Dinamo Zagreb
- Thread starter M.L. King
- Start date
It's a mental problem as there were worse teams than Dinamo in CL in recent years and yet my team tops this list.
Team spirit is the main problem as some players here only see Dinamo as stepping stone for a big transfer and we could do without most of foreigners who aren't good enough anyway.
Team spirit is the main problem as some players here only see Dinamo as stepping stone for a big transfer and we could do without most of foreigners who aren't good enough anyway.
El Flaco
Active member
Ex-president Zdravko Mamic made an interview in October 2019 edition of FourFourTwo.
Here's the full transcript:
[MENTION=2]Barcaman[/MENTION], this might interest you
Here's the full transcript:
[MENTION=2]Barcaman[/MENTION], this might interest you
Your name has become infamous all around Europe – how do you feel about that?
I do not feel that I am infamous. In fact, I feel like a builder of football in Croatia, but also in Europe. There are lots of people in Europe who want to work with me. My opponents used Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine that the lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth. The media often prefers such a construction. Those who want to destroy Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatian national team are sending such a picture of me around the world. I care about European perception because we are a European club, but for me the most important thing is the truth. And the truth is the only team from Croatia that has a significant role in European football is Dinamo.
Many people say they have not met someone in life more emotional and humane than me. I have never participated in any fraud, criminal activity or physical violence. I ably defended my position and Dinamo as a club, and that bothers a lot of people.
During your time at the club, Dinamo courted controversy when they gave $94,000 in gate receipts to Croatian generals awaiting trial for war crimes in The Hague. Was that your decision?
We had a responsibility to the people who sacrificed themselves for our independence. I personally participated in the defence of Croatian army generals and am not ashamed to say that. I was not thinking about the reactions, because for me it is a matter of honour and I am immensely proud of that. You have to understand that the context and perception of defending our homeland in Croatia is very different to other parts of Europe.
How do you respond to criticism of how you’ve run Dinamo Zagreb, and the speed with which you sacked managers? Some say that even now, you have too much control in the club...
Results are the best response to the criticism. On the other hand, it is impossible to be at the forefront of one club for so long and always make the right decisions. We all make mistakes, but it is important to say that I, together with my colleagues, made every decision in good faith for the benefit of the club. I prefer facts more than speculation. Dinamo were champions 14 times in 15 years. We have had one of the best youth academies in Europe, and over the past 15 years have generated around €500 million in revenue, which is another universe for everyone in former Yugoslavia. In our country there is a popular saying: ‘People will forgive everything except success’.
About the control, of course I have a great influence on the running of the club as an advisor. The people there needed to discuss some of the crucial decisions with me. They have great capacities for running Dinamo, but do not have the kind of experience and knowledge to be able to do that without me. We have, with the greatest appreciation, continued our way as if I were still in Zagreb.
While you worked for Dinamo Zagreb, did you insert clauses in players’ contracts where they received part of the transfer fee for themselves when they left?
Dinamo, like all football clubs who are not rich, used a model in which contracts are signed with a clause that entitles players to a certain percentage after their transfers. This was done because the clubs are not capable of adequately paying the players to keep them at the club.
For example, Modric and Lovren had 10-year contracts with Dinamo, according to which their salary was €1,000 a month. At that time, the club was in trouble and we could not afford larger contracts. Without that agreed-upon division of the transfer, we would be unable to keep these players and would have lost a lot of money in the future.
Did any of them pass some of that money on to you?
Only in the case of Modric’s transfer to Spurs. Back then, I appeared in a dual role. In fact, before I joined Dinamo I had a managerial agency. The agency was shut down when I came back to Dinamo, and my son has inherited the position as an individual agent.
While I still had the agency, I invested in young players. I financed those players and their families. I arranged apartments, cars, businesses and other things for their parents. I spent approximately €100,000 on each of those players, and agreed with each of them and their parents to have a right to participate in the profits of their transfers. In the case of Modric, it was collected on the basis of a civil contract between us, which was signed when I was not at Dinamo.
