Since signing for Olympique Lyonnais, Dejan Lovren has been at the heart of a controversy over his behavior in a video released during the celebrations of Croatia’s 3rd place at the 2022 World Cup. This Friday, the central defender brought his justifications.
Dejan Lovren provided his justifications.
Dejan Lovren probably did not expect such a welcome for his return to France. After his departure in 2013, the 33-year-old central defender reunited with Olympique Lyonnais during this winter transfer window to bring his experience to a struggling club.
But since signing, the former Liverpool player has been the subject of controversy over a video linked to Croatia’s 3rd place celebrations at the 2022 World Cup: with a controversial chant and associated nationalist salute to the crimes of the Ustashi, Croatian collaborators of Nazi Germany.
Lovren delivers his explanations
Annoyed by this subject Thursday at a press conference, Gones coach Laurent Blanc had invited journalists to speak directly to Lovren. In order to stop the debates, the native of Zenica spoke during an interview granted to Agence France Presse this Friday. I have already explained everything about this in Croatia about this video on YouTube but it has not been taken up in France. For me it’s a patriotic song that is about my country which means I love my country. The song we are talking about is not ‘Za dom Spremni’ but ‘Cavoglav’ which is not fascist at all. It goes back to the liberation of the country and the glory of Croatia that we all sing to celebrate a happy eventhe assured.
My country fought for its very recently obtained independence and is still under construction. It is not good for my stay to begin like this. I respect everyone, Lovren continued. In his explanations, the Lyonnais did not however justify his gesture during this song, with an outstretched arm and a pistol. A nationalist salute used by the Ustashi and taken up by far-right paramilitary groups in the 1990s before its legal ban by the Croatian Constitutional Court for crimes against public order and incitement to hatred.
A tarnished arrival…
With the will to concentrate on the sporting aspect, Lovren deplored this affair, which disrupted his return to Lyon, and showed his desire to turn the page. I attacked you. We distort in an immediately negative way without referring to the right song. It has nothing to do with fascism. So I’m surprised. I arrive in Lyon with a positive energy that I want to display on the pitch to pass it on to my teammates., finished the Gone. It remains to be seen whether his statements will put an end to the controversy.
The famous polemic video of Dejan Lovren
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