May 13 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected Josip’s Simunic’s appeal against a 10-match ban imposed by FIFA for discriminatory behaviour.
The veteran Dynamo Zagreb defender, who has 105 caps, received the sanction for the way he celebrated Croatia’s qualification for the finals following their playoff win over Iceland.
The sanction means Simunic will miss the Barzil 2014 World Cup, and is banned from entering the stadiums where Croatia is playing as well as being fined CHF 30,000.
In November 2013 in Zagreb, Croatia won their play-off game against Iceland and qualified for the final round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
At the end of the game Simunic went to the centre of the pitch with a microphone and yelled at the fans “U boj, u boj !” (to the battle!), “za dom !” (for the homeland!). The fans replied by shouting “Spremni !” (We are ready!).
The chant was identified as the war call used by the Ustaše, the Croatian pro-Nazi regime that ruled during World War II before being dissolved in May 1945. Simunic was found guilty of using discriminatory words and causing offence.
In his appeal to CAS Simunic requested that the sanctions be cancelled or, alternatively, be stayed for a probation period of one year, allowing him to play at the World Cup. He that he did not have the intention to offend or discriminate anyone but that he wanted to share his patriotic emotions with the fans after such an important success.
The CAS arbitrators unanimously rejected the arguments of the player and dismissed his appeal. “They confirmed that the expression used by Simunic was a clear and unequivocal reference to the call used by the Ustaše and that such expression has to be sanctioned in accordance with Article 58 para. 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” said a CAS statement.
Simunic is Croatia’s third most capped player who has competed in two World Cups and three European Championships,
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734868074labto1734868074ofdlr1734868074owedi1734868074sni@n1734868074osloh1734868074cin.l1734868074uap1734868074