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Tag: Croatia

  • Late drama as Zaccagni’s last-minute strike sends Italy to Euro 2024 knockouts

    Late drama as Zaccagni’s last-minute strike sends Italy to Euro 2024 knockouts

    In a dramatic turn of events, Mattia Zaccagni scored a last-minute equalizer for Italy, securing a 1-1 draw against Croatia and ensuring the defending champions’ progression to the last 16 of Euro 2024.

    The goal, coming in the final minute of stoppage time, shattered Croatia’s hopes of advancing from Group B.

    Luka Modric, the Croatian captain, had appeared to be the hero for his team when he hammered a shot into the roof of the net early in the second half, recovering quickly from the disappointment of seeing his earlier penalty saved.

    His goal had Croatia on the brink of securing a spot in the knockout stages as group runners-up.

    https://twitter.com/ItalianoCalcio/status/1805357068418699447

    However, in a cruel twist, Italy found an equalizer deep into stoppage time. Zaccagni’s curling shot in the 98th minute leveled the score and ensured Italy’s progression alongside group winners Spain. The late goal left Croatia with just two points, likely insufficient for them to advance as one of the best third-placed teams.

    The result sets up a last-16 clash between Italy and Switzerland on Saturday, June 29. Meanwhile, the Croatian players were left devastated at the final whistle, collapsing to the ground as their fans stood in stunned disbelief at the turn of events.

    Croatia, 2018 World Cup finalists, had struggled throughout the tournament. They were decisively beaten by Spain and held to a draw by Albania, entering the match against Italy as underdogs. Despite this, they started strongly and had Italy on the back foot for much of the game.

    Modric’s goal, following his missed penalty, ignited hope among Croatian supporters. The 38-year-old showed resilience, driving a shot into the net moments after his penalty save, sending Croatian fans into raptures. Croatia managed the game well after taking the lead but failed to hold off Italy in the dying moments.

    The draw raises questions about the future of Croatia’s veteran stars, including Modric, who are now in their mid to late 30s. For Italy, the draw represents a continuation of their roller-coaster tournament. After narrowly overcoming Albania in their opener and losing to Spain, coach Luciano Spalletti made several changes for this crucial match.

    Despite not being at their best, Italy showed resilience and persistence, ultimately earning the draw that guaranteed their place in the knockout stages. Italian fans celebrated long after the final whistle, hopeful that this dramatic equalizer will be the spark their team needs to ignite a successful campaign at Euro 2024.

    As Italy prepares to face Switzerland, they will look to build on this momentum, aiming to recapture the form that saw them crowned champions at Euro 2020.

  • Croatia’s conservative government wins parliamentary election

    Croatia’s conservative government wins parliamentary election

    Croatia’s ruling party won the recent election on Wednesday by a large margin, but they still need help from far-right groups to keep their power. The election was about a fight between the president and prime minister.

    The election was between the ruling conservative party led by the Prime Minister and an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties led by the President and his party.

    The electoral commission said that the HDZ won 60 seats out of 151 in the parliament after counting over 90% of the votes. The SDP won 42 seats. The far-right Statehood Movement won 14 seats, which means it will have a lot of power in deciding the next government.

    “Tomorrow we will begin to work on creating a new majority in Parliament to form our third government,” Plenkovic said in his speech after winning. “I want to say good job to the other parties that lost to the HDZ. ”

    More than half of the people voted, which was a lot more than before, even before the polls were closed.

    Croatia, a country in Europe, had an election. They are also part of the European Union and NATO. Croatia is facing problems like high inflation, not enough workers, illegal immigration, and lots of corruption.

    The race for Croatia’s 151-seat parliament was important because it would affect the country’s domestic policies and also the unity of the EU as it deals with instability from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    If the HDZ remains in power like we think they will, the country will keep helping Ukraine in its battle against Russia and stay on a pro-Western path. If SDP does well, it could win the European Parliament election in June and the presidential election in December. It could change the HDZ’s control of politics for a long time and might allow for more pro-Russia influence in the country, like in Hungary and Slovakia.

    The HDZ has mostly been in charge since Croatia became independent from Yugoslavia in 1991. The Balkan country joined the European Union in 2013, and recently became part of Europe’s passport-free travel area and started using the euro currency.

    In Croatia, the president doesn’t have much power and mostly does ceremonial things. The prime minister has most of the political power. The election was like the last part of a long competition between Plenkovic and Milanovic.

