the Atlantic and attend them once a year. Apparently playing it for over 35 years makes no difference, as long as your sitting in the stands you’re good to go!
Notice how not one person agrees with that Lovro?!?! Notice how you’ll never once see anyone make that kind of comment anywhere except from someone that’s desperately trying to keep himself relevant?
Its not even funny, it’s actually sad!
Oh, so now we are going to award fans “caps” too, just like the players. – only in Croatia.
Awesome.
Fuck, anybody else think of more ways we can divide ourselves?
Remember, according to Ante B you cannot be a fan unless you are physically in the stadium for the match. Additionally, the level of your support is determined by corresponding it to how many matches you have physically attended, ie, if you have attended three matches but someone else four, then that person is a more loyal supporter than you (and veliki Hrvat to boot!)
Keep this in mind for future reference as it will save time !
😉
Well played Ante B, good choice.
Then TV passion only it is! Congratulations. Golf clap.
@Vatrena Cast
“Understanding both sides is better than irresponsibly assuming the other. You need to stop thinking about it as black and white when it’s not that.”
Seems like it’s the hooligans, their supporters and negative thinking, self-hating Hrvati that are boycotting.
Awesome!
Thanks, don’t come back. Will be easier to get tickets to France and more likely you’ll be surrounded by positive supporters as well.
I can understand, given the predicament, why some people might want to boycott.
But what really roasts my potatoes is when boycotters are indifferent to or praising of the violent thugs that are ruiniing our reputation, prospects and have no chance of making an iota of difference with their violent tactics.
But at least mere boycotts won’t actually _damage_ us the way some of the scum currently clealry have set out to do
@ Slavonac
We are all TALENT with dysfunctional sports infrastructure.
Other countries are progressing and we are regressing.
To compete at the elite level you need infrastructure.
There are prohibited laws in Croatia against creating non-profits. In the US we have many non-profit organizations that bring support to youth sports (not ideal but at least something).
Most sport clubs are either run by općina or private enterprise.
I personally would start a private non-profit character building sports program. But I could not receive tax breaks or be able to give tax write offs to donors or sponsors.
Private enterprise in Croatia is too tax prohibitive.
Government is broke to support world class developmental programs.
It is actually a miracle that we are good in any sport.
I’ll be turning on the TV!
The problem is with you, you’ve got no belief in the decision you’ve made, you’re doubting yourself, you’re not sure or maybe you just don’t know. Have you responsibly made your decision?
Don’t pervert my decision with your erroneous beliefs. Understanding both sides is better than irresponsibly assuming the other. You need to stop thinking about it as black and white when it’s not that.
Again I ask. Will you go to the stadium or is your passion simply limited to turning on the TV or streaming the feed?
Cekic,
Are you going to go to the stadium to support them?
Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance.
– Gilbert Keith Chesterton
I like reading
Ante B you’re not boycotting, remember that. Stop trying to be impartial.
Like Perisic said, “we have one more match at home without fans, we will endure that, but then I hope the real fans will support us.”
Boycotters care about who’s running the HNS, that’s the reason they’re boycotting isn’t it?
andro8 with the solid comment!
Dis is funny for you Iggy but not for me, I come on dis site and always see talking bout me! You know once I was BBB now BBB no like me, why? what I done wrong, I give 10 champion in a row. I also had talent for football but I have degenerative knee problem. My brother Zoran play for Bochum but when we was young I was better den him.
I must admit i always have a chuckle when i see ol’ Zdravko or Davor et al posting here. Heheh, don’t get rid of anon posting for that reason alone – it really is quite funny
🙂
Hamburg will regret not buying Halilovic for 10mil. Still disappointed that Perisic left Wolfsburg because Hamburg is shit. I might give Monchengladbach a chance, they seem to have found some form!
samo naprid
Why you talk always bout me! I innocent until you can prove guilty. All you people talking like you want kengeroo court, det is is fuken stupit!!
BTW not saying fans can’t continue to watch the game but they should also have the right to boycott without questioning their loyalty. Either side of the fence – I’m sure most Croatian fans care about the game and country than those running the HNS.
whats the state of handball, volleyball, waterpolo, basketball like in Croatia over these past several years. every time I see waterpolo, handball or some other sport headline, it seems like Croatia has been dropping and losing their presence in the world.
not only that, sude mi attached an article regarding Medvescak the other day…players weren’t getting paid.
Boban is glad Albania knocked out the Serbs:)
http://www.portaloko.hr/clanak/boban-svojom-navodnom-izjavom-uzburkao-duhove-u-srbiji/0/79440/
We MADE it guys !!! Enjoy it ! Celebrate !
Why it’s so hard to remove this megalomaniac Mamic from Croatian soccer? This article might help:
http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/360461/Otkud-toliko-HDZ-ovaca-u-nogometnoj-vladi.html
Sport and politics should never be on the same page and HDZ are little more than a politically enfranchised mafia. Don’t kid yourself much the same is going on in other institutions of Croatia. Boban may just be onto something when he basically said don’t vote HDZ and he has more of an inside view. Croatia needs a new centre right party as it’s going to take awhile to clean up this mess.
