Plavi Runs To FIFA - Fears For His Life

Ghana's estranged relationship with Serbian coach Goran Stevanovic ended in acrimony after the Serbian turned to football’s world governing body in pursuit of his severance package and also to guarantee his safety in Ghana.

The coach reported the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to FIFA last Monday to ensure his former employers guaranteed his safety while he remained in the country to sort out his compensation after he was fired by by the FA.

The dismissed Black Stars coach and his lawyer met with the FA on Monday to sort out his compensation, which includes a demand for €100,000, being arrears in his signing-on fee. However, fallouts of that meeting informed the coach’s decision to seek FIFA’s intervention due to comments attributed to GFA’s second-in-command Jordan Anagblah which the coach perceived as threats to his life.

Plavi’s lawyer Zoran Andjic immediately wrote to FIFA seeking safety guarantees for his client while they negotiate final settlement.

'We are shocked, and scared and fearful for our safety and our lives, because Vice-President [of the GFA], Jordan Anagblah told us that from now on, no one can guarantee security of our client Goran Stevanovic on the territory of Ghana and that anything can happen to him and that they can’t prevent it,' Andjic wrote.

'We plead with you urgently to urge the GFA, the Ministry of Police [Interior] and the President of Ghana government, to guarantee the safety of our client, Mr. Goran Stevanovic, because these things are against all statutes and regulations of the FIFA.'

In addition to a demand of arrears in his signing-on fee, the Serbian after rejecting the GFA’s parting “handshake” of €120,000 being three-months consolidated salary, is asking to be paid in full for the 10 months remaining on his two-year contract terminated last Friday.