Getty Image / David Kirouac
It’s always funny when a professional athlete shows up to their local park or gym and plays with the regular joes. But, MLS player Matko Miljevic of CF Montréal took it much further when he lied about his identity to play in a local league.
And, for his troubles, he’s been released from his contract for conduct detrimental to the league.
Here’s Pro Soccer Wire with more details.
After a brief investigation, Major League Soccer has terminated the contract of CF Montréal midfielder Matko Miljevic.
Miljevic was swiftly axed following last week’s revelation that he had been playing in a local amateur league under a false name, and was reportedly kicked out of the competition after assaulting another player.
MLS determined the 22-year-old had engaged in conduct detrimental to the league, and was also in breach of his contract.
A MLS statement on Monday said: “Following an investigation, Major League Soccer has terminated the contract of CF Montréal midfielder Matko Miljevic for engaging in conduct detrimental to the league and violating his Standard Player Agreement.”
According to a report from DansLesCoulisses, Miljevic was invited by a friend to play in the QCSL, a local amateur league that operates in the Montréal suburbs.
Likely knowing that his participation would violate his MLS contract, Miljevic adjusted his name by one letter to become “Matko Milojevic,” and played in three QCSL matches in July and August, according to the league website.
Ok, so, maybe this guy just really loves to play soccer. It’s like how Michael Jordan had the ‘love of the game’ clause in his contract that allowed him to play pickup basketball whenever he wanted. But, there’s a big twist coming.
According to the report from DansLesCoulisses, the former U.S. youth international got into an argument with an opponent and punched him in the face. He was swiftly kicked out of the league, and the victim is considering filing a criminal charge for assault.
Oh no, dude. You can’t do that. He probably would’ve not been found out it he didn’t commit a crime!
He won’t be missed much by his team, as he’s only tallied two goals and two assists in three seasons. Still, what a dumb way to significantly harm your MLS career.