Football should be a form of entertainment but that’s been stolen from Croatian fans as what goes on off the field is having a negative impact on the field. And the players themselves have been cheated out of a competent administration of their sport.
@Ante B.
No need for me to give a forensic anaysis. Slavonac did that and I agreed with his comment. You might not like what he said, so be it.
^^^^^^^^^
no shit sherlock
So, while you midgets are frying small fish with this Mamic shit that nobody outside of Croatia knows or cares about, this is going down.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-fc-yahoo/report–germany-bribed-fifa-to-host-2006-world-cup-172202679.html
Pasalic just scored for Monaco.
Why Alen Halilovic could be the key man in Barcelona’s future
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-alen-halilovic-could-be-key-man-barcelonas-future#:VkYkx3S_NdLOvA
Thank you U Boj for offering that in depth and forensic analysis. I’ll make sure to read my cereal box next time for breakfast as well to see how much riboflavin is in it as well.
The reason I focus on Mamic is because he is at the helm of my favorite club. Riba smrdi od glave.
Thank you U Boj for offering that in depth and forensic analysis. I’ll make sure to read my cereal box next time for breakfast as well.
The reason I focus on Mamic is because he is at the helm of my favorite club. Riba smrdi
@Slavonac
Very well said. People on here can’t see the forest for the trees.
I also think any boycott by Torcida would be more effective if they boycotted all of Hajduk games. The problem currently is everyone is diverting attention to one individual.
At the end of the day Croatia made it to Euro2016 and I for one am looking forward to the games.
U Boj…we have far better soccer minds in Croatia than most countries have. the real difference isn’t in the actual competence levels of our people, it is in the “whats in it for me mentality” that corrupts many who has great intentions.
my guess is that this is what happened with Mamic. the guy was an insignificant soccer player but was mesmerized by the lifestyle of professional soccer, so who better for him to hand out with than the “KING” of riddle and bullshit himself, Ciro Blazevic. Ciro was a master of manipulation, deceit, lies, exaggerations, creating a story, embellishment….and tickling your balls with a feather when he wanted something from you. Mamic learned and quickly used the techniques.
fast forward a few years, a man with some money walks into your life, offers you, your family a few extra bucks and kick-backs…the bigger the favors the greater the reward…Croatia operates that way…throw in a few extra bucks to the bartender, konobar, garbage collector…politician, federal employee, accountant, lawyer…and you get what you need.
what I find retarded is that this is a way of life over there and yet, most here see it only as Mamic’s way. how do you stop something if you focus on the sympton and not the problem?
ok, so we get rid of Mamic and the next guy will also come from some colorful background, ripping off some peasants and becoming a powerful man with connections…
read about the owner of Zadar, Sinovcic, Split Zuzul, Zagreb, Sesvete….if we really looked at this closer, we’d be ashamed to admit the truth…that we allow criminals to run sporting teams and yet, its true!
Ante isn’t wrong but in my opinion, why stop at Mamic when he’s only the face but not the network!
Slavonac you need to run the HNS. I give you credit you know your stuff and always question everything. Well done on the posts.
and in other news….
Croatian Edition of Playboy to Continue Publishing Nudes Despite America’s Decision
“Are you honestly telling me that you didnt see Torcida going against their own with the advent of Nas Hajduk?”
here, on this site?
maybe I missed it, I really don’t remember seeing any of it.
That’s fine. I can do that but your question initially was how did Mamic get to his position and the very broad answer is via Ciro Blazevic which is stated correctly in the article. Of course he’s not working alone. I open to the floor to you and guys like NYC, NM, St and any other two letter combo to chime in and start naming names.
when you have a society that nurture’s corruption for their own benefit, you can’t just blame one person.
ok…I take it back…but for a few minutes, lets really drill down and look at the real issues here and stop the name-calling and insults (Your problem is, again, you can’t retain anything for more than a nanosecond)…Mamic is an issue, I 100% agree with you but from everything I’ve read, it seems to me that he’s not working alone and that there are many incompetent people in all levels of the sport and the government that have allowed this. there is absolutely no way in hell he did any of this alone, its time to start looking at this from the bigger perspective and zeroing in on the real issues.
Are you honestly telling me that you cannot recall one Torcida boycott?
Are you honestly telling me that you didnt see Torcida going against their own with the advent of Nas Hajduk?
You cannot be that short sided. Also, you have to read the entire thing to answer more of the questions. You can’t just stop in the middle of part two. Do kraja. Also there is some context. After the BBB returned Dinamo, I can see why they didn’t care too much about who was running it at that precise moment because all they wanted was the name back.
Also I don’t know how many questions you asked in your post so I’m not sure which are rhetorical or not.
I give you a link and then you quote saying that “so what you are saying Ante”
STOP DOING THAT.
do you get this?