    After Milanovic set a date for the election and said he wanted to be the prime minister, he started promoting the SDP. Croatia’s highest court judges said it was against the rules when leaders tried to make the change.

    The judges said the president can’t try to become prime minister, or take part in elections or support a political party unless he quits his job first.

    Milanovic said no and didn’t listen to the highest court. He kept on supporting the left-wing group.

    Milanovic said that Plenkovic and the HDZ have been very corrupt and have stolen a lot of money from the government. He is talking about scandals from the past and present, some of which have gone to court.

    Plenkovic has been in charge of the government since 2016. He has said many times that Milanovic, if he becomes the prime minister, would move the country further away from the EU and closer to Russia.

    Milanovic has spoken in favor of Russia during the war in Ukraine. He doesn’t want Ukrainian soldiers to be trained in Croatia or weapons to be sent to Ukraine because he thinks it will make the war last longer. He also didn’t like the EU’s rules about Ukraine.

  • Page “couldn’t be any more proud” of after Wales sank Croatia in 2-0 win

    Page “couldn’t be any more proud” of after Wales sank Croatia in 2-0 win

    Rob Page was filled with pride as Wales rekindled their European Championship qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Croatia.

    Harry Wilson’s two goals secured the win for the Dragons, even though there were tense moments when Mario Pasalic scored for Croatia with 75 minutes on the clock.

    Nonetheless, Wales held their ground and rose above Croatia to claim second place in Group D; both teams tied with 10 points. In the lead-up to Sunday’s match, questions swirled around Page’s future, but he expressed his satisfaction, saying, “From the first minute right to the 95th, we had to dig deep.”

    “With the help of the supporters, we have made it another great night for the lads.

    “The boys dug deep. Their attitude again in this camp has been incredible. I wish you guys could come in and see it.

    “Everything’s okay. I can’t praise them enough. I think seven of them are not starting at their clubs, but they put the Welsh jersey on and they play like that. They want to come and they enjoy it.

    “I couldn’t be any more proud of them. Actions speak louder than words.

    “I’m sick and tired of having to keep coming on and talking about my future. Let’s just talk about the boys and the performances they have put in.

    “I get emotional because I’m so proud of them and they deserve all the plaudits they are going to get. We can’t wait to meet up for the next game.”

    Wales captain Ben Davies added, “It’s a big result for us. Our backs were against the wall and we knew what we had to do coming into the game.

    “It’s a big night but it means nothing if we don’t back it up next month.”

    Wales’ final two qualifiers in November will see them make a tricky trip to Armenia before a home clash with group leaders Turkey.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mqqFmZi3Io
  • Nearly 100 Croatian ‘ultras’ show up in court over violent street brawl

    Nearly 100 Croatian ‘ultras’ show up in court over violent street brawl

    A violent night that saw hundreds of ultras fighting in the streets and leaving a path of devastation in their wake shook Athens.

    Monday’s altercation on the outskirts of the capital resulted in several stabbings of one of the Greek fans of the football team AEK Athens.

    Police say the 22-year-old male was taken to the hospital but later passed away.

    Skirmishes outside the AEK stadium in the northern suburb of Nea Philadelphia also resulted in eight fan injuries.

    At least 98 people were detained by police, the most of whom were Dinamo Zagreb supporters from Croatia.

    After the visiting team’s practise was over and the players had left the stadium, fights broke out.

    A video captured the chaotic events, as individuals were swinging wooden bats at each other and tossing flares and petrol bombs.

    The conditions for the play were not reached, so the game between AEK and Dinamo Zagreb, which was supposed to take place at the stadium on Tuesday, has been postponed.

    Violence has no place in our sport, and we demand that those accountable for this awful conduct be apprehended and brought before the law as soon as possible.

    Later on Tuesday, UEFA announced that the game had been moved to August 19.

    Giannis Oikonomou, the minister of Greek citizen protection, emphasised the necessity for the government to step up efforts to reduce sports violence.

    He deemed it “inacceptable” that police were unable to stop the incident.

    The politician claimed that as a result, seven police officers will be fired from their positions.

    A preliminary hearing was held in court earlier today for about 100 Dinamo Zagreb fans.

  • Balkans slammed by severe storm that leaves six people dead and many injured

    Balkans slammed by severe storm that leaves six people dead and many injured

    During Europe’s oppressive summer, a storm that affected much of the Balkans claimed at least six lives and injured dozens of others.

    The region had experienced two strong storms in as many days, the most recent of which made landfall yesterday. The continent was experiencing an extremely hot and dry spell at the time.

