Croatian footballer to miss World Cup over fascist greeting

Croatian footballer to miss World Cup over fascist greeting

LAUSANNE -- The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed a sanction imposed by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) against Josip Šimunić.

Thus the Croatian national football team player's suspension remains in place, and he will miss the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

On November 19, following Croatia's World Cup qualifier victory over Iceland, Šimunić addressed the crowd at the stadium in Zagreb with a fascist greeting.

Šimunić took a microphone and shouted the infamous greeting "For home!" ("Za dom!") - used by members of the WW2-era fascist Ustasha regime of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). To this, the Croatian fans gathered at the stadium replied by shouting the second part of the phrase: "Ready!" ("Spremni!")

On December 12, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee suspended the footballer for ten official matches, banned him from entering the confines of stadiums for those matches and fined him CHF 30,000. Šimunić lodged a complaint against the decision, but the CAS confirmed it on Monday.

FIFA said the footballer was spreading hatred and described his gesture as fascist.

The Ustasha regime operated death camps during the war, including the one in Jasenovac. Tanjug noted it its report that the NDH committed the crime of genocide killing several hundred thousand Serbs, 80,000 Roma and 32,000 Jews.