Zeljko Siric got his FIFA Badge in 1996 and his last international match was in 2005. Next to the usual qualifiers, he also took charge of a match in the group stage of the Champions League in 2002 and 2003.
international
Born in Osijek, with a father who was also a referee, Siric played for clubs in the lower league until he switched to refereeing as well. After the war, his career really took off, he was the first Croatian referee to officiate a match in the Champions League (Roma - Genk). A year later he got another match in the CL: Monaco-PSV.
A bad report by the referee observer however more or less finished his international career. He was on the international stage for two more years but there were no more important matches.
national
On a national level Siric was and still is an important man, he always got the most important matches (and always the team that lost protested against him). When two years before Siric's retirement a certain dr. Damir Matovinovic (the last Croatian referee in a World Cup finals) became the Croat referee commissioner, Siric was assigned to
minor matches.
Now Siric, who also owns a bar in his home town, is the commissioner for referees.
arrested
December 2011, Siric found officers of the Croatian anto corruption squad on his doorstep. Siric, vice-presdent of the Croat referee committee and Stjepan Djedovic former chairmain of same committee were arrested. The vharges were having taken a bribe to influence at least one match.
