OPINION
When Celtic bought young Jozo Simunovic for £6.75million from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015, big things were quite rightly expected of the Bosnian enforcer.
It has however not quite panned out that way. Simunovic has indeed become a regular fixture for Celtic in the centre of defence, but his performances have often left a lot to be desired.
His most recent on-field blunder came against Rangers in the Old Firm Derby, with the 23-year-old given his marching orders for an elbow on striker Alfredo Morelos.
However, the centre-back has now committed an off-field blunder, one that may seem harmless to many, but one that in fact is ironic and ill-advised.
As reported by the Daily Record, Simunovic has turned down a call-up to the Bosnia national side for friendlies against Senegal and Bulgaria, in order to focus on Celtic.
And his snub has not gone down well with teammate Anel Hadzic, who said: “Whoever refuses to play for Bosnia once should never get asked again. The shirt of the team should be worn by those who sincerely love our Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“To wear the shirt should mean to give blood and sweat for the fans, who spend their last penny supporting us around the world. Simunovic, we will still have a national team without you.”
Hadzic is indeed right to slaughter Simunovic for his decision.
Firstly, the young enforcer is yet to play for the national side since switching allegiances from Croatia. What message is that supposed to send out?
Secondly, there is no real geographical reason why Simunovic should have snubbed the call-up. Their games take place in Bulgaria and France, both of which do not require a huge amount of travelling.
Thirdly, and most importantly, what exactly is he focusing on? Celtic have restored their nine-point advantage at the top of the league, and could extend that to 12 if they win their game in hand.
Their most important upcoming fixture is a Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers, but that is not until mid-April.
And, looking at Simunovic’s poor recent form, an international break looks to be the perfect opportunity to go away and reset ahead of the final weeks of the season.
In snubbing the national side, Simunovic has turned down a brilliant personal opportunity, one that could potentially help both club and country, for nothing.
It is not known what Celtic’s intentions are with Simunovic in the future, but losing him this summer would be far from the worst thing to happen.