Were those clauses ever inserted after the players were sold, and then backdated?
Contracts were not backdated. I am the one who made the decisions and requested that the payment of part of their transfer took place in Croatia, not abroad as the practice was before. This type of payment means paying taxes to the state, which many in the past had avoided doing. And now I am the one being persecuted!
Do you feel bad that Modric was dragged into your legal case? It damaged his popularity in Croatia for a while.
Of course I feel bad, as Luka is the best person that can exist. His life is the script for Hollywood films – he went from the thorns to the stars. The Croatian judiciary termed this fair and humane boy as a liar, but in the new proceedings admitted that Luka does not lie. I think it says more about our legal system than about him.
Luka Modric is a phenomenon that has persisted beyond the limits. The same year in which he was haunted by the prosecution, he was a star, a man and a role model. I cannot describe how proud I was to see him win the Ballon d’Or. He truly deserved the honour, not just for his football ability, but also as a trophy for his life path.
Is it true Andrej Kramaric refused to sign the clause about part of the transfer fee going to him? Did you make things difficult for him when he refused?
It is another lie. You see how many lies there are? It is no wonder that they build a false image and create a negative image about me, when things like this happen.
How did you find the experience of negotiating the sale of Modric to Spurs with chairman Daniel Levy?
Levy is, in my opinion, the most capable negotiator in the world. I had enough time to experience it and appreciate him. One funny story, but at the same time a story that shows how he protects the interests of his club, is that after we agreed the transfer of Luka to Tottenham, I politely asked for five of Luka’s jerseys. Levy gave them to me, but the invoice for the transfer, €23m, was minus the value of the jerseys. That was quite unbelievable to me. It showed me how to appreciate every penny a club spends.
I also negotiated with him over the transfers of Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj to Tottenham. My son was their agent and translator, and I represented the interests of Dinamo. We sat in Levy’s office with the sporting director, Franco Baldini, and Levy offered us around €10m as his secretary served us tea. After hearing their offer, I told my son to thank Levy, but ask if I should drink my tea or just go straight home? My son did not want to translate that!
Levy and Baldini realised that I had become a little more aggressive, then I told them ‘Idite vi svi u picku materinu’ [the Croatian equivalent of ‘go fuck yourself’]. They stood up and asked me to stay, because €10m was not their final offer for the players. After that we continued the negotiations and agreed a fee of €25m. Unfortunately, the deal eventually fell through, partly because of some crazy new demands from Halilovic’s side.
During your time at Dinamo, the club regularly appeared in the group stage of the Champions League...
I left Dinamo after the war because I did not agree with club’s policy, mostly about the new name: Croatia Zagreb. When I returned to the club, there were serious financial uncertainties. I was an advisor to the president, and a few years later Dinamo went bankrupt. I went on to hold a famous press conference where I stated that Dinamo would be league champions for 10 years in a row. We ended up winning the title 11 years in a row!
The war between you and the ‘opposition’ in Dinamo and Croatian football goes back many years, and the Bad Blue Boys ultras are particularly strong in their criticism of your involvement with the club. What do you make of all that?
Politicians in the Balkans have always wanted to control football clubs, and Dinamo is no exception. The problems arise because I have never allowed them to take control. This does not mean I was constantly in conflict with them. I always knew how to negotiate with politicians to get a better sponsorship deal for Dinamo. Croatia is simply too small a market, and clubs can hardly survive without securing sponsorship deals from the state companies.
I have helped the guys from the BBB a lot in my life. I financed trips to assist them in some difficult situations, so it really is incredible that I should be a thorn in the eye of those fans.
They wanted to control the club and, of course, I did not allow that to happen. Dinamo is one of the few clubs in the region to resist this trend of the ultras controlling the teams, thanks to my solid attitude. A fan should be a fan. The policies of the club should be led by those with the capacity for it. If you are a real fan, you have every reason to be proud of Dinamo and the work being done by this administration.
