Nikola Kalinic’s World Cup adventure with Croatia has ended prematurely after he was sent home by coach Zlatko Dalic for disciplinary reasons.
It comes in the wake of the country’s opening game, a 2-0 win over Nigeria, in which the AC Milan forward refused to come off the bench after being told to ready himself for action.
Despite Dalic calling on Kalinic to enter the game in the 85th minute to replace Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, he refused to do so and cited a back injury as the reason he wouldn’t go on but his anger and frustration at his bench role had been in evidence before the World Cup opener.
As a result, a furious Dalic has opted to wield the axe against the ex-Fiorentina man and on Monday, he announced that Kalinic had been sent home from their World Cup base in disgrace.
Dalic will hold a press conference at their Roshino headquarters later on Monday to give his version of events, after refusing to answer questions about it on Sunday as rumours began to circulate.
Kalinic scored just six times for the Rossoneri last season in a frustrating campaign following his big money move from Florence.
The Passion Meter, which surveyed more than 5,000 fans, asks fans what they’d give up to see their country achieve World Cup glory. I wonder what Kalinic would sacrifice just to back in Russia!
