Luka Modric is one of several footballers who have been caught up in the latest Zdravko Mamic drama. A long time powerful and very controversial figure in Croatian football, Mamic is going through a court case after being accused of embezzlement, tax evasion and corruption.
It’s a big court case, and the figures involved are huge. French newspaper L’Equipe report that Luka Modric gave evidence on Monday, relating to his transfer from Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. There’s no suggestion of any wrongdoing from Spurs, and Modric himself isn’t being charged.
The Real Madrid player was also quizzed by a court last September as part of the same case.
In July 2015 Dinamo Zagreb president Mamic, his brother Zoran Mamic, and Damir Vrbanovic all had their houses raided as police tried to gather evidence for a case of tax evasion.
None of the accused were actually in Croatia at the time of the raids. Also arrested was an employee of the Croatian tax authorities, accused of being involved in the wrongdoing.
The accusation is that when Luka Modric moved to Tottenham in 2008, half of the transfer fee was supposed go to the player himself but it went to Zdravko Mamic instead.
Modric allegedly received the money but gave it directly to Mamic who hasn’t paid any tax on it.
At the time Jutarnji List suggested that Modric himself could end up facing charges. That seemed unlikely and hasn’t happened since.
