Domagoj Vida Escapes Ban for “Glory to Ukraine” Chant
Croatian defender Domagoj Vida will play in Croatia’s semi final against England on Wednesday after escaping a ban.
Domagoj Vida has been the subject of much controversy after he was seen making a political statement in a video. The video was released following Croatia’s quarter final win over Russia on penalties.
Domagoj Vida as well as former player Ognjen Vukojevic dedicated their penalty shootout win over Russia on Saturday to Ukraine.
The two players both played for Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine, while Vukojevic still works for Dynamo as a scout.
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In the video, Vida shouts “Glory to Ukraine†in Ukrainian. Vukojevic says “this victory is for Dynamo and for Ukraine†in Croatian. The video has been widely circulated on social media, leading to the possibility of a ban.
Vida scored Croatia’s second goal with a header in extra time against Russia. He also converted in the following penalty shoot out.
According to Section 54 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, Vida could have received a two match ban and a fine.
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The code states that anyone:
“who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of 5,000 Swiss francs”.
“Glory to Ukraine” is the war cry of the Ukrainian army. It has also become widely associated with the simmering conflict on the country’s eastern border with Russia and in Crimea. Russia has claimed Crimea as Russian territory since 2014, despite international condemnation.
A FIFA spokesperson has confirmed that Vida has received an official warning over his actions.
“We can confirm that FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has sent a warning to the player Domagoj Vida due to his video statement following the 2018 FIFA World Cup match between Russia and Croatia.”
Vida has claimed that he was only joking and that “the victory is for Croatia, no politics”.