“Tuđmanu je odgovaralo da se tako prikažu stvari zbog vlastitih problema s Boysima no za Mamića ubrzo više nije bilo mjesta u klubu, navodno je sam Tuđman naredio da ga se izbaci i zabrani mu se prilaz stadionu ali to je neprovjerena priča.”
everthing looks fine until the part where it says “ali to je neprovjerena priča.”…so, how much of this is true and how much is just ‘talk”!?!?
also, I never knew he made money in the wood industry, many on this site claimed he profited from the war and yet, nobody has ever clearly identified anything…just alluded to the fact it was all from corruption.
what really surprises me is this.
“Mamić se nakon izgona iz Maksimira pokušao reaktivirati u nogometu neuspješnim direktorskim epizodama u Osijeku, Segesti i Croatiji Sesvete strpljivo čekajući trenutak pada HDZ-a što mu je bila jedina mogućnost da ponovo uđe u Dinamo ali u međuvremenu je osnovao i menadžersku agenciju za prodaju igrača („Mamić Sports Agency“) te se obogatio na poslovanju s dionicama drvne industrije. Isto tako i BBB su bili svjesni da isključivo o silasku Tuđmana s trona ovisi povratak Svetog imena jer sama borba u vrijeme njegovog mandata nije mogla polučiti apsolutno nikakav uspjeh. Represija je postajala sve snažnija i okrutnija, zabranjivalo se unošenje obilježja s Dinamovim grbom i imenom, pojačana je brutalnost policije ali ustrajnost Boysa u borbi za Dinamovo ime nikada nije popustila ni za milimetar!
so he invests in and starts a player agency, he then ends up being involved in Dinamo meetings? this isn’t very clear man…just because I want to be part of something, doesn’t mean I can be…read this, what does this mean to you?
“Mamić koji se pogurao biti aktivnim sudionikom sastanaka u pripremi novog preimenovanja”
how does a non-member get to discuss a club issues, especially since Tudjman himself wanted him gone and out of the club?
…and how stupid is this…”Jednostavno uopće nismo marili za kadrovske promjene u Dinamu. Dijelom i zbog toga jer je glavni klupski operativac bio „naš“ čovjek – Velimir Zajec, ali iskreno – tada je sve to zapravo bilo apsolutno nevažno. Vratili smo Dinamo, napokon smo dobili sve što smo htjeli!”
so they didn’t care about the “personnel changes” at the club, as long as they got the name back…
then this….”Mamić koristi svoj sve veći utjecaj u klubu i pod krinkom plana pomlađivanja momčadi igračima iz Dinamove škole zapravo nameće politiku forsiranja igrača iz svoje menadžerske agencije čime već tada zapravo ulazi u sukob interesa.”
FULL STOP! this happened when… in 2001??? …so how does he go from not being involved in the club in 1999 to “forcing himself” into the clubs meetings??? is this some type of joke or are you truly saying this is Mamic’s fault for getting the opportunity, even though he wasn’t part of the club! you’re admitting that the BBB were petty enough to fight with Ciro, Tudjman and anyone else regarding the name change and yet once the got it back, they couldn’t give a fuck about the operations within the organization?!?!
…the next part about Ciro doesn’t interest me one bit. Ciro has been and always will be a very strange fuck. it is well known that he used to pull journalists aside and give them gifts he picked up in his travels, the guy was more of a politician than a great coach. he had some great abilities, but he was also an idiot in so many ways…
I couldn’t get past midway of Part 2 in the article. to me, its pretty clear that picture presented doesn’t offer an ounce of accountability and responsibility within the BBB, the club and the league. Mamic sold Balaban, in those days for 20 times his real value…Dinamo prospered and the results since then have been pretty crazy…
BBB have made it their mission to be involved with some decision making, thats fine. the club itself has proven to be incompetent with being credible and allowing someone from the outside and placing them in the “drivers seat’. this was no accident, Mamic didn’t kill anyone to get the power he has today, he’s been allowed to get to where he is…and surrounded by incompetence everywhere from all levels.
what you are saying Ante, is that you blame Mamic for getting back into Dinamo, when Tudjman wanted him out. when he was out and made his agency, Dinamo had the power, not him and yet, he managed to go from being an outsider to driving the bus. since he got into the position of Executive Director, he’s done more damage than good to the state of soccer in Croatia…and yet, not a single government official or soccer official has gone head to head with him…isn’t that strange to you?
BBB proved to me that they fought for a cause they believed in but weren’t focused enough to care about the overall health of the club. this is the same shit that has gone on in Split, with Hajduk. the one thing I’d question is…if Mamic were at Hajduk and everything thats happened with Dinamo went on at Hajduk, would we see what we are seeing?
I can’t remember seeing a lot of Hajduk supporters boycott their own criminals. can you imagine if they won 10 Championships in a row, have millions in the bank, buy and sell players regularly….do you see their Torcidasi going against their own when we don’t see it now?
@Slavonac
well done, too many on here think they have the answer when really they are clueless, this article misses so much, maybe to divert attention from the real issues, who knows??
