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Croatia fined by FIFA for violating marketing rules

FIFA has fined the Croatian soccer federation over $70,000 for violating media and marketing rules at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. According to a statement from the FIFA press service, the fine is related to an incident in which members of the Croatian national team were seen drinking “non-authorized beverage products,” that is, drinks that were not officially approved as part of the sponsorship deal for the World Cup.

The incident occurred during the Round of 16 meeting last week at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium that saw Croatia advance on penalties against Denmark.

Players of Croatia pose for a photo ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia on July 01, 2018. (Getty Images)
Players of Croatia pose for a photo ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia on July 01, 2018. (Getty Images)

For those of you keeping score at home, that fine over the non-authorized beverages is approximately 10 times the fine FIFA hit the Russian FA with after Russian fans unfurled a neo-Nazi banner at a match against Uruguay earlier in the tournament.

FIFA has a longstanding relationship with Coca-Cola and strict marketing regulations about what brand of beverages players are allowed to be seen with during matches.

In a related incident, FIFA also issued a warning to Croatia goalkeeper, Danijel Subasic, who lifted his jersey to reveal a T-shirt commemorating a teammate who had died from game-related injuries in 2008.

Subasic received an official warning for violating equipment rules related to the “display of a personal message.”

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