体坛英语新闻：CAS ends Brazil World Cup hope for Croatia defender Simunic

ZAGREB, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Experienced 36-year-old veteran defender Josip Simunic will not be a part of Croatian football team that will compete at the World Cup.

His hope that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) would overturn FIFA Appeal Committee decision of a 10-match ban for his acts on Nov. 19, 2013 after the match against Iceland was trashed on Monday in Lausanne.

"On 19 November 2013 in Zagreb, the national football team of Croatia won the play-off game against Iceland and qualified for the final round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. After the end of the match, Josip Simunic went to the centre of the pitch with a microphone and yelled at the fans "U boj, u boj!" (to the battle!), "za dom!" (for the homeland!). The fans replied by shouting "Spremni!" (We are ready!). The FIFA identified such words as being the war call used by the Ustase, the Croatian pro-Nazi regime that ruled the state during World War II before being dissolved in May 1945 and found the player guilty of offending the dignity of a group of persons by using discriminatory words," CAS said in its media release.

On May 8, Simunic had a lengthy hearing in front of the three-member CAS panel looking for the sanctions to be cancelled or, alternatively, be stayed for a probation period of one year.

But his arguments were not strong enough for the CAS judges. So, CAS has rejected the appeal filed by Simunic and confirmed the sanction imposed by FIFA against the player, who remains suspended for 10 official matches, the first of which has to be served during the final competition of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, banned from entering the confines of the stadiums for those 10 matches and also fined CHF 30,000 (about 35,000 US dollars).

The CAS arbitrators in charge of this matter unanimously rejected the arguments of the player and dismissed his appeal. They confirmed that the expression used by Simunic was a clear and unequivocal reference to the call used by the Ustase and that such expression has to be sanctioned in accordance with Article 58 paragraph 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. Accordingly, the CAS Panel confirmed the FIFA decision.

"I am feeling sorry for Josip (Simunic) but FIFA, UEFA and CCF have a firm stance when it comes to racism and discrimination and this decision follows that politic. That being said, this will not change (Simunic's) position that he earned with 105 caps for Croatia. Josip (Simunic) had an influential role on Croatia's path to Brazil and his teammates will surely have him in their minds when they will play at the World Cup," Croatian Football Federation President Davor Suker said in his comment after CAS's final decision in Simunic's case.

This decision virtually ends Simunic's international career but his legal battles doesn't end here. He wants to prove that he is innocent and his plan is to present his case to the Swiss Supreme Court. But, even if he'll win this battle it won't help him get his place in Croatia's World Cup team because there is not enough time to end this case before the 2 June deadline when all teams must publish their 23-man squads.

Simunic's absence leaves coach Niko Kovac with a hole in his defensive line to fill. Kovac will publish the names of 30 candidates for Croatia's World Cup team on Wednesday and then wait until May 31, after the friendly match against Mali, to give his final 23-man list of players who will travel to Brazil.