World Cup 2018: 4 off the pitch incidents that created political murmurings

#1 Djokovic's support to Croatia

Novak Djokovic with the members of the Croatian national team in March.

Djokovic had met the members of Croatian national team in March when he was in Florida training and recuperating from his injury. The 12-time grand slam winner in his defence said: 'Sports have their 'universal language,' they erase boundaries between people, overcome differences in religion, race and nationality."

Given that Novak Djokovic was heckled by the English fans in his 3rd round Wimbledon match against the local favourite Kyle Edmund, it is no surprise then that he decided to back the Croatians against the English. Wimbledon organizers already had their issues with the timing of the final of the FIFA World Cup clashing with the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday.

Adding on to that, one of the Wimbledon's former champions Novak Djokovic was dragged into another needless controversy. Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic triggered controversy at home after he announced that he would be supporting Croatian football team as they enter the final stretches of the World Cup in Russia.

The two neighbouring and former Yugoslav nations have had tense relations since Croatia won its independence in 1995 following a bloody conflict. Croatia is a NATO ally while Serbia has seen cosy relations with Russia.

The relationship between the nations has been marred by mutual accusations of war crimes and an intense sports rivalry. "Only idiots can support Croatia. Aren't you ashamed Novak?" tweeted a politician Vladimir Djukanovic, a member of President Aleksander Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party.