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Moscow : Croatian defender Domagoj Vida escaped a FIFA ban on Sunday after posting a video clip dedicated to his country's victory over Russia in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup ™. Ukraine
Croatian Domagoj Vida celebrates after the victory of his team against Russia in the quarter-finals. AFP
Vida scored a goal in overtime and a penalty for Croatia in a 4-3 shootout win against hosts of the World Cup in Sochi on Saturday.
Croatia to face England in semifinal on Wednesday Officials had asked FIFA to take tough disciplinary action.
The 29-year-old shouted "Glory to Ukraine!" in a video posted by former Croatian international Ognjen Vukojevic shortly after the dramatic finale in Sochi.
Vida played for Ukrainian club Dynamo Kiev. Vukojevic also played for the club and now works for them as a scout.
FIFA stated that it had studied the video and decided to send a warning to Vida but to take no further action.
"We can confirm that the committee sent a warning to the player Domagoj Vida because of his video statement," said a spokesman to AFP .
"Glory to Ukraine!" Was a slogan of the pro-EU revolution of the former Soviet republic that overthrew a Russian-backed president in 2014.
The revolt was condemned as illegal by Moscow and triggered a crisis in relations between the two neighboring states. followed by the annexation by Russia of the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea and a pro-Kremlin separatist war in eastern Ukraine that made more than 10,000 victims
Vukojevic added: " This win is for Dynamo (Kiev) and for Ukraine! "
The clip was picked up by the Russian state media and attracted the condemnation of some officials.
"Such actions should be punished," said sports committee member Dmitry Svishchyov.
"Political, nationalist and racist slogans are not welcome at the World Cup."
Vida issued a statement distributed by the Football Federation of Croatia after FIFA's decision qualifying the incident as bad luck.
"I regret that some media representatives have interpreted our communication in this way," he said.
"This was certainly not a political message, but a simple thank you for all the support of Ukraine, where Vukojevic"
He had previously told the Russian media that the message is no longer a political message, but a simple thanks for all the support of Ukraine, where Vukojevic
was "only a joke."
The Croatian Football Federation added that the message of the players was "intended for their friends in Ukraine."
"Nevertheless, the Croatian Football Federation has pointed out in Vida and Vukojevic, as well as all other internationals, to abstain from any message that could be interpreted politically in the future ", he said.
AFP
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