    In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, two men—ages 50 and 48—died after being struck by falling trees.

    Elsewhere, in the eastern town of Tovarnik, a firefighter died but no other details have been revealed about this.

    There is one other person known to have died in Croatia, another in Slovenia and one more in Bosnia.

    Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man in Zagreb was severely injured after a construction crane collapsed in the chaos.

    In the Serbian city of Novi Sad, a tree fell on a 12-year-old girl and she had to be taken to hospital.

    The country’s emergency services have had to put out 20 fires caused by thunder and lightning.

    Meteorologists have warned that more storms may hit over the next few days, before the next upcoming wave of hot weather they are expecting.

    It comes as there is no sign of Europe’s heatwave slowing down anytime soon, with temperatures set to climb even higher.

    After days of sweating through Cerberus, people in the south of the continent – with Greece, Italy and Spain bearing the brunt of the weather – have now begun to feel the effects of its equally scorching successor Charon.

    And it’s expected to peak in Italy, where temperatures of up to 47°C are expected to roast Sardinia on Wednesday, July 19.

    The unprecedented weather has had a dramatic effect, with holidaymakers evacuated from resorts in the area surrounding Athens after wildfires broke out – made worse by a cooling wind that provided some respite for locals and visitors.

    Reports have suggested the Charon heatwave – which has replaced the original Cerberus spell of hot weather – will stick around until at least the end of July.

    Experts from the UN agency have suggested the hot weather could even last for weeks, saying: ‘A further continuation into August is likely.’

    There may however be some respite for people in some parts of Spain and Italy – where things are about to become a little less stifling.

    Meanwhile, the BBC reports that red alerts will be removed from some cities in the north of Italy on Thursday – although other regions will continue to experience soaring temperatures.

    Sicily holds the record for Europe’s highest official temperature ever, after meteorologists measured 48.8°C in the town of Floridia in August 2021 – and the World said yesterday it is possible this record may be broken in the coming days.

  • Spain beat Croatia to win their first Nations League 

    Spain beat Croatia to win their first Nations League 

    Spain clinched their first-ever Nations League title in a hard-fought encounter against Croatia, with Dani Carvajal’s deft chipped penalty proving decisive in a grueling 120 minutes of play and a dramatic penalty shootout.

    Having learned from their defeat to France in the 2021 final, La Roja displayed determination as they faced off against a fervently supported Croatian team in Rotterdam.

    The match at De Kuip was a nail-biting affair, with the shootout reaching sudden death after Lovro Majer of Croatia and Aymeric Laporte of Spain missed their spot-kicks.

    In the end, it was goalkeeper Unai Simon who emerged as the hero, making a crucial save from Bruno Petkovic’s shot. Carvajal stepped up confidently to convert the decisive penalty, securing a 5-4 victory and the coveted trophy for Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish side.

    Although clear-cut opportunities were scarce, Spain had the better chances during regular time. Gavi, the midfield maestro, came close with a shot that narrowly missed the target early on, while Marco Asensio headed over the bar in the second half.

    Spain came out on top in a close contest against Croatia in Rotterdam
    Spain came out on top in a close contest against Croatia in Rotterdam

    Ansu Fati was also denied on the line by Ivan Perisic in the game’s closing stages.

    Croatia could perhaps have taken the lead themselves, only for Laporte to make an outstanding tackle to deny Andrej Kramaric.

    However, they created relatively little throughout the match, in a cagey affair that perhaps reflected the high-stakes occasion.

    The result is a devastating blow to the Vatreni, who were hoping to secure international silverware for the first time.

    Instead, it is Spain who will be celebrating after ending their 11-year trophy drought, following La Roja’s 2012 European Championship triumph.

    Hero of the hour Carvajal said: “For us, it was a unique opportunity, we went out early in another tournament [at the World Cup] and today we had to take advantage.

    “We had confidence with the penalties and it went well, I knew how I was going to shoot it, and I knew I was going to be sixth. I wanted to take it Panenka style and it went well.”

  • Modric’s wish is to stay at Real Madrid amid rumours of being Ronaldo’s Al Nassr’s target

    Modric’s wish is to stay at Real Madrid amid rumours of being Ronaldo’s Al Nassr’s target

    Luka Modric has reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid, despite reports that he is being pursued by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

    The 37-year-old is in his 11th season at Real Madrid, where he has won 22 trophies, but his contract expires at the end of the season.

    He has been mentioned as a possible target for Al Nassr, who signed Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer from Manchester United in December.

