LIVERPOOL ace Dejan Lovren’s marriage was rocked when he found out his wife was having an affair — and it made him miss Euro 2016.
The Croatian star, 27, and Anita, mum to his two young children, faced a split after he found out she had been dating an old friend, forestry worker Dario Torbic, 26.
Pals say the £20million defender tried to win her back with a make-or-break holiday in June, which meant he could not play in France.
The affair started when his wife, 26, and Dario met up last December in their home city of Zagreb. Anita persuaded Dario to fly to England and they got together at a Liverpool hotel after which they swapped hundreds of love messages.
She left her home in England with Lovren in March to return to her homeland and, The Sun on Sunday understands, went to see a divorce lawyer.
Anita told £200-a-month Dario, who lives in a rented flat, that they would be together.
Lovren, 27, who earns £65,000-a-month in the Premier League with Liverpool, discovered her cheating.
A source said: “Dejan and Anita’s marriage has been rocky for some time and she sought refuge with her old friend Dario.
“They had a whirlwind affair and she told Dario she loved him.
“She told him she would move back to Zagreb and was thinking of divorcing Dejan. She convinced him she would do it. But when Dejan found out he hit the roof.
“He was really hurt at her infidelity. It hurt his pride. He admitted he had not been the best husband but he provided a nice home and life for her and their two young children.”
The source added: “The pressure became so intense he started to struggle to cope mentally. He was embarrassed about friends and family finding out.
“It hurt his pride and affected his football. It’s usually footballers cheating on Wags, not the other way round.”
Anita eventually decided to ditch her lover and rejoin Lovren in England at the family’s home with their children Elena, three, and Josip, one.
She and Lovren had first got together at 16, moving to France in 2010 when he transferred from Dinamo Zagreb to Lyon.
They are thought to have split for a short time but reconciled when she found out she was pregnant.
They tied the knot so she would not give birth out of wedlock.
The couple moved to England when Lovren joined Southampton.
He became Liverpool’s record signing for a defender when they signed him in 2014 for £20million.
On their tenth anniversary last February, she shared a snap of them on Instagram. She wrote “You are the only one I want?.?.?.? until the end of my life.”
Lovren has reciprocated, insisting publicly his wife and children are “the greatest support to me and help me get through difficult times”.
Friends say she became disillusioned with life in England and late last year began texting Dario, who she had known since she was 16.
She sent him WhatsApp messages and in January he flew over to see her in secret at Liverpool’s posh Malmaison Hotel.
Their friendship soon turned into a relationship and they organised secret dates when she returned to Zagreb.
Lovren found out and started a battle to save their marriage.
The trauma of Anita’s cheating left friends and colleagues worrying for Lovren’s health and his heartache started to affect his performances for his team.
He arranged the fortnight holiday in June, despite knowing Croatia would be playing in the Euros.
Lovren had also rowed with Croatia manager Ante Cacic and been axed from the squad.
Furious fans accused the centre-back of wanting to be dropped from the Euros.
Croatian newspaper Jutarnji reported that a source close to the player had said: “He’s already comfortable that he was expelled from the national team as he promised his wife two weeks of vacation.
“As far as I’m told, they’re suffering from a marital crisis and Dejan promised Anita two romantic weeks in June to get away from it all.”
Lovren denied the claim and insisted he wanted to play for the national side who went out in the last 16, losing 1-0 to Portugal, the competition’s eventual winners.
Liverpool fans have also questioned his on-pitch attitude.
Coach Jurgen Klopp said when he arrived last year: “I saw in his eyes when I came here, that he was not in the best situation.”
But after Klopp’s arrival Lovren’s football improved. The Sun on Sunday has contacted Lovren and Dario for comments.
-thesun