If there's another thing Croatia might consider skipping the next World Cup, it would be the string of bad luck they have been getting in this year's tournament. Succumbing to a controversial loss against Brazil on Thursday last week, the national football team of Croatia, particularly Coach Niko Kovac, is upset over the photos of its team players taken during a poll party following their loss, Yahoo Sports said. The problem was, the photos showed majority of the football players in their birthday suits at their Praia do Forte base, which was taken in stealth by two Croatian photographers while hiding in the nearby bushes. The photos were since published online.
An Angry Kovac told reporters in the ream's training base, "I can't force them to be at your disposal after what you have done to them and their families. How would you feel if someone took naked pictures of you? They are adamant that they won't speak to you lot any more and I don't know whether the silence will end tomorrow or last until the end of our World Cup campaign. I respect my players' opinion and I also know that you have done a very professional job so far but you blew it with this one. The whole world has seen the photos."
The photos noticeably showed Southampton defender Dejan Lovren and former Manchester City star Vedran Corluka in all of their naked glory.
Yahoo Sports said that the nude photo scandal was similar to the paparazzi sting that was set up by German newspaper Bild in the lead up to the World Cup Final back in 1974. Before facing West Germany, the newspaper had sent many "ladies of disrepute" to the hotel pool where the Netherlands team was relaxing before facing. The ladies soon began disrobing before the players, of which a paparazzi photographer had caught nearby, and a scandal was born.
