16 November 2023 , 09:25
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Former Premier League striker Bosko Balaban has been jailed after failing to pay £70,000 to his model ex-wife.
The 45-year-old Croatian, who played for Aston Villa during the early 2000s, failed to pay financial support to ex-partner Iva Radic, who was named Miss Croatia in 1995 and will now pay the price. The former international was given a conditional sentence of one year and four years of probation in 2021 due to overdue maintenance money.
He failed to stick to the agreed time frame and as a result, the former striker was imprisoned for one year in January with four years suspended, according to Belgian outlet HLN, A court in Zagreb told him there was "no escape from prison" - even if he paid the overdue money.
Balaban was married to Radic for more than a decade before they got divorced in 2017 and the pair have three children together - two daughters and a son. Balaban is best known for a four-year stint at Club Brugge, where he scored 58 goals in 118 appearances. He had three separate spells at Dinamo Zagreb and it was his first stint that persuaded Villa to buy him in 2001 for £5.8million, a notable fee at the time.
However, in his sole season at Villa Park, he failed to hit the heights expected, making only eight appearances without scoring. He was loaned back to Zagreb the following season before a permanent switch to Belgium, where he was largely prolific. Since called time on his career Balaban has worked as an agent, representing players such as ex-Leicester star Andrej Kramaric.
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The Croatian, who was tipped for big things by his compatriots when he arrived in England, has since reflected on his unsuccessful move in an interview with Birmingham Live and admits he began doubting his own ability.
He was married to a former Miss Croatia (@Instagram)
The Croatian flopped during his Premier League spell (Birmingham Post and Mail)He said: "When I look back on this season, I will see a big hole, a big emptiness. I come into training every day knowing there is nothing for me even though I was constantly told that if I waited long enough, I would get my chance.
'But the more you train and don't play, the less training means to you. That isn't going to get me match-fit or get me into the Croatia squad for the World Cup. You try not to doubt your ability as a player, once you start that then you are finished for sure."
Balaban's ex-wife currently has 113,000 followers on social media and often posts snaps of her in glamorous locations. The model has also showcased her work with fashion giants Paco Rabanne, H&M and Chanel.