Slavonac,
Your problem is, again, you can’t retain anything for more than a nanosecond. I’ve given you this link countless times before and you STILL still don’t have a clue. Read this….AGAIN…for the 176th time. There’s three parts. Everything is literally spoon fed to you.
http://www.badblueboys.hr/feljton-kronologija-jednog-ludila-1-dio/
its really easy to agree with the article, I do…but its more important to drill down and identify the issues within Croatian soccer, find out who is connected to Mamic, how he has been allowed to do what he does and then prosecute them all. this is the only way things will change.
my guess is that many that have been involved in Mamic-gate will do everything possible to keep under the radar and hide from prosecution and public humiliation.
just as we’ve recently spoken of politicians that have gained wealth and strong positions in the government, we would easily see that Mamic’s name is connected to politicians, officials from government and soccer…and in the end, the revelation would most likely expose people that have influence but have committed crimes.
if people think that Mamic has climbed through the ranks and has been able to achieve all he has, on his own, you are definitely blind! he has so many enemies…and yet, he’s never been seriously prosecuted…doesn’t that make you wonder? why protect him, unless you are connected to him?
it get’s tiring reading and listening to many talk about him but never hold anyone else accountable for his successful but criminal and corruptive behaviors.
The fan boy in me just organismed
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=tK9yqfJQeXw
This is news, same old crap that a certain group throws out, as someone else stated I myself refuse to read anything with Aleksander Hooliga attached to it, The man does his best to bring down Croatian nogomet and people who are passionate about the country.
This below was just posted by Slavonac on another thread. It nails it perfectly about this article. So much more to say about the bias of the article.
Slavonac from Canada
I thought the article was good but it misses a ton of important facts.
here, this Zoric guy says how Mamic got involved in Dinamo but doesn’t explain how? I think we all have to know how Mamic got in…this seems a bit to loose for me.
“His chance for a breakthrough finally came in the 1980s through his friendship with then-manager Miroslav Ciro Blazevic who allowed him a foothold into the club, a foothold which he has never relinquished since”.
once again, I most likely agree with what this guy is saying but the real issue to me is HOW? How did Mamic gain power unless others helped him:
“Though Blazevic’s reign at the club came to an end (for the third time) in 1993, Mamic remained and grew bigger and bigger in his omnipotence to the point where he now seems immune to law enforcement with the league bowing to his feet despite much pushback from fans of Dinamo and other clubs.”
one of my biggest beef’s with Mamic is how stupid he acts and how mentally challenged he looks…and yet, after all the threats and controversial comments he’s made, the law stands by and watches…a lawless country allowing one man to behave like a tyrant…who’s the idiot in all this?
Zoric says this about Boban…”Many Croatian fans see Boban as the ideal CFF President due to his popularity within the nation, but laments the fact that Boban is hesitant to throw his name into the ring due to the widespread knowledge that he’d be entering a highly corrupt political arena, despite his knowledge of the nation and love of Croatian football”
I have a question…did any of you know that Boban was given a lot of property in ZG…apartments, small buildings and properties? Did you know how he got those properties? anyone care to guess? Dinamo and the relationship with HDZ gave Boban a lot, how do I know? I know through my connections in ZG…can I prove this…NO…but this has been info known by many. why is this important? because Boban just came out and said the he would vote for SDP and Milanovic…the opposition to HDZ and Dinamo!
this article was written by an American Croatian (from MN) and I give him top marks for this, the guy did a great job. He got much of his info from another American Croat…from LA, I’m guessing a friend of the boys down in San Pedro. a key point we should all consider is that Anthony, the guy that actually provided the info, is not living in Croatia, is an avid Hajduk fan and is offering his opinion…saying many things we all hear and read about daily. its not like this guy has the “inside scoop” and is giving us facts from the ground level, he is giving us his “opinion”, based on his sources, which really equals nothing more than what Ante B says. are they right…Yes…do they offer anything more than what we speculate and read of almost daily…NO!
I think the article is good for those that really haven’t heard or read about the issues in Croatian soccer but the deeper issue is still the same question I’ve asked weekly….how does Mamic get away with what he’s been doing? Who else assists him? why haven’t laws protected the players, teams and league?
it takes much more than Zdravko Mamic to achieve his corruption. he has to have government assistance to get away with all the things he does…nobody seems to care about that!
good article but much of the same we hear and read daily. I’d appreciate a more drilled down article with more facts, rather than the general “same ol” but I think this will bring awareness to those that read it.
Everyone here rails on about Mamic and Suker and it’s a waste of time? There is nothing wrong with being introspective and fixing core issues….if you truly believe Croatian soccer is fine and dandy, I’m sorry you have no clue.
P.S. Being self-critical doesn’t make you any less Croatian.
that artilce is a waste of time, anything with holiga name attached is a joke, definitely jugo trash involved with this article, very sad what these individuals are doing to croatia
Sorry guys, posted the full piece then realized link had already been provided….
The sad state of Croatian football
By Miran Saric on October 16, 2015
(Author’s note: many special thanks to Anthony Zoric for his keen insight and knowledge of Croatian club and national team football as well as his contributions to this piece. For more of his thoughts on this topic, please visit his Twitter profile at @AnthonyZoric).
