Furthermore, Blazevic's story is not yet finished, indeed, as the man who has steered Croatia to win in 90 minutes of the World Cup final, he is currently embroiled in the thickest of plots. And, as the imaginary book Blazevic: genius or fruitcake? title suggests, it is not for the first time.

Less than three years ago, for example, anyone looking for Blazevic would have found him in the picturesque French town of Aix-en-Provence - in a police cell.

Blazevic had been arrested when trying to re-enter France after being linked to the Bernard Tapie-Marseille bribery scandal and spent 16 days behind bars insisting that he was merely "a witness".

Blazevicwas later cleared of all charges but the confinement came as the culmination of an unpromising spell in France as manager of Nantes. It was also practically the only time Blazevic failed as a football coach.

He had made his reputation during 1982-83 when, as manager of Dynamo Zagreb, Blazevic led the club to their first Yugoslavian title for 24 years. For this he was accorded folk-hero status in Croatia and just as he has adopted a gendarme's hat in France this summer, Blazevic had a lucky charm then, too. Because of it he became known as Mr White Scarf. Dynamo fanseven sang a song about it.

A decade later the same fans would be singing a rather different tune about him but for the years in between Blazevic remained popular, a situation which survived him leaving to coach Switzerland, France and Greece until his return to Croatia and Dynamo Zagreb in 1992. That return came at the behest of Franjo Tudjman, the first president of the independent Croatia.

Tudjman is a football fanatic and installedBlazevic as the president, coach and, mostcuriously, the owner of Dynamo.

A championship in Blazevic's first season back was won but then, on the instructions of Tudjman, Blazevic outraged locals by changing the club's name from Dynamo Zagreb to Croatia Zagreb.

Even though the country was still in the grip of nationalistic fervour due to the civil war, the blatant politicking incensed supporters who reacted by labelling Blazevic a "poof".

This was not a reference to Blazevic being a homosexual -- he is married with three children -- it is just that "poof" is the biggest insulta Croat can hurl.

After the victory over Germany last Saturday Blazevic said that he was pleased to hear he was no longer being called poof but instead "maestro".

There is a famous story about Blazevic during his early days at Dynamo Zagreb. It involves a Rolex watch, one that Blazevic took from hiswrist and smashed on to the wall of the dressing-room. He was demonstrating to his players what he wanted them to do to theopposition and in a country of then limited material wealth this was seen as an impressive act.

It was only after the game that it was revealed that the Rolex was a fake.

But Dynamo had wonand Blazevic had got his result.

Given that he consults an astrologer regularly Blazevic may already know tonight's result. He said: "I am far too ambitious to be happy with what we have achieved so far. I want to go all the way." If so, another description can be added to that book title - magician.