5 World Cup-inspired signings who flopped in the Premier League

#4 Robert Jarni

Robert Jarni starred for Croatia in the 1998 World Cup but didn't kick a ball for Coventry

It’s hard to be considered a success when you don’t even kick a ball for your new Premier League club, but somehow that’s what happened to Croatian left-winger Robert Jarni following some impressive showings in the 1998 World Cup.

Jarni started in all seven of Croatia’s games as they made the semi-finals, and even scored a goal against Germany in their 3-0 quarter-final victory.

Strangely enough it wasn’t one of the Premier League’s giants that signed the Croatian from Real Betis later that summer – instead, it was perennial strugglers Coventry City, who had only managed to stave off the threat of relegation on the last day of 1996/97. Then-Coventry chairman even claimed the Sky Blues would only be bringing in world-class stars from then on.

In a bizarre turn of events though, less than a week after signing for Coventry for £2.5m, Jarni was once again on the move – to Real Madrid for a cool £3.5m, giving the Sky Blues a tidy profit of £1m. Betis fans immediately cried conspiracy – claiming Coventry had only gotten involved as Betis wouldn’t sell the player directly to Real.

For Coventry fans though, the only feeling was a sheer disappointment. They never got to see one of the 1998 World Cup’s true stars ply his trade at Highfield Road, while the move to the Bernabeu barely paid off for Jarni either as he was restricted largely to appearances from the substitute’s bench.