The Croatia squad that reached the 2018 World Cup Final featured 14 players who have passed through Dinamo and your hands – do you think you deserve some credit for that?
My role in the development of football and sport in Croatia is definitely not appreciated enough, and I can say that without false modesty. On a daily level, businesses are shutting down and factories are closing, but Dinamo is continuing to grow. All those who have led this country to such a bad situation don’t talk about it, but they haunt me for being successful. Unfortunately in Croatia, the most beautiful country in the world, you cannot be forgiven for success.
When people say that you effectively controlled Croatian football, how do you respond?
I was the vice-president of the Croatian Football Federation and also the executive president of Dinamo Zagreb, so it is natural that I had some influence in Croatian football.
We have one big club in Croatia, which is Hajduk Split, but they were greatly frustrated because for 15 years they were not the champions, and they see me as the reason for that. There is also the factor that Hajduk attracted many influential people in Croatian politics and social life, and therefore are under pressure from fans who are now picking on me as the personification of Hajduk’s failure. When you think about that, it does not make any sense. Hajduk and the people around the club only have themselves to blame for their situation.
So, I am not the boss of Croatian football. Some are more interested in local skirmishes. I am not that guy. I love football and sports, I love Dinamo and Croatia, and most importantly I do not hate anyone. And when it comes to perception, I believe that I am more popular than all politicians put together. People recognise my emotion and sincerity, and especially the results.
On the subject of results, eyebrows were raised after Dinamo’s 7-1 Champions League defeat to Lyon in 2011. Was it fixed?
There are always rumours about this game. If there had been anything suspicious, UEFA would certainly have reacted. We scored the opening goal but, at an early stage, also received a red card. Everything went downhill after that. This bad night is nothing more than that. I do not participate in any match-fixing – I would be working against Dinamo, football, and even myself.
I do not feel that I am infamous. In fact, I feel like a builder of football in Croatia, but also in Europe. There are lots of people in Europe who want to work with me. My opponents used Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine that the lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth. The media often prefers such a construction. Those who want to destroy Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatian national team are sending such a picture of me around the world. I care about European perception because we are a European club, but for me the most important thing is the truth. And the truth is the only team from Croatia that has a significant role in European football is Dinamo.
Many people say they have not met someone in life more emotional and humane than me. I have never participated in any fraud, criminal activity or physical violence. I ably defended my position and Dinamo as a club, and that bothers a lot of people.
During your time at the club, Dinamo courted controversy when they gave $94,000 in gate receipts to Croatian generals awaiting trial for war crimes in The Hague. Was that your decision?
We had a responsibility to the people who sacrificed themselves for our independence. I personally participated in the defence of Croatian army generals and am not ashamed to say that. I was not thinking about the reactions, because for me it is a matter of honour and I am immensely proud of that. You have to understand that the context and perception of defending our homeland in Croatia is very different to other parts of Europe.
How do you respond to criticism of how you’ve run Dinamo Zagreb, and the speed with which you sacked managers? Some say that even now, you have too much control in the club...
Results are the best response to the criticism. On the other hand, it is impossible to be at the forefront of one club for so long and always make the right decisions. We all make mistakes, but it is important to say that I, together with my colleagues, made every decision in good faith for the benefit of the club. I prefer facts more than speculation. Dinamo were champions 14 times in 15 years. We have had one of the best youth academies in Europe, and over the past 15 years have generated around €500 million in revenue, which is another universe for everyone in former Yugoslavia. In our country there is a popular saying: ‘People will forgive everything except success’.
About the control, of course I have a great influence on the running of the club as an advisor. The people there needed to discuss some of the crucial decisions with me. They have great capacities for running Dinamo, but do not have the kind of experience and knowledge to be able to do that without me. We have, with the greatest appreciation, continued our way as if I were still in Zagreb.
