How a sex party raid nearly ended FIFA World Cup final referee's career
It was a glorious moment when Slavko Vincic was appointed as the referee for the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. There were tears of joy and just a feeling of accomplishment from the Slovenian official as he lapped in all the applause from his colleagues and helped the final ref jersey with pride. But this moment almost didn’t happen.
Vincic is an experienced campaigner and one of Europe’s top referees, having officiated multiple high-profile games. However, in 2020, his career almost came crashing down when he was arrested as part of sex party bust in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Vincic attended an invitation for a business lunch in the Bosnian city of Bijeljina. But he quickly found himself in the centre of a police raid that saw him get arrested alongside Tijana Maksimovic, who the cops believed was the leader of the prostituition ring.
The following year, Maksimovic pleaded guilty to the charges and served a one-year prison sentence. The officers that day arrested nine women and 26 men in total and seized four packets of cocaine, 10 pistols, three protective vests, over 10,000 euros.
Vincic wasn’t accused of directly being involved in the crime and was later let go after being questioned as a witness.
WHAT VINCIC SAID ABOUT THE ORDEAL
Vincic told Slovenian outlet Vecer that he nothing to do with the group and maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal.
“I found myself on this ranch by chance. I have my own company, I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a business meeting,” he said.
“I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I regret it. I was sitting at a table with my company, all of a sudden the police came and what happened, happened.”
“I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested and detained, nor do my business partners. Yes, they really took us to the police, asked [us] as witnesses, when it turned out that we didn’t even know them, we were able to go.”
The president of the Association of Football Referees of Slovenia, Vlado Sajn, defended Vincic, saying that he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and didn’t press charges against him.
Vincic is all set to referee a game for the fourth time at the World Cup this year and has a bit of history with Argentina.
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