Gold speaks out against Croatia conspiracy

September 1, 2009

The Croatian federation has accused English players of purposely injuring their players as the two countries are in the same World Cup qualifying group but Birmingham chairman David Gold has laughed off these suggestions believing them to be ridiculous.

Last year Arsenal striker Eduardo broke his leg against Birmingham and on Saturday Tottenham’s Croatian playmaker Luka Modric suffered the same fate.

“To suggest it’s a conspiracy, particularly by our club, is absolutely ridiculous,” he told the BBC.

“I can’t see an ounce of reality about it at all - I find it nonsensical.”

When Eduardo was injured last season England had already failed to qualify for Euro 2008 but with the crunch qualification games coming up for the 2010 World Cup Croatian Football Federation president Vlatko Markovic thinks the timing of Modric’s injury is no coincidence.

“It is terrible what has happened to us,” he said.

“Maybe someone has something against us and our national team. In the past year, they [English footballers] have injured Eduardo and now the same has happened to Luka Modric.

“I can only ask whether someone did it deliberately on the eve of the game with England. I can only ask myself whether it is a coincidence or not.”

Gold said the suggestion that Lee Bowyer’s challenge on Modric was part of a conspiracy was “so ridiculous it beggars belief”.

“I was at the game and I was only a few feet away from the incident and it was a very mild entanglement,” he said.

“Modric was outstanding in that game so no wonder they’re disappointed at losing him, but to say there a conspiracy is nonsense.

“We should make light of it - maybe the problem is the statement has been completely lost in translation, maybe he meant to say something different.”

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