Croatian prosecutors have once again pressed charges against national team captain Luka Modric and former international Dejan Lovren for allegedly giving false testimony in a significant football corruption trial.
The players had previously appeared as witnesses in 2017 during the trial of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic, providing details about their transfers from the Croatian champions.
Modric testified about his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Real Madrid in 2012. Lovren, on the other hand, provided details of his 2010 transfer from Dinamo to Lyon, where he currently plays.
Although both players were initially charged with perjury in 2018, the charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence. However, prosecutors in the town of Osijek have now indicted Modric and Lovren, citing their birth years, for “giving false testimony.”
The indictment states that Modric allegedly provided false testimony on June 13, 2017, before the Osijek County court, during the Mamic trial. Lovren, on the other hand, was indicted for his testimony on September 1, 2017.
In Croatia, perjury is punishable by up to five years in prison. The corruption trial involving Mamic and three others resulted in convictions for abuse of power and corruption, which caused Dinamo significant financial losses.
Cash was embezzled through fictitious deals related to player transfers, as outlined in the indictment. Mamic, considered a prominent figure in Croatian football, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail but is currently evading capture in Bosnia.
The charges against Modric come shortly after Real Madrid announced the extension of his contract until June 2024. The 35-year-old midfielder led Croatia to the World Cup finals in 2018, showcasing his influential role in the national team’s success.
