Croatia turn down Russia car presents

Croatian football chiefs yesterday rejected a Russian oil tycoon's offer of four Mercedes cars to players in the squad for allowing Russia a place in the Euro 2008 finals by defeating England.

"He can give them to his father," head of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) Vlatko Markovic told the Vecernji List daily.

"Even before the match we said we do not play for Russians or anyone else. We played only for ourselves regardless the outcome in our group." The tycoon, Leonid Fedun, said he was sticking to his decision, made before the Wednesday's match at Wembley, to give four Mercedes cars to Croatian players.

"I will fulfill my promise although I heard that Uefa (European football's ruling body) does not like such gifts," Fedun was quoted as saying by the daily.

He has offered the cars to three Croatian players whom he would deem the best after the match and the fourth to goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa who plays for Spartak Moscow, owned by Fedun.