Josip Šimunić will not be part of Croatia’s squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil despite celebrating his country’s qualification last month. The Croatian defender had sparked controversy by chanting “Za dom spremni,” a song associated with the Ustasha, a Nazi-backed regime that governed Croatia during World War II. The song has ties to far-right and neo-Nazi circles, even though some consider it a patriotic anthem.
The Croatian Football Federation has taken a stand against any association with such symbols, leading to Šimunić’s exclusion from the World Cup squad.
