Croatia Players Shun Media After Nude Pics Leaked Online
Croatian players were photographed swimming naked and the incident had forced fuming players to boycott the press.
© AFP
Left embarrassed after their nude pictures were leaked online by paparazzi, Croatia's footballers at the ongoing FIFA World Cup have refused to talk to the media.
The no-talk move comes after two photographers hid behind bushes near the team hotel to click the pictures of players while they were taking a shower and leaked them online. (Also read: Croatia team accuses referee of being biased in favour of Brazil)
"How would you feel if someone took naked pictures of you?. They are adamant that they won't speak to you lot any more," Croatia coach Nico Kovac told a press conference in Praia do Forte here.
"I don't know whether the silence will end tomorrow or last until the end of our World Cup campaign," he added.
Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren and former Manchester City defender Vedran Corluka, now with Lokomotiv Moscow, are clearly visible in the photographs.
Kovac added: "I respect my players' opinion and I also know that you have done a very professional job so far but you blew it with this one. The whole world has seen the photos.
"It's easy for me to talk but I'm not part of this story. I respect their opinion. What can I do? I cannot pull them by the ears and say, 'let's go talk to media'."
Croatia, who lost their opening World Cup Group A match 3-1 to hosts Brazil in Sao Paulo, play Cameroon in their second game on Wednesday in the Amazonian city of Manaus.