Rio de Jeneiro, June 17: Croatian football authorities faced their second embarrassment within a week after the national team players were clicked with their pants down by the paparazzi.

Schedule; News; Photos

It was reported that the players returned to their hotel in Praia do Forte after losing 1-3 to hosts Brazil in the opening match of the ongoing World Cup and decided to relax in the swimming pool. Two Croatian photographers reportedly took their pictures at the time from a hidden position.

A Croatian tabloid leaked the uncensored photos online.

The Croat coach said he respected the players' decision to boycott the media

Croat coach Nico Kovac lashed out at the media at a press conference for violating the privacy of the players and said the players had decided to boycott the media indefinitely. He also said that he personally backed the players' decision to boycott the media for he did not feel it was a right thing to do.

Kovac also asked the mediapersons would have felt had someone else had taken their naked pictures, according to a Guardian report.

Players Dejan Lovren and Vedran Corluka were reportedly visible in the leaked photos.

Croatia, the third place holder of the 1998 edition, will take on Cameroon in a do-or-die match on Wednesday. Cameroon went down 0-1 to Mexico in their opening match on June 13.

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