While you worked for Dinamo Zagreb, did you insert clauses in players’ contracts where they received part of the transfer fee for themselves when they left?
Dinamo, like all football clubs who are not rich, used a model in which contracts are signed with a clause that entitles players to a certain percentage after their transfers. This was done because the clubs are not capable of adequately paying the players to keep them at the club.
For example, Modric and Lovren had 10-year contracts with Dinamo, according to which their salary was €1,000 a month. At that time, the club was in trouble and we could not afford larger contracts. Without that agreed-upon division of the transfer, we would be unable to keep these players and would have lost a lot of money in the future.
Did any of them pass some of that money on to you?
Only in the case of Modric’s transfer to Spurs. Back then, I appeared in a dual role. In fact, before I joined Dinamo I had a managerial agency. The agency was shut down when I came back to Dinamo, and my son has inherited the position as an individual agent.
While I still had the agency, I invested in young players. I financed those players and their families. I arranged apartments, cars, businesses and other things for their parents. I spent approximately €100,000 on each of those players, and agreed with each of them and their parents to have a right to participate in the profits of their transfers. In the case of Modric, it was collected on the basis of a civil contract between us, which was signed when I was not at Dinamo.
Were those clauses ever inserted after the players were sold, and then backdated?
Contracts were not backdated. I am the one who made the decisions and requested that the payment of part of their transfer took place in Croatia, not abroad as the practice was before. This type of payment means paying taxes to the state, which many in the past had avoided doing. And now I am the one being persecuted!
Do you feel bad that Modric was dragged into your legal case? It damaged his popularity in Croatia for a while.
Of course I feel bad, as Luka is the best person that can exist. His life is the script for Hollywood films – he went from the thorns to the stars. The Croatian judiciary termed this fair and humane boy as a liar, but in the new proceedings admitted that Luka does not lie. I think it says more about our legal system than about him.
Luka Modric is a phenomenon that has persisted beyond the limits. The same year in which he was haunted by the prosecution, he was a star, a man and a role model. I cannot describe how proud I was to see him win the Ballon d’Or. He truly deserved the honour, not just for his football ability, but also as a trophy for his life path.
Is it true Andrej Kramaric refused to sign the clause about part of the transfer fee going to him? Did you make things difficult for him when he refused?
It is another lie. You see how many lies there are? It is no wonder that they build a false image and create a negative image about me, when things like this happen.
How did you find the experience of negotiating the sale of Modric to Spurs with chairman Daniel Levy?
Levy is, in my opinion, the most capable negotiator in the world. I had enough time to experience it and appreciate him. One funny story, but at the same time a story that shows how he protects the interests of his club, is that after we agreed the transfer of Luka to Tottenham, I politely asked for five of Luka’s jerseys. Levy gave them to me, but the invoice for the transfer, €23m, was minus the value of the jerseys. That was quite unbelievable to me. It showed me how to appreciate every penny a club spends.
I also negotiated with him over the transfers of Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj to Tottenham. My son was their agent and translator, and I represented the interests of Dinamo. We sat in Levy’s office with the sporting director, Franco Baldini, and Levy offered us around €10m as his secretary served us tea. After hearing their offer, I told my son to thank Levy, but ask if I should drink my tea or just go straight home? My son did not want to translate that!
Levy and Baldini realised that I had become a little more aggressive, then I told them ‘Idite vi svi u picku materinu’ [the Croatian equivalent of ‘go fuck yourself’]. They stood up and asked me to stay, because €10m was not their final offer for the players. After that we continued the negotiations and agreed a fee of €25m. Unfortunately, the deal eventually fell through, partly because of some crazy new demands from Halilovic’s side.
During your time at Dinamo, the club regularly appeared in the group stage of the Champions League...
I left Dinamo after the war because I did not agree with club’s policy, mostly about the new name: Croatia Zagreb. When I returned to the club, there were serious financial uncertainties. I was an advisor to the president, and a few years later Dinamo went bankrupt. I went on to hold a famous press conference where I stated that Dinamo would be league champions for 10 years in a row. We ended up winning the title 11 years in a row!
