Captain Back Friday August 9 after missing 10 Games

London City’s captain returns for late push

In London City Soccer Club’s 2-0 loss to Toronto Croatia on Friday (Aug. 2) there was something missing from them — and not just a ball in the back of the net.

In fact, it has been missing the last 10 games.

Nenad Begovic hasn’t stepped on a Canadian Soccer League (CSL) field in the London black or red colours since the team’s fourth game of the season held June 2 on the road against North York’s Astros Vasas FC when City’s captain was issued a red card for allegedly assaulting an official.

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Mr. Begovic (player #15) sprinted in a threatening way towards me yelling at me using foreign language and stopped face to face with me then proceeded to headbutt me,” wrote Hassane Rifai, the harmed referee in question, in a witness report to the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

The CSL deals with all league discipline, except for abuse of an official. In that case the governing body CSA handles the incident.

The 33-year-old London player was suspended indefinitely until further notice by the CSA.

Begovic, and his team, vehemently denied the allegations and had a personal hearing with the CSA Discipline Committee to appeal the decision on July 13 in Toronto.

London City general manager Jasmin Halkic and teammate Aldin Kukic spoke at the hearing in Begovic’s defence.

There’s a YouTube video of the incident, which the Committee looked at as well and can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDJX-w0qOv0.

When it was all said and done the suspension was dismissed.

“The Committee is unable to agree and support the allegations brought forth by the CSL against Begovic,” the CSA wrote in a letter to London City announcing their decision on July 30. “From the angle of the video of the alleged incident, the Committee determined that the match official’s head did not move back at any time to indicate that he had been head butted by Begovic. To support this finding, the players on the field would have responded or reacted to any physical act or contact by Begovic towards the match official, especially a headbutt.”

The infraction had originally been posted in the discipline section of the CSL’s website in bold red letters reading Bega wouldn’t return to a field until next year. Now the infraction isn’t even publicized, unlike the rest of the yellow and red cards that have gone and past. It’s like the incident never even happened.

But it did, and it cost Begovic and his team seven games together.

“He’s the team leader, he’s the team captain and he’s the most experienced player here,” London City’s leading point-getter Marin Vucemilovic Grgic. “We need him.”

Just as Begovic was about to take back his captain duties from defender Zvonko Bakula, who has filled in the role in the meantime, the reinstated pro player received a call from back home in Belgrade, Serbia.

His mother-in-law had died and Begovic returned to his European home to be with wife and pay his condolences. With that, he missed another three games.

His teammates kept in constant contact with Begovic since he returned to Serbia and they could hardly await his return to the Forest City when he flew into Toronto on Saturday (Aug. 3).

According to Grgic, teammates would be meeting Begovic at the airport with a sign reading, “Team captain, we miss you.”

“When one player goes home because of a death in the family that affects all of us,” Grgic said in describing the closeness of his team. “We always called him asking, ‘Are you coming back?’”

Begovic’s return can’t be understated.

London City did fine without him, going winless with a 0-2-2 record to start the season and following it up with a 5-4-1 record with Begovic gone.

There’s no doubt he can help his team pick up a few extra points though, but what Begovic does transcends outside of the field.

He’s been the face of the team since London City changed ownership last year and completely revamped its roster.

In a club where English isn’t most of the players first language, he’s been the one answering questions.

When City’s head coach mysteriously left midway through last season, Begovic was the one organizing practices and running drills.

In other words, since joining the team in 2012 Begovic has been London City’s “guy.”

At the end of the day the suspension is off the CSL’s website and you would be hard pressed to find mention of it anywhere. The standings, however, will never be taken down and London, currently in sixth place, will most likely only go up in the rankings with Begovic back in his spot in midfield and eight games left.

“Definitely we need him in the game. He’s a quality player,” said London’s new coach Tomo Dancetovic, who has two games under his belt with the team. He previously coached Begovic on the Brantford Galaxy. “He’ll definitely be a big help for the team.”

Begovic is expected to make his return in a London City jersey Friday (Aug. 9) when the team hits the road to take on the St. Catharines Roma. He’ll make his first home appearance Aug. 17 against the Serbian White Eagles.