    However, when questioned about his future while on international duty with Croatia on Friday, a frustrated Modric stated that his top priority is to reach new terms with Real Madrid.

    “My wish is known: to stay at Real Madrid,” he said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Wales. “I believe and hope that it comes true. 

    “The rest of what’s said is just assumptions and rumours. I repeat the same thing for the hundredth time: I hope and believe that I will stay at Real Madrid.”

    Modric, who has previously said he wants to feel as though he has deserved a new deal, also rubbished claims Madrid have asked him to retire from Croatia duty.

    “Short and clear – no,” Modric said when that suggestion was put to him.

    The former Zagreb and Tottenham midfielder is in line to earn his 163rd cap for Croatia when they face Wales in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier in Split.

    Having elected not to retire following Croatia’s World Cup semi-final defeat to France, Modric will overtake Drazen Ladic as his country’s oldest ever player.

    “I didn’t know that before the conference and I don’t know if it’s good or bad!” Modric said. “I feel great with the national team and I’m glad to be here. I feel happy when I’m here.

    “We are all focusing on the Wales game. Hopefully we can get a positive result and take that confidence to Turkey.

    “The most important thing is that we win tomorrow. We know we are the favourites and are expected to win, but football is unpredictable and you need to be at 100 per cent.”

  • ‘This is mad’ – Croatian president blasts Western arms deliveries to Ukraine

    ‘This is mad’ – Croatian president blasts Western arms deliveries to Ukraine

    The Western policies toward Russia and the Balkans have received repeated criticism from President Zoran Milanovic.

    On Monday, the president of Croatia criticised the West for arming Ukraine with heavy tanks and other weapons for its defence against invading Russian forces, saying that such deliveries would only serve to prolong the conflict.

    Zoran Milanovic told reporters in the Croatian capital that it is “mad” to believe that Russia can be defeated in a conventional war.

    “I am against sending any lethal arms there,” Milanovic said. “It prolongs the war.”

    “What is the goal? Disintegration of Russia, change of the government? There is also talk of tearing Russia apart. This is mad,” he added.

    Milanovic won the presidential election in Croatia in 2019 as a left-leaning liberal candidate, a counterpoint to the conservative government currently in power in the European Union and NATO-member state.

    But he has since made a turn to populist nationalism and criticised Western policies toward Russia as well as the Balkans.

    Milanovic has built a reputation of being pro-Russia, which he has repeatedly denied.

    Yet in recent months, he has openly opposed the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO as well as the training of Ukrainian troops in Croatia as part of EU aid to the embattled country.

    After months of hesitation, the US said last week that it would send 31 of the 70-ton Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, and Germany announced it will dispatch 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other countries to do the same.

    Milanovic said that “from 2014 to 2022, we are watching how someone provokes Russia with the intention of starting this war.”

    “What is the goal of this war? A war against a nuclear power that is at war in another country? Is there a conventional way to defeat such a country?” Milanovic asked on Monday.

    “Who pays the price? Europe. America pays the least,” he said. “A year has passed and we are only now talking about tanks,” Milanovic said.

    “Not a single American tank will go to Ukraine in a year. Only German tanks will be sent there.”

    Although the presidential post is mostly ceremonial in Croatia, Milanovic is formally the supreme commander of the armed forces.

    His latest anti-Western outbursts have embarrassed and irritated the country’s government which has fully supported Ukraine.

  • Morocco showed they can go ‘toe to toe’ with international football’s elite, Regragui says

    Placing fourth at the World Cup, Morocco proved they can compete with the best teams in world soccer, according to head coach Walid Regragui.

    In the third-place play-off on Saturday, Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic, capping Morocco’s remarkable World Cup run.

    They overcame heavyweights like Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semifinals to become the first country from Africa to make it that far in the world’s premier football competition.

    Regragui thinks that the Atlas Lions proved their claim to be regarded as one of the world’s best footballing nations, despite the fact that Morocco’s campaign ended in defeat.

    “Tomorrow morning we will take stock, and realise we all made a fantastic achievement here,” Regragui told reporters at his post-match news conference.

    “We played Croatia twice, one of the top three teams in the world. We played against Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Canada, that’s wonderful.

    “We have an objective of winning the World Cup one day. Morocco showed we can go toe to toe with these teams. We are now one of the top four teams in the world.”

    Asked if he would change anything about Morocco’s tournament, Regragui replied: “Honestly I would say nothing.

    “We had 0.01 per cent chance of winning the tournament at the outset. We managed to get to the last four.