The war between you and the ‘opposition’ in Dinamo and Croatian football goes back many years, and the Bad Blue Boys ultras are particularly strong in their criticism of your involvement with the club. What do you make of all that?
Politicians in the Balkans have always wanted to control football clubs, and Dinamo is no exception. The problems arise because I have never allowed them to take control. This does not mean I was constantly in conflict with them. I always knew how to negotiate with politicians to get a better sponsorship deal for Dinamo. Croatia is simply too small a market, and clubs can hardly survive without securing sponsorship deals from the state companies.
I have helped the guys from the BBB a lot in my life. I financed trips to assist them in some difficult situations, so it really is incredible that I should be a thorn in the eye of those fans.
They wanted to control the club and, of course, I did not allow that to happen. Dinamo is one of the few clubs in the region to resist this trend of the ultras controlling the teams, thanks to my solid attitude. A fan should be a fan. The policies of the club should be led by those with the capacity for it. If you are a real fan, you have every reason to be proud of Dinamo and the work being done by this administration.
The Croatia squad that reached the 2018 World Cup Final featured 14 players who have passed through Dinamo and your hands – do you think you deserve some credit for that?
My role in the development of football and sport in Croatia is definitely not appreciated enough, and I can say that without false modesty. On a daily level, businesses are shutting down and factories are closing, but Dinamo is continuing to grow. All those who have led this country to such a bad situation don’t talk about it, but they haunt me for being successful. Unfortunately in Croatia, the most beautiful country in the world, you cannot be forgiven for success.
When people say that you effectively controlled Croatian football, how do you respond?
I was the vice-president of the Croatian Football Federation and also the executive president of Dinamo Zagreb, so it is natural that I had some influence in Croatian football.
We have one big club in Croatia, which is Hajduk Split, but they were greatly frustrated because for 15 years they were not the champions, and they see me as the reason for that. There is also the factor that Hajduk attracted many influential people in Croatian politics and social life, and therefore are under pressure from fans who are now picking on me as the personification of Hajduk’s failure. When you think about that, it does not make any sense. Hajduk and the people around the club only have themselves to blame for their situation.
So, I am not the boss of Croatian football. Some are more interested in local skirmishes. I am not that guy. I love football and sports, I love Dinamo and Croatia, and most importantly I do not hate anyone. And when it comes to perception, I believe that I am more popular than all politicians put together. People recognise my emotion and sincerity, and especially the results.
On the subject of results, eyebrows were raised after Dinamo’s 7-1 Champions League defeat to Lyon in 2011. Was it fixed?
There are always rumours about this game. If there had been anything suspicious, UEFA would certainly have reacted. We scored the opening goal but, at an early stage, also received a red card. Everything went downhill after that. This bad night is nothing more than that. I do not participate in any match-fixing – I would be working against Dinamo, football, and even myself.
El Flaco
Active member
You are living in Bosnia and Herzegovina after being sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison back in Croatia, and are now marked as a fugitive by the Croatian judiciary. Are you appealing against the verdict, and how will you prove your innocence?
First of all, I have to look at the judgement that was made in this case. It reflects the paradox of Croatia’s judicial system. I was accused of evading taxes or harming the state, but fulfilled my obligations to the end. I was accused of damaging Dinamo – the same Dinamo that has said I have not damaged the club. In fact, I helped the club. This is an unprecedented case anywhere in the world.
Plus, the judge said the decision is based on the fact that the court did not believe Luka Modric in his testimony, despite the same Croatian judiciary acquitting him for criminal liability for false testimony in court. I think this speaks for itself. Such a thing is unthinkable, and the case is obviously not legal but political.
Of course, I appealed and I would appeal up to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary, because they have violated all of my possible human rights in the process. I am a victim of political, judicial and even staged media violence.
