Domagoj Vida was one of the heroes for Croatia last night, scoring a header in extra time as well as slotting home a penalty in the shootout as Croatia booked their place in the semi-final of the World Cup.
But the 29-year-old Besiktas defender could be in hot water with FIFA after a video emerged of the player using a slogan of anti-Russian Ukrainian nationalists in the aftermath of his team's victory over Russia.
The video, which is nine seconds long and features Vida as well as Croatia scout Ognjen Vukojevic, shows Vukojevic saying "This victory is for Dynamo and for Ukraine", while Vida is heard saying "Glory to Ukraine." Vida spent five years in Ukraine with Dinamo Kyiv before moving to Besiktas in 2018.
In the aftermath of the video Vida attempted to downplay the political nature of the clip telling sports.ru: “This victory is for Croatia. No politics.
In response to the incident a FIFA spokesman said that they are "processing the different reports of the said match, as well as potential evidence concerning the matter.”
FIFA's statutes forbid discrimination on political grounds, with a breach of this law punishable by suspension, though Vida will more than likely escape with just a ban.
A similar incident occurred in Switzerland's game with Serbia when Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka made politically charged gestures in their 2-1 over their opponents. The pair escaped a ban, but were fined £7,600 for their actions.
Russian sports reporter Artur Petrosyan has criticised Vida's actions, stating that the video has led to anti-Croatian chants in Moscow:
That Vida&Vukojevic' video led to anti-Croatian chants in the centre of Moscow. This is how it all usually starts... Imagine Croatian fans will no longer feel safe in Russia, despite having a great time until now. And that's just because of someone stupid doing something stupid. https://t.co/yYREwIK00m
— Artur Petrosyan (@arturpetrosyan) July 8, 2018
Croatia face England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday at 7pm at the Luzhniki Stadium.
