Zagreb (Croatia): Zoran Mamic quit as Dinamo Zagreb coach after Croatia’s Supreme Court confirmed his nearly five-year prison sentence for tax evasion and fraud. Zoran Mamic handed his resignation just days before the Croatian champions play an Europa League match against Tottenham Hotspurs.
“I do not feel guilty. However, as I announced earlier, if the verdict is final, I accept it as such and resign from the position of head coach and sports director of GNK Dinamo,” Mamic said in a statement Tuesday. “I wish the club a lot of luck and sporting success in its future work,” he added.
Mamic has no further avenue for appeal. He will have to go to prison upon receiving the formal notification of the court ruling.
Mamic and his brother Zdravko, a former Dinamo Zagreb executive director, were charged with embezzling the equivalent of $18 million from the sale of club players to foreign clubs, and for tax evasion worth $2 million.
The Mamic brothers were suspected of embezzlement through fictitious deals made during transfers of several former Dinamo players to foreign clubs, including Luka Modric to Tottenham in 2008.
The Real Madrid midfielder, a former FIFA player of the year, was a key witness during the trial. He testified about his financial deals with the Mamics.
Zoran was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. Zdravko, who was sentenced to six years and six months, fled to Bosnia shortly after a lower court passed the original sentences in 2018.
The club said Mamic would be replaced as coach by Damir Krznar.
Dinamo is scheduled to host Tottenham Thursday in the return leg of their Europa League playoff. Tottenham won the first leg 2-0 last week.