World Cup Betting: Unrest in the Slovenia camp and not for the first time

/ Ben Lyttleton / 16 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Slovenia captain Robert Koren is at the centre of a dispute over bonuses for the players at the World Cup

Koren called his boss “a two-faced liar” and attacked Simic for discussing the financial negotiations on public internet forums, adding: “He always wants media attention but shows the players constant disrespect. The players will not let anyone ruin the chemistry between us and the fans.”

Ben Lyttleton tells us how a row between coach and star player Zlatko Zahovic ruined Slovenia's World Cup campaign back in 2002 and how another argument, this time about bonuses and appearance fees, threatens to do the same to England's Group C opponents in 2010.

If Roy Keane's exit from the Republic of Ireland camp during the 2002 World Cup was the most surprising moment of the finals, the departure of Slovenian playmaker Zlatko Zahovic was perhaps less so. After all, Zahovic had always been temperamental and he endured a frosty relationship with his coach Srecko Katanec.

That culminated in his famous outburst in Japan, when he declared to his coach at a team meeting: "You're a prick of a coach and you were a prick of a player. I could buy you, your house and your family." Zahovic was sent home and Slovenia went on to lose their next two matches to South Africa (1-0) and Paraguay (3-1).

This is only relevant because Slovenia, who are drawn in Group C alongside England, USA and Algeria, have been at it again. This time, their FA president Ivan Simic offered to resign after captain Robert Koren claimed he went back on his word during negotiations about bonus payments relating to the country's first finals appearance since 2002.

Simic had agreed to pay each player €150,000 for reaching the World Cup finals, and a further €500,000 each if they win the competition. But after that agreement was reached, he claimed that Koren made additional demands, including that the FA cover the expenses for the players' families to travel to South Africa.

Koren called his boss "a two-faced liar" and attacked Simic for discussing the financial negotiations on public internet forums, adding: "He always wants media attention but shows the players constant disrespect. The players will not let anyone ruin the chemistry between us and the fans."

Last week the fans waded into the row and accused Slovenia's players of being greedy, pointing out that they are not asking for anyone to cover their expenses to South Africa. "None of the players came forward and asked if we needed any help in raising funds," said a fans' spokesman.

Bonus rows before World Cups are nothing new, but it doesn't help when the negotiations are problematic. In 2006, after Togo's players only received £800 each following their qualification for the World Cup, there was a furious row before their opening match as they demanded more money. There was even the possibility that they might boycott their opening game against South Korea, which they lost 2-1. Togo Prime Minister Edem Kodjo had to be flown into Germany as the squad demanded £100,000 each for qualifying while then Togo captain Jean-Paul Abalo was accused of cheating his team-mates out of money in the payment row.

The Slovenia situation is not as serious as that but given that it might end the reign of Simic, whose fate will be sealed by a general assembly due to meet in a fortnight, it is significant all the same. The players won't welcome the publicity while the waning of fans's support might not be forgotten in South Africa. Slovenia are ([2.28]) to win their opening game against Algeria in Polokwane and ([2.8]) to get out of Group C.

They will be outsiders before the tournament begins, but in Rene Krhin, a young midfiedler already part of the Inter Milan squad and highly-rated by Jose Mourinho, they have a player who can make a name for himself in South Africa. There is also an unpredictable streak among their players: Milivoje Novakovic was stripped of the Cologne captaincy for coming back from international duty one day late still wearing his Slovenia shirt, while Bostjan Cesar greeted the World Cup draw by insisting he wanted revenge on Wayne Rooney following an incident between the two at Wembley last year.

This Slovenia team has talent and organisation but as Zahovic and now Koren and Simic are proving, some individuals have a short fuse and that could undermine the rest of the group. They should be a lay in that opening game against Algeria, and if things do go against them then, sit back and get ready for the sparks to fly.