Introduction
For many years, the small nation of Croatia has been a breeding ground for some of the premium talents in European football. From Davor Suker , Zvonomir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, to Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic, Croatia and its domestic league has blossomed into a top-15 side nationally and a top-20 league worldwide. However, despite a bevy of elite footballers and several impressive academies, the domestic league and national team are among the two most corrupt and troubled institutions in world football with a seemingly endless laundry list of infractions and crimes on its record.
Croatia Football
In some ways, it’s almost inconceivable how this festering problem has flown under the radar and hasn’t warranted a deeper investigation into its cause and effects. Croatia is by no means a powerhouse the size of England or Holland, two nations which have had their own shares of crises over the past decade or so, but it is a nation with an established glamour academy, world class players and a history of solid squads despite its limitations. For these issues to go on unresolved for so long is not only an institutional embarrassment, but also a criminal and national one.
To gain an understanding of what is at the root of the problem in Croatia, one simply needs to look at Zdravko Mamic. Recently named #46 on ESPN’s most influential people in football. He is the executive director of the Croatian football club Dinamo Zagreb and also acts as the Vice President of the Croatian Football Federation (CFF). Though he holds the title of Vice President of CFF it is widely known that he is the man in charge and the dictator of Croatian football. Legendary 1998 Croatia coach Ciro Blazevic calls him the “Alpha & Omega of Croatian Football”.
Mamic grew up a Dinamo fan as a child, even going so far as to try out for the team. However, like many children it was not meant to be for him to be a professional footballer and the club did not offer him an opportunity to join its ranks. For years Mamic followed his club in a state of discomfort, loving the team but always looking for a way in. His chance for a breakthrough finally came in the 1980s through his friendship with then-manager Miroslav Ciro Blazevic who allowed him a foothold into the club, a foothold which he has never relinquished since.
When it comes to his involvement in Dinamo Zagreb, the Croatian domestic league and the national team, the list of morally and legally questionable decisions are just as long. Mamic rose to power during a controversial time under Blazevic, slowly rising through the ranks in the club’s hierarchy which, in turn, fueled his aggressive and controversial behavior. From outbursts at the press, to seeing his own personal wealth suspiciously blossom, Mamic was living the Dinamo dream he so long held in his heart even though he was never going to be a superstar on the pitch.
Though Blazevic’s reign at the club came to an end (for the third time) in 1993, Mamic remained and grew bigger and bigger in his omnipotence to the point where he now seems immune to law enforcement with the league bowing to his feet despite much pushback from fans of Dinamo and other clubs.
Mamic’s list of controversial behavior is long and quite despicable. He has, on repeated occasions, threatened and verbally abused journalists, has stated that homosexuals are undeserving of a place in football, has insulted the Serbian ethnic group, has been indicted for publically inciting violence and has been the subject of a number of physical altercations. There is also the subject of conflict of interest which is apparent for all to see. Of the 10 team league, Mamic financially controls two: Dinamo Zagreb and Lokomotiva. Since Lokomotiva entered HNL 1 (the Croatian 1st division) on suspicious grounds they have only achieved one tie against Dinamo in 18 matches. His younger brother, Zoran, is the manager of Dinamo and also serves as the sporting director and his son, Mario, is a high-powered agent shuffling many players through his father’s club. He has been accused of giving orders to national team managers to feature Dinamo players he’d like to sell to bigger European clubs at the expense of the national team’s performances, especially in critical matches. Mamic has also been blamed for dismantling the players union which would look out for players’ interests in HNL1, most notably those that would go months without receiving pay. Those players now have no one to represent them when they have issues with HNL clubs.
So how does the general public feel about Mamic? Anthony Zoric, a fan of rival club Hajduk Split and the Croatian national team, is a fervent critic of Mamic and feels that the majority shares the same sentiment.
“I believe the general public despises Mamić,” Zoric said. “He’s built his wealth in a corrupt system where white collar crime is not punished nearly as much as it should be… Zdravko is a master manipulator who has been the most powerful man in Croatian football for many years now.”
The fans’ discontent, for how Dinamo Zagreb, the league and the national team, has been run is apparent at most matches involving the sides in question. Unfortunately for the fans, Mamic’s retribution has been swift and cruel.
Though overseeing a highly successful period in Dinamo’s history, all things considered, Mamic is hardly supported by the club’s own fanbase. He’s frequently verbally assailed by fans of the club, whether in press conferences, on the pitch or on the street. Mamic, wielding power that no one else in Croatian football enjoys, hasn’t been shy in his punishment as he’s formed a blacklist of approximately 2,000 Dinamo fans who are no longer able to attend matches, both at home or on the road. Mamic has also closed off sections of the Maksimir Stadium where fans chanted anti-Mamic demands that he lose his position. Despite rivalries in the league with Dinamo, fans from rival clubs have shown an admirable amount of support for the beleaguered club and have also found themselves on a similar blacklist.
Dinamo Zagreb and the league
Dinamo’s home is the 40,000 capacity Maksimir Stadium, a stadium which now sometimes struggles to draw 1,000 fans for home games. How can this be? Through a system of boycotting, but more dire, blacklisting at the behest of Mamic. As the most powerful man in the Croatian football federation, Mamic has the power keep anyone opposing him out of the Maksimir and since Dinamo’s fanbase is a proud one and one aware of the many shady dealings happening behind closed doors, Mamic has spared no expense in showing them his wrath.
