Source: Daily_Mail
You're out to get us! Croatians claim conspiracy ahead of World Cup clash
Croatian football's most senior figure claims there is a conspiracy on the part of English football to injure his country's best players ahead of vital internationals between the two nations.
Croatia FA president Vlatko Markovic made the shocking allegation in the wake of Tottenham's Luka Modric suffering a broken leg at the weekend. 'What's happening to us is terrible,' said Markovic. 'I don't know whether somebody has got something against us. Modric is our most important player and we are very depleted without him in our side.
'Right now I think that somebody has done it intentionally.'
The Tottenham star misses England's World Cup qualifier against Croatia tomorrow week as a result of the injury caused by Lee Bowyer's challenge. And even though Modric has absolved the Birmingham midfielder of any blame, that has not stopped Markovic, 72, claiming there is a deliberate ploy to harm his nation's chances against England.
He compared Modric's worth to the Croatia team to Andres Iniesta's for Barcelona.
He insisted it was not the first time an English footballer haddeliberately tried to hurt a Croat player in the run-up to an importantinternational between the countries, citing the example of Eduardo'shorrific ankle break in February last year.
Eduardo, who is facing a UEFA two-match ban for diving in Arsenal'sChampions League win over Celtic, missed England's 4-1 win over Croatiain Zagreb last September as he spent more than a year recuperating fromthe damage caused by Birmingham's Martin Taylor.
Markovic added: 'Last year they injured Eduardo and now it is Modric. At the end of the day I can only ask myself whether it is a coincidence or not.'
Victory for England will guarantee Fabio Capello's side their place in next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa and one player who could be given a chance against Croatia is Modric's in-form team-mate Aaron Lennon.
The winger, who was in the England squad for the 2006 World Cup finals, said: 'My aim has always been to cement a place on the right hand side for England, but there are so many quality players out there it will be difficult.
'But if I keep playing well, then I've got a chance.
'It's nice to keep scoring in front of the England manager, but I want to just keep scoring for Spurs.'
