Former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic detained in Bosnia

Bosnian police have detained former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic after Croatia issued an international arrest warrant when he didn’t report to prison to start serving a nearly five-year sentence for tax evasion and fraud

Soccer Bosnia Coach Detained (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Bosnian police detained former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic on Wednesday after Croatia issued an international arrest warrant when he didn't report to prison to start serving a nearly five-year sentence for tax evasion and fraud.

Mamic and his brother, Zdravko, had fled to neighboring Bosnia, and as citizens of both countries they are not subject to automatic extradition to Croatia. Zdravko Mamic had been Dinamo’s executive director.

Zoran Mamic will be transferred to a court to decide whether to extradite him to Croatia, Bosnian police said. The court earlier rejected the extradition of Zdravko Mamic when he was questioned after fleeing to Bosnia in 2018.

In March, Croatia’s high court sentenced Zoran Mamic to four years and eight months in prison. Zdravko Mamic had fled shortly after being sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.

The Mamic brothers were convicted of embezzling $18 million from the sale of Dinamo Zagreb players to foreign clubs and for tax evasion worth $2 million.

The Croatian court ruled that they made fictitious deals during transfers of several former Dinamo players, including Luka Modric to Tottenham in 2008. The Real Madrid midfielder was a key witness during the trial, testifying about his financial deals with the Mamics.

The brothers both have denied any wrongdoing, saying that Modric and other prominent former Dinamo players should also be held legally accountable for the transfers that the Mamics negotiated.

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