Of course, it’s not just Dinamo’s fans who suffer; the opposing fans are naturally punished as well. Hajduk fans, for example, have seen their tickets turned away and have even been held by the police away from the stadium despite not having any criminal records. For this trouble, the club has even been fined even though the club itself did nothing wrong, such is Mamic’s control of the league.
The corruption is so deep-rooted that it even involves players, whether they knew they were partaking in questionable practices or not. Modric, the most high-profile Croatian footballer in the world, is someone whose transfer has come under question. Mamic and his brother, along with former Dinamo club director, are accused of pocketing more than half of the 21 million Euro transfer fee, that less than 50 percent of the fee was actually received by the club and not these three individuals. That’s not where it ends though, as Modric is obligated to give 20 percent of his earnings to Mamic for as long as he’s playing according to Croatian journalist Aleksandar Holiga. Modric isn’t the only one whose money directly fills Mamic’s pockets as high-profile players such as Mandzukic and Mario Kovacic allegedly face the same practice.
The Brazilian born naturalized Croat Eduardo Da Silva was the only one to take Mamic to court and have the illegal contract voided. It is suspected he was kept out of his “dream” match against his birth country Brazil precisely because he crossed Zdravko Mamic, his brother Zoran and Damir Vrbanovic, who were arrested by Croatia’s USKOK-Bureau for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime for illegally funneling money out of Dinamo Zagreb. Modric and Lovren are key witnesses in a case that the organization is putting together against Mamic. Currently, Mamic is out on bail awaiting judicial hearings. However, many doubt he will be punished since he has a high-powered team of lawyers and political ties with the HDZ political party which could become very influential.
The national team
Unfortunately, for the fans of Croatian football the problems aren’t only contained within the domestic league as the national team has come under heavy scrutiny in recent times for the poor behavior on many fronts.
In 2014, defender Josip Simunic came under fire for a gesture deemed offensive and sympathetic to the Nazi belief system as he gestured toward a set a fans using a traditional gesture belonging to that of Croatian fascists. Though some in Croatia find the salute to be patriotic, as Simunic shouted the traditional “For the Homeland!” to which the crowd responded “Ready!”, many within the nation find this expression too closely tied to the Nazi regime which ruled in Croatia at the time and this disdain for the cheer manifested itself as a 10 match ban for Simunic.
This behavior doesn’t just fall on Mamic or the players but also with supporters. During a match versus Norway in late March, Croatian fans were observed to be chanting racist songs and lighting off firecrackers. The racist chants struck a particular nerve as it has hardly been the first time the country’s fans have behaved this way having racially abused frequent target Mario Balotelli at the 2012 European Championships. November 2014 saw another ugly incident as fans repeated the same salute Simunic yelled while throwing flares and getting into physical altercations with the police on hand.
The poor behavior compounded itself in a recent closed-door match versus Italy when it was discovered that a swastika had been carved into the pitch without any officials’ notice of it. Cameras caught it midway through the game and it immediately became yet another egg on the face of the national federation. As mentioned, it took part in a closed-door match as the federation and its fans were being punished for offensive fan behavior in the prior national team match.
Some fans have justified such behavior, claiming that the only way for things to improve is for the bottom to completely fall out and enough international pressure be put on the powers-that-be in order to get them to resign. Others believe that the swastika was one cog in a much larger political battle between two political parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). There are those who claim that the HDZ is aligned with Mamic and orchestrated the entire swastika fiasco in order to cast a negative light on Mamic and some HNS members who are part of the HDZ. However, when it comes to carving swastikas into the pitch, whether in the name of some noble cause or just for political purposes, there is no way to full-heartedly justify such drastic measures. This goes far beyond political discourse or civil objection to a ruling party, this is using a symbol of the darkest time in the 20th century in order to make a selfish point, no matter how badly the point needs to be made.
This controversy aside, the national team’s form on the pitch has hardly reflected its wealth of talent in the past few years. After barely qualifying for the 2014 World Cup thanks to a 2-0 aggregate over Iceland (needing a 2-0 victory in Zagreb after being held scoreless in the road leg), Croatia was seen by many as a darkhorse to sneak out of its group which featured hosts Brazil. What followed was a loss to Brazil thanks to a dubious penalty, a 4-0 victory over Cameroon and a meek 3-1 loss to Mexico in the deciding group match which saw them crashing out of the tournament. Results since have been mediocre as well as Croatia has struggled mightily in the qualifiers for the 2016 Euros.
Things came to a head as head coach Niko Kovac took aim at his players and their effort levels, to which captain Modric hit back and stated that the players’ efforts shouldn’t be questioned despite the result. Both sides are in the wrong as play has looked far too lethargic, but a strong contingent of the national team fanbase is putting Kovac in its crossfires as a puppet for Mamic and his desire to showcase his Dinamo players for sale purposes rather than putting the best team on the pitch. This is but another example of Mamic’s influence unfortunately extending its reach from top to bottom.
