croatian police guard Viduka`s house

[sledge038]

hi guys.
hope all and evry1 is well...

its WC time and thought id post this for the BM,S following the WC.
from an aussie news paper


Croatian police guard Viduka's place
From: By David Lewis
June 22, 2006
POLICE have put an armed guard on the Croatian holiday house of Socceroo captain Mark Viduka for fear it will be attacked if Australia knocks Croatia out of the World Cup tomorrow.

The location of Viduka's villa in Lozica, Dubrovnik, was not well-known until a reporter mentioned it on a Croatian national TV program.

The newsman, reporting from the Australian camp in Germany, told viewers back home he had been talking to Viduka about how he would feel about putting Croatia out of the competition in the game.

The reporter joked with his presenter about how secure the house would be should Australia go through to the second round at Croatia's expense.

Police responded by putting a squad of officers around the property for fear fans who now know the address could damage the house.


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Viduka, who was born in Melbourne, is of Croatian heritage and previously played club football for Dinamo Zagreb.

Several members of the Australian team have Croatian backgrounds, and midfielder Josip Skoko also owns property in the Croatian port town of Split.

Barring an unlikely Japanese win against Brazil, Australia will only need to draw with Croatia to join Brazil as qualifiers from Group F, but the Croats must win.

Viduka is well known for his deep attachment to Croatia, where his father and wife were born.

But when Australia rises early tomorrow for the match, it is certain Viduka will be even more motivated than usual to win for his country.

"Put it this way. It would be a personal pleasure to score against them," he said yesterday in Stuttgart, as he and his team prepared for the do-or-die encounter.

Viduka once wore a Croatian armband rolled in the sleeve of his Australian shirt while skippering Australia at the under-20 World Cup. Tomorrow, he is likely to be marked by Stjepan Tomas, a close friend and former teammate at Dinamo Zagreb.

But while former Australian Institute of Sport graduates Josip Simunic and Ante Seric left for the land of their lineage along with Australian-raised goalkeeper Joey Didulica, Viduka chose another path. "This match is very special, because we can go further in the World Cup, and because of my heritage," he says. "I know quite a few of them (Croatia's players), obviously the Aussie boys from my AIS days and Joe Didulica was from Geelong. We used to play against each other in junior comps. I know his family and obviously his brother (John) is our PFA representative.

"I also know the coach (Zlatko Kranjcar) because he was my first coach at Zagreb. There's always that thing where they (Croatians) think we should lean towards them, but we want to go out there and show we can play football."

Viduka expects bonfire emotions tomorrow and warns the match might get physical.

"I hope it's not a rough game. I don't think it will be, but there is a lot at stake, for us and for them," he said. "Sometimes those games get fiery. Everybody wants to win."

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