All not well in Sarajevo camp
FK Sarajevo stars have called in their Players’ Union to ensure they are paid ahead of their Champions League showdown with Celtic.
They will face the Hoops in the first qualifying round of the Champions League and have already swapped the dates of the home and away ties because of red-tape delays.
Scott Brown & Co will visit the Kosevo City Stadium on Tuesday, July 9, with the return at Celtic Park eight days later.
The Bosnian champions’ players threatened to go on strike after their wages were delayed, and they initially refused to go on a pre-season training camp to Slovenia.
Some of the Sarajevo players have now been paid by their Vietnamese owners, and the club eventually travelled to Slovenia a day later than planned.
But the Bosnian Union of Professional Footballers has issued a warning to the club that they need to get their act together.
The Union’s president, Aldin Djidic, said: “We have been in constant contact with the players of FK Sarajevo over the last few days.
“We fully understand and sympathise with their plight.
“The facts are these players achieved historic success for the club, and they expect their contracts to be honoured for this.
“We respect the fact that Sarajevo have changed their ownership structure.
“But we are really disappointed this caused a problem for the players who have achieved their success because they should have foreseen this.
“They are the champions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and are representing the country in a massive duel against a famous club like Celtic.
“They should be getting all the help and encouragement they can get to be adequately prepared for this challenge, instead of worrying about wages.
“We are here to protect them, and we will always do that with our members.”