Why did you decide to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina just before the end of the trial, and can you tell us about how you travelled there? Did you have to go incognito?
I was involved in the whole process properly. My lawyers and I were convinced of acquittal. Such a way of thinking was logical in a legal sense and also using common sense. I even spoke to the president of the judges council in my case, who told me that in this process there was no basis for a conviction. However, a few days before the judgement, I received information that the verdict would be guilty.
When I realised this, I got in my car and crossed the border. I drove to Medjugorje, where I am now and have the time to continue preparing my defence, something I would not have been able to do if I had been sent to prison. They wanted me in jail. Isolation is the most severe form of punishment. I could not agree to this scenario, as it would punish the possibility of my defence.
Were you confident Bosnia wouldn’t extradite you, as you’re also a Bosnian citizen? Did you seek assurances that they wouldn’t extradite you before you travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
I was not too sure about extradition and did not seek any assurances because I was not planning that. It was just an instinctive reaction. If I had planned it, I would already have ID documents in Bosnia. When I arrived in Bosnia, I had only a certificate of citizenship that my father took out for me a long time ago. On the basis of that form, I received an identity card and passport.
From the moment I arrived, I knew nothing about the conditions of extradition from Bosnia to Croatia. Now I know a lot more about it, because through attending council sessions relating to the request for the extradition, I learned that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 per cent of the charges for which I was sentenced do not exist in Bosnia. They all wonder how I was convicted for such things. The prosecution, on the basis of this information, determined that there are no grounds for my extradition.
You were in custody during the investigation over accusations of money laundering and tax evasion. Do you sometimes feel like there’s a conspiracy against you?
You must understand that in Croatia we had 50 years of communism, and even today communist methods of persecution are still present. The process is managed by one matrix: first they destroy your image in the media, and once you have been officially found guilty, they publicly condemn such a criminal. Then the justice system comes to carry out the plan until the end. Unfortunately, this is not democratic or human. To make it clear, I do not think the Croatian state is without any legal standards, but selective application of the judicial processes have an impact on the creation of the society. Even politicians recognise that. We have a disease of the transition society. That is not good.
Did your son Mario represent many of the Dinamo players as an agent, and does that contravene any regulations? Even if doesn’t, do you understand why people consider that inappropriate?
And that is all part of the legal transition society as well. My son used to represent Dinamo’s players, Dinamo themselves or a third team in contact with Dinamo. He also had dealings with other clubs, such as Inter in the transfer of Mateo Kovacic to Real Madrid as his agent, or Tottenham in the transfer of Luka Modric to Madrid as his agent. I am telling you this so you know Mario worked on transfers across Europe that in many cases had nothing to do with Dinamo.
It may fall into the sphere of a potential conflict of interest, as Mario was an agent for Dinamo players at the time I was there. So, we are talking about a moral issue here, by no means a criminal one as some want to implicate. Nowhere is it forbidden for my son to be an agent of Dinamo’s players. Such examples exist in European clubs. It is not exclusivity a Croatian model – journalists just write about them less.
Someone tried to assassinate you during a visit to Bosnia in 2017. What happened, and have you ever found out who did it?
It was simple, really. I wanted to protect the interests of Dinamo and did not allow the profits to go to various other groups, and then I was wounded in the leg. These people wanted to send a message so that they could blackmail me. I let the national authorities do their job and I'am sure they know who was behind it, but to this day no one has ever responded. Imagine such a legal scenario in England...
Do you worry for your safety now?
Of course. That is not a normal situation and I worry, but I do not act like a coward. All in all, I sleep very well.
Will you ever set foot in Croatia again?
I want to return to Croatia one day, and I want to be honoured for the things I have done. I want respect for my family as well. Whether that will ever come, I cannot know, but I still believe. I believe in justice. She is slow but she will come.
Do you enjoy living in Medjugorje, and what’s it like?