    “We played some of the powerhouses of football. If you told me we’d get this far, number four in the world, I’d have accepted that straight away.

    “We deserve respect. They fought until the end, showed hard graft. That’s football, some nations are stronger than us. France were, Croatia were tonight, but only slightly stronger.

    “For 2026, if I’m still in charge, I’ll have more experience and maybe things will change, and in 2026 we will realise the achievement we’ve made in 2022.”

    Morocco’s final match in Qatar saw a number of controversial officiating decisions, with the final whistle met by intense protests from Regragui’s players towards the referee.

    Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s star right-back, was reportedly involved in a row with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the tunnel after the match.

    It comes after the Royal Morocco Football Federation lodged a complaint to FIFA over referee Cesar Ramos’ performance during their semi-final defeat to France.

    However, Regragui was keen not to focus too much on the referee’s display, while he defended his players’ behaviour after the game.

    “When you lose you always get disappointed, upset,” Regragui stated. “My players are great competitors, I don’t think there was a lack of respect.

    “We sometimes overreact at the end of games, it happens. We just weren’t at the level we’ve set.

    “We focus on what we were lacking. We can’t hide behind the refereeing, that’s not the Moroccan way. We let the association deal with any official issues.”

  • Orsic strike secures World Cup bronze for Croatia

    As Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup’s third-place game on Saturday, Luka Modric concluded his World Cup career with the consolation gift of a bronze medal for Qatar 2022.

    Following the disappointment of losing to Argentina in the semi-finals, goals of great marvel from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic allowed the runners-up from four years ago in Russia to finish this campaign on a high.

    Croatia hopes that their 37-year-old skipper Modric will decide to continue playing and participate in their Euro 2024 campaign, but this was the midfielder for Real Madrid’s final World Cup game.

    Gvardiol gave Croatia a seventh-minute lead at Khalifa International Stadium. Although Achraf Dari swiftly brought Morocco level, Orsic’s brilliant finish just before half-time proved to be the match winner.

    Gvardiol’s goal was a super header into the left corner after Lovro Majer’s free-kick into the penalty area was skilfully nodded towards the penalty spot by Ivan Perisic.

    Morocco were level just 112 seconds minutes later, though, with Dari applying a close-range finish with his head after Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick from the right flank was sent looping up by a heavy touch off Croatia’s Majer.

    Yassine Bounou had almost sliced a pass into his own net early on, but the Morocco goalkeeper was sharp enough to keep out a low strike from Modric. However, he was beaten in the 42nd minute by an exquisite finish from Orsic, who arced the ball over the goalkeeper from just inside the left edge of the penalty area, the shot going in off the far post.

    A deflected Orsic strike from 20 yards rippled the side-netting early in the second half as Croatia searched for a third goal against the team that became Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists.

    Gvardiol later wanted a penalty after going down under a challenge from Sofyan Amrabat, before Morocco had their big chance, with Youssef En-Nesyri denied from close range by Dominik Livakovic. He had another last-gasp opening too for Morocco, but sent a header just over the bar. They were left to settle for fourth, still a huge achievement.

    Source: Livescore

  • Morocco face Croatia in third-place game

    Morocco can be proud they are playing a seventh game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, even though it is not Sunday’s final, says head coach Walid Regragui.

    Their history-making run saw them become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, but they were beaten by France on Wednesday.

    On Saturday, they face Croatia in the match to decide who finishes third.

    “We would like things to have gone differently and played in the final,” said Regragui.

    “There is another game to play, we would like to be on the podium.

    “I understand it’s important to finish third rather than fourth, but my takeaway is we didn’t reach the final. We wanted to play the final on Sunday, not play tomorrow.

    “But I told my players this is our seventh World Cup game. If you told any Morocco fan we would be playing our seventh game on 17 December, they would be proud.

    “Morocco played six World Cup games in 20-odd years and now we’ve played six games in a month – this is priceless. It’s as if we played two World Cups or even more, that’s beautiful from an experience point of view.”

    Morocco and 2018 finalists Croatia will both end the tournament as they began it – by facing each other.

    The two nations played out a goalless draw in Group F on 23 November at the Al Bayt Stadium, but Regragui is predicting a better encounter on Saturday.

    “We knew Croatia were going to be one of the best teams in the competition,” he added. “After the first game, we knew the performance was very good.

    “A lot of people said Croatia were approaching the end of their cycle and would have the rug swept out from under their feet. Croatia got stick for not beating ‘underdogs’ Morocco, but both teams reached the semi-finals.

