Luka Modric, the Croatian genius who may end up in jail after the final against France

At the end of the line, Miroslav Blazevic is not his age . In any case, when it comes to talking about football, especially Croatian football. The former coach of 83 years suddenly found all his words of French, memories of his passages on the banks of FC Nantes and several Swiss teams. Croatia of 2018? "Strong" "technical" "well in place." If she can beat France, Sunday, July 15, in the final? "Yes, even if … Even if the Blues are favorites" concedes who was at the head of the vatreni selection, stopped by the Blues in the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup

The Croatian technician does not lack vocabulary to evoke Luka Modric, this "magician" "excellent player" "one of the best in the world now" . His Croatian accent, however, becomes more pronounced when the questions end up turning around the darker face of the current captain of the selection.

Stop your circus! Modric is an honest man, he is 100% innocent! Miroslav Blazevic to franceinfo

Somewhat annoyed, Miroslav Blazevic swears to us that "Modric plays with a clear conscience". Before we wish you a good day. And to hang up.

In recent months, the awesome Croatian midfielder of 32 years is not only closely watched by the defenses. Justice also keeps an eye on him. And this time, his fault is worth much more than a red card. He is accused of lying in a corruption scandal that undermines his country's football. The judges blame him for having changed his testimony to cover a man, and not just any one. A certain Zdravko Mamic, about sixty years old, considered as the most powerful man in Croatian football.

The case returned to the crampons of the Croatian selection on June 6, just eight days before the opening of the to World Cup ] in Russia. That day, 2,300 kilometers from Moscow, Zdravko Mamic was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for having misappropriated money on the sale of players belonging to his club, Dinamo Zagreb . The man, "apparently does not intend to serve this sentence," as ESPN writes (in English) has meanwhile taken refuge in Bosnia Herzegovina. He ended up being arrested on 14, two days before entering the competition of Croatia against Nigeria.

Luka Modric and Zdravko Mamic have known each other for a long time. "The fate of the first is linked to the second since his adolescence" traces Loïc Trégourès, author of a political science thesis on "football, politics and identities" in the former Yugoslavia. To the point of passing "a deal". "Early in his career, Modric received a financial boost from Mamic and signed an agreement requiring him to share future income with him" details an article from The Independent (19459007) translated by Footballski. Thus, e n 2008, when the Croatian genius left Dinamo Zagreb for Tottenham in the Premier League, Zdravko Mamic would "illegally recovered to his account considerable sums" of this transfer. We are talking about several million euros. A true " hen with golden eggs" goes so far as to say Loïc Trégourès

On June 13, 2017, Luka Modric puts on a white shirt , a blue jacket, and heals her blonde hair. This time, he does not have an appointment at the Real Madrid training center, like every morning. But in the court of Osijek, near the Serbian border, "where the affair was out of place because of the supposed links of Zdravko Mamic with the political, police and judicial gratin of the capital" details The World . On that day, ace the prosecutor, Luka Modric refuses to confirm the first statement made to the anti-corruption police in 2015. At the prosecutor's office, the number 10 mumbles these few words: "I do not remember. "

In the first place, during the investigations, Modric however explained that he had paid cash to the Mamic family seven of the nine million euros arrived on his account on the occasion of his transfer to Tottenham.

In Croatia, this turnaround does not happen … even if it is the work of one of the best footballers that the country has known. A supporter of the selection, who made the trip to Russia, went so far as to flock on his shirt the famous phrase "I do not remember" .

Konačno i i kontra došla na stadion pic.twitter.com/vavQIeuG1S

– strings_kings (@strings_kings) June 16, 2018

Many do not understand why Luka Modric absolutely seeks to cover Mamic . A message also flourished about the Zadar hotel where Modric and his family fled during the war in the former Yugoslavia. "Luka, you will remember that day" can you read

This is the hotel in Zadar where the Modrić family used to live. "Luka, you'll remember this one day" (via @Jutarnji ) pic.twitter.com/LcjYcMejyY

– Aleksandar Holiga (@AlexHoliga) June 14, 2017

The Modric case and, more broadly, the corruption problems in Croatian football divide the fans. "There are two camps slice Loïc Trégourès On one side, there are those who want to finish with this system, who would have liked that Modric is not in selection. On the other hand, there are those who find excuses, and they are clearly in the majority. "

Everyone knows, but act as if. They rationalize. That's how it was … Loïc Trégourès à franceinfo

A question often comes up in the mouths of more indulgent supporters: could Luka Modric act otherwise? "It's a good question, recognizes Loïc Trégourès Perhaps even THE central question of the case, let's say it's a kind of classic, opaque schema. , the Mamic box is almost inevitable. "

Another important element: Luka Modric has nothing of the gambler footballer. No polemics, no escapades that spread in A4 in the press people … His life with Vanja and their three children is frankly nothing extravagant. A discipline often associated with his early years. "If he was terrified during his childhood, it was not the case of bickering kids but big nonsense" written Le Temps, Luka Modric is indeed "a son of war who tore apart the Balkans in the early 90s" . He is 6 when his family fled his village of Modrici when Serb soldiers arrived. They settled 40 kilometers away, in this hotel room of Zadar. And wait until the bullets stop whistling.

A few weeks before the start of the World Cup, the coach of Croatia, Zlatko Dalic, admitted to being "worried" of the threat of firm prison hovering over his centerpiece. A few hours before the final against France, the concern is dispelled. In chickens, then in eighths, quarters and a half, Modric was the expected conductor, author of two goals. For example, "his recital against Argentina by Lionel Messi (3-0) put the matter in the background" written Le Monde .

In conference of press, it is in any case radio silence. His teammates do not comment on the matter affecting the captain. On June 15, before the match against Nigeria, a journalist from Guardian did well. He wanted to know how the midfielder lived the situation. Vexed, the interested party cleared the question. "Nothing smarter to ask?" It's a World Cup, nothing else, how long have you been prepared to ask that kind of question?

Kapetan hrvatske nogometne reprezentacije @ lukamodric10 nije organic oduševljen pitanjem koje je u vezi nepravomoćne presude Zdravku Mamiću i njenom utjecaju na igrae postavio @ shaunwalker7 iz @guardian … pic.twitter.com/OEnUl3CVTr

– Nogomet + (@NogometPlusNet) June 15, 2018

A good performance against the Blues, Sunday, July 15, can only arrange his case. "His love rating could go back a little, yes, but it will not prevent him from being condemned" prefers to prevent Loïc Trégourès.

An end to the year that promises to be highly emotional for the Croatian playmaker. In case of victory at the World Cup, Luka Modric, already winner of the Champions League this year with Real, would be a favorite in the race for the Golden Ball and could end the undivided reign of the couple Messi-Ronaldo since a decade. Problem: he faces five years in prison.