Croatia's Supreme Court has confirmed a prison sentence for Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic for fraud, just days before the club's Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
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Mamic stepped down from his position immediately, the club said in a statement on its website.
"Although I don't feel guilty, I resign as I said before I would do if the sentence was confirmed. I wish all the good luck to the club," the statement quoted Mamic as saying.
Dinamo said their new coach would be another of their former players, Damir Krznar.
Mamic's brother Zdarvko, Dinamo's former executive director who is at large after fleeing to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, also had his sentence confirmed by the court, as did former tax official Milan Pernar and former Dinamo director Damir Vrbanovic.
"The Supreme Court has confirmed the Osijek Municipal Court's verdict sentencing Zdravko Mamic to six and a half years of imprisonment for the embezzlement of 116 million kuna ($A23.5m) from Dinamo football club," said the statement published by Croatia's state television (HRT) .
"Zoran Mamic's sentence has been reduced to four years and eight months from four years and 11 months, while Milan Pernar had his sentence reduced to three years and two months from four years and two months."
The court also confirmed the three-year prison sentence for Vrbanovic.
As it stands now Mamic will be required to report to prison in Croatia within eight days, or four days after the Dinamo-Tottenham match.
The Mamic brothers and Pernar had been charged with tax evasion worth 12.2m ($A2.5m) and for siphoning off 116 million kuna from transfers of players from Dinamo.
The high-profile trial attracted much public attention with the likes of Luka Modric and Dejan Lovren testifying in court.
Modric's testimony, in particular, created headlines because it led to an indictment for perjury against the Real Madrid player and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, which was later dropped.
In June 2018, the Osijek county court found the Mamics guilty on all charges, the cornerstone of which was making illegal personal profits on player transfers from Dinamo, where they held key executive positions - including the 2008 Modric transfer to Tottenham.
Zdravko fled Croatia on the eve of the verdict.
Dinamo are at home to Tottenham on Thursday in the return leg of their Europa League round of 16 return leg, with the the Premier League side leading 2-0 from the first leg.
Australian Associated Press