On September 21, Ante Cacic was named head coach of Croatian national team. Most recently he has been coaching Mamic’s club Lokomotiva in HNL 1 and has also coached Dinamo Zagreb. Many national team fans are not happy as they know Mamic will continue to choose the players for the national team as he did for both Stimac and Kovac. The assistants he chose are the controversial Joe Simunic, Ante Mise and goalkeeper coach Marijan Mrmic with none of the coaches having any particularly outstanding experience or credentials.
The Croatian fans have already reacted to the hiring of Cacic. The most loyal fans of national team called Uvijek Vjerni (Always Faithful) have had 4 groups freeze their status as devout fans. Cafes in Croatia have put up signs saying “No more Croatian national team games shown here”. The leader of Torcida Split (Hajduk’s Ultras) said “This is all out war” when describing the situation between Hajduk fans and the HNS. In one day over 20,000 fans joined a group called Bojkot (Boycott) on Facebook to show their anger towards CFF.
Conclusion
So what can be done about this sad state of affairs? The first inclination is for Mamic to be ousted but given the scope of corruption and his foothold in the nation this could prove to be a task of Herculean proportions. Perhaps UEFA and FIFA can put pressure on the league and national team, perhaps in the form of heavy fines and point deductions, but unless the majority of the organization is cleaned out while removing the man at the top little change should be expected. Inside his own club, over 50,000 fans have signed petitions to try and force free elections of the club’s board but Mamic is having none of it. During the summer it seemed that Mamic’s misdeeds would finally catch up to him as he was apprehended by the police, but no action has been taken against him since and he’s now living the life he’s been used to: watching his club top the table, collecting profits from the sale of Kovacic to Real Madrid and partying with friends even after Croatia’s embarrassing 0-0 draw versus Azerbaijan and 2-0 loss to Norway.
“Zdravko Mamić cannot simply be replaced,” Zoric said. “For things to improve at the current federation the entire HNS board must resign. The system has been manipulated to serve the interests of Mamić and his friends.”
Many Croatian fans see Boban as the ideal CFF President due to his popularity within the nation, but laments the fact that Boban is hesitant to throw his name into the ring due to the widespread knowledge that he’d be entering a highly corrupt political arena, despite his knowledge of the nation and love of Croatian football.
“It is apparent that I’m extremely frustrated that I cannot work in Croatian football,” Boban stated in an interview. Unfortunately, there is not room for both my idol and I.”
Perhaps the best hope is that external forces apply relentless pressure on Mamic and his group of cronies as witnessed by the Mamic brothers’ recent arrest.
The despicable behavior by the fans and officials is a real problem, especially when it comes to the dignity of opposing fans and players, but supporters of the national team and league can’t also help but feel a twinge of regret at what could’ve been. With players as talented as Modric, Mandzukic, Rakitic and Kovacic, expectations soared to the point where supporters believed that another golden generation was upon them and that international acclaim shower their footballing heroes. Instead, the national team has been marked by controversy while the domestic league, filled with talented players in its own right, is making more news for corruption and ugly scenes in the stands than the beautiful game itself. For a nation so proud and passionate of its football, the last two decades have turned from dreams of glory, to heads hung in shame. A fate truly undeserving of Croatia’s supporters.
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/10/16/the-sad-state-of-croatian-football/
whereas people from split have no oars in the water
Good question – Most people from Zagreb have both oars on the same side of the boat.
Why are fans, especially of Dinamo Zagreb, boycotting the National Team, a much smaller piece of Mamic’s empire but not the club itself, where he really makes his money?
Talk about making absolutely no sense. Think about it.
@ Rafael of course i remember Petar Krpan who could ever forget that name Krpan lol. Also Anthony Seric ti je Australac Kengur Klokan who played for HNK Hajduk Split.
Bravo Zoricu!!
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/10/16/the-sad-state-of-croatian-football/
The envy reference was made in relation to the members of the community who were gossiping, not the kids, they were learning the tamburica.
^ ^
I’m pretty sure it stems from the children’s parents and not the kids themselves.
Kids don’t know any better.
So the kids learn to play tamburica, but they see the money the teacher’s making! That’s envy, the problem is with the envious not the teacher, even though the teacher may be avaricious.
Yup.
I know a guy who decided to train kids into playing tamburica, as the older generation in our community were literally in their 80s and dying off, so there was a risk of the classes being cancelled for good.
There was literally nobody left who was willing to teach, so he started to do so (since he was pretty much an expert, doing this on the side at weddings).
All I hear now from some members of the community is how he’s profiteering off of this and how they’ll never let their kids play tamburica to spite him, lol. Meanwhile, the guy doesn’t actually need to do this. It’s great in terms of spare cash, but it’s not like he’s making a living off it.
With Croats, it is automatically assumed that no single person can be successful without having done something wrong to achieve that success. So to satisfy this backward mentality…everything has to be run inefficiently, as a collective, in the most socialistic manner, with a lot of people involved…or else they are completely against it.
