Croatian Olympic Scandal

According to Jutarnji list, Croatia got its first Olympic scandal. President Stipe Mesić (Stipe Mesic) and prime minister Ivo Sanader floated the possibility of attending the Athens games in order to cheer Croatian handball team in the finals. Croatia getting into the finals doesn't seem to be much of a problem, judging by the superb result of Lino Červar's (Lino Cervar's) juggernaut. But Mesić and Sanader didn't secure tickets on team. Their attempts to get them led Antun Vrdoljak, Croatian member of International Olympic Committee, to say that he would get tickets for Sanader, but not for "the spy".

"The spy" is, of course, Mesić. Vrdoljak, who used to be highly positioned (and most hated) HDZ official during Tudjman's reign, is apparently displeased with the way Mesić testified at Hague Tribunal.

Zlatko Mateša, chairman of International Olympic Committee, used to be Tudjman's prime minister. But his tone was more conciliatory and he promised that he would try to obtain the tickets both for Mesić and Sanader, "even on the black market, if everything else fails".