FIFA has fined the Croatian Football Federation 50,000 Swiss francs (C$72,500 CAD) after supporters of the team insulted Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan during a World Cup match.
FIFA said the charges against Croatia relate to “the use of words and objects to convey a message inappropriate for a sporting event”.
Borjan was born in a region of Croatia of Serbian origin. He and his family left their hometown in 1995 when it was taken by Croatian forces. The ethnic Serbs reportedly fled in tractors.
In Canada’s 4-1 defeat on November 27, a banner unfurled by Croatian fans used a flag belonging to tractor manufacturer John Deere and changed the marketing slogan to target Borjan.
Borjan was 13 when his family moved to Canada – first to Winnipeg, then to Hamilton a year later. He plays for the famous Serbian club Red Star Belgrade.
The 35-year-old has 72 caps for Canada.
FIFA also fined the Serbian Football Federation 20,000 Swiss francs ($29,000) for a political banner about neighboring Kosovo that was displayed in the dressing room ahead of the team’s opening game against Brazil.
It showed a map of Serbia with the territory of its former province, which has been an independent state for almost 15 years, and the slogan “No Surrender”.
The Football Federation of Kosovo has filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the banner that was hung over the lockers of two Serbian players on November 24.
FIFA also fined Saudi Arabia 30,000 Swiss francs (US$43,500) for “team misconduct” after receiving six yellow cards in games against Argentina and Mexico.
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