The bizarre story of Robert Jarni’s transfer to Coventry
28.07.26, 07:00 Updated 28.07.26, 07:13 3 Minute Read
Rich Chamberlain
Coventry City supporters have become used to seeing star players depart for bigger clubs. But none left quite as quickly as Robert Jarni. Four days after being unveiled as a Sky Blues player, the Croatian World Cup star had become a Real Madrid player instead.
In the summer of 1998, Jarni was hot off the back of a third-place finish with Croatia at the World Cup. The attacking left back was on the cusp of becoming a genuine superstar, having enjoyed a stellar three-year spell with Real Betis. The Sky Blues appeared to have pulled off a major coup by bringing in Jarni in a £2.6m deal. Jarni was soon photographed in the stands at City’s pre-season friendly with Espanyol.
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Rich Chamberlain Rich is a lifelong Coventry supporter and the author of several books about the club, including When The Sky Was Blue, Benno: My Life in Football and Sky Blue Fall.