I just used to watch football, now I find out Boban may be gay, so he can’t run anything now.
And if the fans hate Mamic that much. Don’t boycott—Go to every game. Don’t throw flares are draw swastikas.
Rather hold up signs stating Mamic is corrupt. Embarrass him over and over in front of the whole world in a lawful way.
Empty stadiums make the fans look stupid to the outside world and not Mamic.
All of this “sad state of Hrv nogomet is getting old”
When was the HNS ever clean and pure? All of this micro analysis is getting sooooo old.
Does anyone remember Anthony Seric or Peter Krpan in 98? Ciro majstor had them on the squad. They surely were not there based on merit.
AC Milan is run by Berlusconi who isn’t the most holy and clean men.
Abramovich at Chelsea didn’t earn his money working 9-5 at a bakery.
And I am sorry but Dudu and Modric and everyone else may have been strong armed into signing agreements with Mamic. But all of those dudes can do what Dudu did and take him to court. All of those players are wealthy now.
But they don’t do that because Mamic is a gangster who found a loop hole in the system.
All I read is negative press about the current state of the HNS. Who in the hell would even want to run the HNS and the band of idiots associated with the savez?
Boban isn’t the answer. He too would be spit on by the fans eventually. If he ever gained power his sexuality would be questioned like it was when he was a player (by the fans).
We the Croats are a nation of complainers. Croats are a bunch of socialigists who explain what is wrong but can never offer a concrete answer on a perfect solution.
Mamic is a gangster and bullied his way into power. He will remain in power until someone bullies him out.
The whole boycott scenario is a joke. Never boycott your nation and if you do you are a loser.
I don’t support Mamic.
I support Hrvatska.
Cheer for the Vatreni in France and be proud we are there. Nothing will ever change. It was corrupt in 98 and and will still be corrupt in 2028.
The Sad State of Croatian Football:
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/10/16/the-sad-state-of-croatian-football/
@ to all the Cali CSR goons
In CA for the first time. Hanging in the LBC and headed to the Dodgers game tonight. Go Dodgers.
Nice country over here by the way. I get now what he fuss is about.
The best thing that I hear from Kanadjani around me is they claim soccer is boring and then point to baseball as the ultimate sport! I always have a great time picking that one apart…yeah sure, CC Sabathia and Prince Fielder are two examples of two finely tuned baseball players making $20M+ as opposed to the fitness required to play soccer.
If baseball truly is America’s game, they can have it! LOL
Baseball is boring until the playoffs……………and then yesterday the biggest story to come is the way one guy flipped his bat. Really?????
Fricken baseball and their unwritten rules.
I was flipping the TV in the fortified basement a few nights ago and came across the Golden State preseason games. Porcelain Doll Bogut looks like he lost 20 or so pounds. Good for him. A lot of players tend to get ease up on the training after winning a title, looks like he went to opposite route and worked harder. That is a strong work ethic.
Ziva instina hate coming in 3….2…1
Blue jays baby!
Lets go NBA NFL MLB is boring dude.
LETS GO METS!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can have cevapi filled croissants in France!
Phew – torrent is up ! Yay team ! Time to get to work on a Hrvatska celebratory vid !
@Mile – I’m sure that one of us on this site knows a guy in the savez. He may be able to help.
Still thinking of those cevapi…
Yes I will be in France, flights booked!
Go Jays!
Anyone want to organize a group trip with tickets? Anyone with connections?
Anyone going to France????
Click here to watch Croatia vs Malta!!!
why is there no torrent of the final game yet? Cmon can’t some lazy shit make one
Did anyone order some cevaps? I”m here to deliver!
Where can I order some cevapi online. I found a farm in south east USA and I forgot the damn name, Croat owned making cevapi said they were gonna start shipping soon. I don’t want the Bosnian version, anyone know of anywhere?
Throwback to the Norway game https://www.facebook.com/erogag1/photos/a.568145123312430.1073741828.544583355668607/761199714006969/?type=3&theater
https://youtu.be/mPafvZNUpiQ
This guy must’ve had some cheat code, the fire should kill him!!!!!!!!
https://youtu.be/bhAp_SPd7e4
This is a good song
https://youtu.be/ZkQhI0MC95A
This is the sort of energy I want to see at the Euros!!!
someone find a torrent for the win in malta will you ? cmoon you lazy bums ! must i do everything around here ?
Filmed.
We made it even though it was a lucky deflected goal by some bad defending. Also we should thank Italy for coming from behind and defeating Norway 2:1. Thank you Catholic brothers. Albania made it to their first tournament the Netherlands missed out funny. I’m happy we avoided the two leg playoff games because with only a 1:0 victory over Malta I couldn’t see us making it to Euro 2016 with not convincing performances like that. Taken 4 can now be filled in Paris next year with Albania in it.
Food porn. It’s a real thing.
Agreed , Ante.
I think I just stared at that picture up top for about 2 minutes – more than I usually do with porn pics. Must be getting old.
Well said, Ante
just dont harp on the wearing a jersey part too much, u know ziva will go nuts 😉