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The Croatia defender Josip Simunic will miss the World Cup finals in Brazil after being suspended for 10 matches by Fifa for making pro-Nazi chants at the end of last month's play-off victory over Iceland.
Simunic took up a microphone after the match and shouted to supporters: "For the homeland!" The fans responded: "Ready!" The call was used by the Croatian pro-Nazi puppet regime that ruled the state during the second world war.
Fifa said on Monday that the salute was "discriminatory and offended the dignity of a group of persons concerning ... race, religion or origin". Simunic has also been banned from entering the stadiums where Croatia will play those 10 games. Simunic previously defended his action, saying he was driven by love for his country.
"After taking into account all of the circumstances of the case, and particularly given the gravity of the incident, the committee decided to suspend the player for 10 official matches," Fifa said on Monday.
"The committee took note that the player, together with the crowd, shouted a Croatian salute that was used during the second world war by the fascist 'Ustaše' movement. As a consequence, the committee agreed that this salute was discriminatory and offended the dignity of a group of persons concerning, inter alia, race, religion or origin, in a clear breach of article 58 par. 1a) of the Fifa Disciplinary Code."
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