First, RK Zagreb lost to Nantes in the Champions League. Then, a brawl broke out in the locker room. The result? Croatian goalkeeper Matej Mandic now risks missing the European Championship due to facial injuries.
It was after Wednesday’s match between Zagreb and Nantes that Croatian media began reporting about a fight in the home team’s locker room.
The club has now announced on its website that two players are being suspended: Croatian national team player Zvonimir Srna, 26, and Serbian national team player Milos Kos, 22, both left backs. The suspension is justified as “a physical conflict caused by Kos.”
According to Croatian media, the fight began after some players expressed dissatisfaction with Kos’s performance during the match. Goalkeeper Mandic then reportedly said something that prompted Kos to punch him in the face. Several players are said to have intervened to defend Mandic, escalating the situation further.
The national team goalkeeper was taken to the hospital for his facial injuries and has undergone surgery. According to reports from the Croatian sports newspaper Sportske Novosti, he now risks missing the home European Championship, which begins on January 14.