It is a small town. This is a sacred place for Catholics, and a place where there have been apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have now found my spiritual inner peace and strength to continue the legal fight for honour of the name ‘Mamic’.
What has life been like ‘on the run’?
I can say that my life is a hundred times different from the one I had back in Croatia. This is a quiet and easy place to live, and much slower than Zagreb. In Zagreb, I lived at the speed of light. Here, I have time to feel what I eat and drink and enjoy rest, peace and concentration. Finally, I now have time to see what I live for. I can dedicate more time to my wife and children than I did in Zagreb, as Dinamo always came first. Frankly, I can say I have become a much better person in Medjugorje.
Is there anything you miss about life back in Croatia?
I love Croatia and am still very patriotic. I really miss regulated, legal, European Croatia. Personally there is nothing else I miss, though, even more so while the Croatian national team and Dinamo Zagreb are experiencing great success. That is my biggest satisfaction in these moments. I could stay in Bosnia forever if Croatia and Dinamo both continue to prosper on the pitch. Let sport always be the winner.
First of all, I have to look at the judgement that was made in this case. It reflects the paradox of Croatia’s judicial system. I was accused of evading taxes or harming the state, but fulfilled my obligations to the end. I was accused of damaging Dinamo – the same Dinamo that has said I have not damaged the club. In fact, I helped the club. This is an unprecedented case anywhere in the world.
Plus, the judge said the decision is based on the fact that the court did not believe Luka Modric in his testimony, despite the same Croatian judiciary acquitting him for criminal liability for false testimony in court. I think this speaks for itself. Such a thing is unthinkable, and the case is obviously not legal but political.
Of course, I appealed and I would appeal up to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary, because they have violated all of my possible human rights in the process. I am a victim of political, judicial and even staged media violence.
Why did you decide to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina just before the end of the trial, and can you tell us about how you travelled there? Did you have to go incognito?
I was involved in the whole process properly. My lawyers and I were convinced of acquittal. Such a way of thinking was logical in a legal sense and also using common sense. I even spoke to the president of the judges council in my case, who told me that in this process there was no basis for a conviction. However, a few days before the judgement, I received information that the verdict would be guilty.
When I realised this, I got in my car and crossed the border. I drove to Medjugorje, where I am now and have the time to continue preparing my defence, something I would not have been able to do if I had been sent to prison. They wanted me in jail. Isolation is the most severe form of punishment. I could not agree to this scenario, as it would punish the possibility of my defence.
Were you confident Bosnia wouldn’t extradite you, as you’re also a Bosnian citizen? Did you seek assurances that they wouldn’t extradite you before you travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
I was not too sure about extradition and did not seek any assurances because I was not planning that. It was just an instinctive reaction. If I had planned it, I would already have ID documents in Bosnia. When I arrived in Bosnia, I had only a certificate of citizenship that my father took out for me a long time ago. On the basis of that form, I received an identity card and passport.
From the moment I arrived, I knew nothing about the conditions of extradition from Bosnia to Croatia. Now I know a lot more about it, because through attending council sessions relating to the request for the extradition, I learned that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 per cent of the charges for which I was sentenced do not exist in Bosnia. They all wonder how I was convicted for such things. The prosecution, on the basis of this information, determined that there are no grounds for my extradition.
You were in custody during the investigation over accusations of money laundering and tax evasion. Do you sometimes feel like there’s a conspiracy against you?
You must understand that in Croatia we had 50 years of communism, and even today communist methods of persecution are still present. The process is managed by one matrix: first they destroy your image in the media, and once you have been officially found guilty, they publicly condemn such a criminal. Then the justice system comes to carry out the plan until the end. Unfortunately, this is not democratic or human. To make it clear, I do not think the Croatian state is without any legal standards, but selective application of the judicial processes have an impact on the creation of the society. Even politicians recognise that. We have a disease of the transition society. That is not good.
Did your son Mario represent many of the Dinamo players as an agent, and does that contravene any regulations? Even if doesn’t, do you understand why people consider that inappropriate?
