Osijek (Croatia) (AFP) – Luka Modric swapped his football kit for a suit on Tuesday as he appeared in the witness box to testify in a multi-million-euro corruption trial against Dinamo Zagreb’s former boss.

The 31-year-old star midfielder, who is not a suspect, was visibly uncomfortable as he gave evidence at the trial of controversial Zdravko Mamic, considered the most powerful man in Croatian football.

Mamic is being tried along with three others: his brother and former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic, former club director Damir Vrbanovic, and a tax inspector.

They were charged last year with abuse of power and graft that cost the former Croatian champions more than 15 million euros ($17.6 million), and the state 1.5 million euros.

Most of the money — more than 12 million euros — was illegally acquired by the Mamic brothers, according to the indictment. The cash was allegedly embezzled through fictitious deals related to player transfers.

Dressed in a blue suit and white shirt, Modric did not make any comment upon arriving at a tribunal in the eastern city of Osijek.

As he entered the courtroom and walked towards the witness box he did not look at the bench where the defendants were sitting.

– Doing deals –

Modric testified over the details of his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Tottenham Hotspur. From there he joined Real Madrid in 2012.

“I went to Tottenham for about 21 million euros,” he said, explaining that there was a “deal between me and the (Dinamo) club” that they would split the money 50-50.

His share of the transfer money would arrive in his bank account from Dinamo. 

But Modric said he would then, under a personal agreement with Mamic, withdraw some of the cash and give it back to the club chief, via Mamic’s son or brother.

In total he gave seven million euros to Mamic from the nine million that arrived in his account, according to the indictment.

But Modric on Tuesday appeared at times confused about his deals with the club and Mamic and the dates when they were signed.

Another Croatian international, Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, will follow as a witness on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old is expected to be questioned over his 2010 transfer from Dinamo to French side Lyon.

The trial has attracted huge interest from media and residents of Osijek where it is being held, reportedly to avoid Mamic’s influence on judges in the capital Zagreb.

Mamic’s connections extend into many spheres of Croatian public life and he donated to the election campaign of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

Most Croatian football fans consider him the real boss of the Croatian Football Federation and believe its formal chief Davor Suker is merely Mamic’s puppet.

The magnate has bragged to media about feeling like a “Hollywood star” in Osijek because local people regularly approach to greet him.

– ‘Honourable man’ –

Since the trial opened in April under strict security, Mamic has lived up to his controversial reputation, easily losing his temper and trying to turn the process into a performance.

The indictment is the “most disgusting lie I’ve heard in my life” and the trial “a politically-rigged process”, he said, lambasting the anti-corruption prosecutors as “fakers and manipulators”.

State attorneys were even allocated extra protection after Mamic verbally attacked one of them.

Judge Darko Kruslin has often warned and threatened him with fines over his behaviour.

The defendant described Modric as an “honourable man” after the hearing and appeared to be satisfied with his “most honest” testimony.

Modric, who grew up as a refugee child in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast, is highly popular in Croatia where he has a reputation for modesty.

He was only six when Croatia’s independence war broke out, and although Zadar was heavily bombed his football skills in the corridors of a refugee hotel and in cratered car parks did not go unnoticed.

Mamic’s trial is a major one for Croatian football, which is known for the success of its national team but also hooliganism and poor infrastructure.