CROATIAN SOCCER CHIEF APPEALS FINE

Vlatko Markovic, president of the Croatian Football Federation, has appealed a € 10,000 fine for saying that he would not allow gay players in the country’s team.

In November last year, Markovic caused a furore when he said in an interview: “While I’m a president of the Croatian Football Federation, there will be no homosexuals playing in the national team.”

The 74-year-old added: “Luckily, only normal people play football”.

Markovic later apologised and retracted his statements, which were reported to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

He was fined by UEFA for making the “inappropriate statement” to the media.

Despite the controversy, he was shortly-after re-elected for the fourth time as head of the Croatian federation.

The Associated Press reports that Markovic has now appealed the fine and that a hearing will be held in June.

Earlier this month, a Croatian court dismissed a case by an LGBT group against Markovic for employment discrimination based on his comments.

The court said that the Federation should be sued in the matter and not its president.