And that is all part of the legal transition society as well. My son used to represent Dinamo’s players, Dinamo themselves or a third team in contact with Dinamo. He also had dealings with other clubs, such as Inter in the transfer of Mateo Kovacic to Real Madrid as his agent, or Tottenham in the transfer of Luka Modric to Madrid as his agent. I am telling you this so you know Mario worked on transfers across Europe that in many cases had nothing to do with Dinamo.
It may fall into the sphere of a potential conflict of interest, as Mario was an agent for Dinamo players at the time I was there. So, we are talking about a moral issue here, by no means a criminal one as some want to implicate. Nowhere is it forbidden for my son to be an agent of Dinamo’s players. Such examples exist in European clubs. It is not exclusivity a Croatian model – journalists just write about them less.
Someone tried to assassinate you during a visit to Bosnia in 2017. What happened, and have you ever found out who did it?
It was simple, really. I wanted to protect the interests of Dinamo and did not allow the profits to go to various other groups, and then I was wounded in the leg. These people wanted to send a message so that they could blackmail me. I let the national authorities do their job and I'am sure they know who was behind it, but to this day no one has ever responded. Imagine such a legal scenario in England...
Do you worry for your safety now?
Of course. That is not a normal situation and I worry, but I do not act like a coward. All in all, I sleep very well.
Will you ever set foot in Croatia again?
I want to return to Croatia one day, and I want to be honoured for the things I have done. I want respect for my family as well. Whether that will ever come, I cannot know, but I still believe. I believe in justice. She is slow but she will come.
Do you enjoy living in Medjugorje, and what’s it like?
It is a small town. This is a sacred place for Catholics, and a place where there have been apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have now found my spiritual inner peace and strength to continue the legal fight for honour of the name ‘Mamic’.
What has life been like ‘on the run’?
I can say that my life is a hundred times different from the one I had back in Croatia. This is a quiet and easy place to live, and much slower than Zagreb. In Zagreb, I lived at the speed of light. Here, I have time to feel what I eat and drink and enjoy rest, peace and concentration. Finally, I now have time to see what I live for. I can dedicate more time to my wife and children than I did in Zagreb, as Dinamo always came first. Frankly, I can say I have become a much better person in Medjugorje.
Is there anything you miss about life back in Croatia?
I love Croatia and am still very patriotic. I really miss regulated, legal, European Croatia. Personally there is nothing else I miss, though, even more so while the Croatian national team and Dinamo Zagreb are experiencing great success. That is my biggest satisfaction in these moments. I could stay in Bosnia forever if Croatia and Dinamo both continue to prosper on the pitch. Let sport always be the winner.
Read it yesterday, cheers.
Yeah, nothing really new in there that I didn't know as he is still very present in the press.
He's a shady character but he surely contributed to Croatian football and is never given any credit.
One thing's for sure; he's far more capable president than Bartomeu.
Yeah, nothing really new in there that I didn't know as he is still very present in the press.
He's a shady character but he surely contributed to Croatian football and is never given any credit.
One thing's for sure; he's far more capable president than Bartomeu.
Messi983
Senior Member
And 1000 times more corrupt. I would still take Bartomeu over Mamić.
You think Bartomeu isn't corrupt? Way I see it, it's either you are or you're not so it really doesn't matter. At least on a hypothetical level.
JerseyAddict
Well-known member
To have it once for all...
DINAMO ON TOP OF THE GROUP
Alik
Moderator
[tw]806825025043107840[/tw]
So yesterday was their first win?
Raketa10
Senior Member
This might sound strange but I am 100% sure Bjelica is a coach who can manage any top tier football team. He is THAT good! He is a fantastic tactician, has a great personality and he speaks Spanish, German, English, Italian and French. To be fair apart from Olmo he is the biggest star of this team! Fantastic manager! 
Last edited:
Home of Barca Fans
