June 7 – A Croatian court has sentenced the former boss of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic (pictured right with brother Zoran), 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 and Mateo Kovacic to Inter.
But is unlikely he will serve the sentence having fled to neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina 24 hours before the verdict with no intention to return to his native country. Although the Croatian court issued an arrest warrant for Mamic, he holds Bosnian citizenship.
“Condemn an innocent man like that! Those monsters will not be able to sleep peacefully anymore,” he told a press conference held straight after the announcement of his sentence. “The verdict surprised me, but the reasons for the verdict make me sad.”
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.
Among the ex-Dinamo players caught up in the trial is Croatia captain Modric, who was charged with perjury.
Now at Real Madrid, he is suspected of having made false statements during the trial when he was questioned about his 2008 transfer to Tottenham. He has not commented on the charge and the case will not affect his role in the World Cup in Russia later this month.
The two Mamic brothers resigned in 2016 from their positions. Dinamo are the most successful Croatian club since the country gained independence in 1991, winning 19 championships.
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