Referee attack earns Blazevic ban
Monday, March 25, 2002
Article summary
NK Osijek's coach Miroslav Blazevic has been suspended for three months.
Article body
Miroslav Blazevic, the NK Osijek coach, has been suspended for three months and fined €800 after a physical attack on a referee.
Clashed with referee
Blazevic clashed with referee Ivan Novak after his first game in charge against NK Dinamo Zagreb on 6 March when his side lost 2-1 in the Croatian Premier League.
Lenient
The Croatian football federation's disciplinary judge Kresimir Vlajcevic could have banned the former Croatia national team coach for up to two years, but was lenient because he did not believe Blazevic had intended to strike the referee.
'Shocked'
"I am shocked by the decision and I cannot believe it. The club will decide whether to file an appeal, but I will stay as Osijek's coach," Blazevic said. Blazevic was furious about with the initial decision to suspend him two weeks ago and threatened to resign after only one game in charge of Osijek. He eventually retracted his threat to quit the mid-table club.
