Serbia and Montenegro's players, already eliminated from the World Cup, are being threatened with fines if they do not try hard enough in their last match against Ivory Coast.
The Serbs and Ivorians will play a meaningless game in Munich on Wednesday as both have been eliminated from the 32-nation field. Argentina and the Netherlands have advanced from Group C.
Serbia and Montenegro team spokesman Aleksandar Boskovic said that unspecified "financial penalties" will be imposed against players who don't take the game against the Ivorians seriously.
"The game against Ivory Coast is our absolute priority at this moment," Boskovic said. "We can lose, but only with some dignity."
Boskovic spoke after the 6-0 loss to Argentina on Friday -- the worst in the team's World Cup history. The previous worst was its 6-1 defeat as Yugoslavia in the 1930 semifinals against Uruguay.
The Serbs, who were in disarray with problems ranging from injuries to key players to squabbles over tactics and skirmishes between players at training sessions, were accused back home of not trying hard enough in their first two World Cup matches.
Boskovic did not specify the amount of the threatened penalties, but it is believed that a part of the promised bonuses -- estimated to about 2 million euros (US$2.53 million) to be shared among all 22 players -- would be chopped off if they don't try hard enough against the Ivorians.
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