Croatia bars Vukojevic from World Cup

MOSCOW— Croatia expelled former player Ognjen Vukojevic from its World Cup delegation on Monday for making a pro-Ukraine video with defender Domagoj Vida.

The Croatian Football Federation and Vida apologized for the video, which was posted after the team beat Russia on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

The video shows Vida, who scored against Russia, shouting “glory to Ukraine” before Vukojevic adds “this win is for Dynamo and Ukraine ... go Croatia.” Both Vida and Vukojevic played for Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv, and Vukojevic is now a scout there.

The video angered social media users in Russia, which annexed the Crimean peninsula from the country in 2014.

FIFA rules bar players from making political gestures at the World Cup and the governing body gave Vida a formal warning on Sunday.

The Croatian federation said in a statement that Vukojevic, who was also a former player for Spartak Moscow, had been with the team as an observer but his World Cup credentials have been withdrawn.

Vukojevic said he intended the video as a personal greeting to Ukrainian friends. “However, I do understand that my statements can be differently interpreted,” he said.

Croatia’s team refused to allow players Mario Mandzukic and Andrej Kramaric to answer questions about the controversy on Monday.