    “There was a lot of hesitation for the first game. Both teams will want to win it and it will be a great game.”

    The game could be Croatia captain Luka Modric’s last with the national team and Regragui praised the 37-year-old Real Madrid midfielder.

    “I don’t know if it’s Modric’s last game, he’s a competitive warrior and will want to finish his World Cup in style. When he wants to finish on a great note, we should be wary,” said Regragui.

    “Hats off to Modric. What he’s doing at 37 is monumental. He was a Ballon d’Or winner and I completely understand why.”

    However, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic believes Modric will continue playing for the national side long enough to feature at the 2024 European Championships.

    “I hope that he will be there,” Dalic said. “I am looking forward to it.

    “It is quite certain that he will there be but he will personally decide how he feels. I personally feel that he will be, but ultimately it is his decision.”

    Dalic says his side are looking to end the tournament on a high in what he sees as a “huge match”.

    “For us, this is a major final, a major match and a fight for a medal,” he added.

    “We have a lot of respect for the Moroccan team, who achieved a lot at this tournament and are a true surprise.

    “They are of the same mindset. It is a huge match for them as well, they are coming with a strong line-up and we are not thinking about what the rivals are saying because we are well aware they are fighting for the same place and, for both, it is a huge match.

    “Morocco resembles us from four years ago, no-one expected them to go so far. They have deserved to be where they are, they have matured and developed and went to a higher level with every game. They have grown into a team that are full of energy and self-motivated.

    “They are definitely the most pleasant and biggest surprise from this World Cup, speaking of teams who could have done better – Spain, Germany, Netherlands, England – Italy did not even qualify. This is a specific World Cup where a third-place play-off is played by two nations who were not favourites.”

    Source: BBC

  • ‘Immortal’ status awaits for Croatia-Morocco winner, Kramaric says

    Andrej Kramaric, a forward for Croatia, has rejected the notion that t he third-place matchup on Saturday against Morocco is a meaningless contest.

    He believes the victor will live forever.

    After losing to Argentina and France in their respective semifinal matches, the two teams will square off at Khalifa International Stadium.

    After losing to Les Bleus at Russia 2018, Zlatko Dalic’s team was denied a chance at a second straight final, and Walid Regragui’s team too saw their underdog tale end in defeat in the championship game.

    Despite their disappointment, Kramaric insists that their bronze-medal battle will not be undervalued because the victor secures their position in sporting lore and history.

    “I think if you ask this question to Moroccan players, I don’t think they will look that way,” he said

    “They’re fighting for their lives because if you win a medal at a World Cup you become an immortal hero in your country. That’s the same thing we are going to do.

    “Eight of us from [the tournament in] Russia understand that feeling of winning a medal at the World Cup.

    “We have a lot of players who haven’t experienced that and would love to do that because it’s something that will stay with you for the rest of their life.”

    Croatia – whose prior best performance in a World Cup had been third at France 1998 before Russia – are looking to claim a third tournament medal in their history.

    For Morocco, regardless of their result, they will already go down as the greatest World Cup side in African history, having become the first from the continent to make the semi-finals.

  • Dalic admits Croatia observed the ‘true Messi’

    Lionel Messi’s performance was what Croatia “expected to see,” according to Zlatko Dalic, as the Argentina great crushed Croatia’s World Cup hopes.

    Messi scored a goal and provided an assist as the Albiceleste won 3-0 on Tuesday in the semifinals, preventing Dalic’s team from reaching a second straight final.

    The Croatia head coach, who intends to continue leading the side until his contract expires in 2024, was not overly surprised by the PSG forward’s heroics.

    Luka Modric, his 37-year-old captain, is probably one of the players from this generation who won’t be available by the finals in 2026, according to Dalic.

    “Nothing much needs to be said about Messi’s qualities,” he said. “In the past 15 years, he’s probably the best player in the world, and today again, he was very good and dangerous.

    “He made the difference in quality for the Argentina team. He had this explosiveness and technique at a very high-level performance. It’s the true Messi we expected to see.

    “This is perhaps the end of this generation in World Cups, a couple of them have reached an age and the World Cup in 2026 – we have to wait and see what happens then.

    “We’ve had great achievements for the Croatia national team, and a lot of players with a lot of potential.

    “I believe this generation will finish their careers with Euro 2024. We have the Nations League finals, and it’s an excellent generation that reached the semi-finals twice in a row.

    “It would have been great to have won the gold medal to crown this generation.”

    When asked if he would remain at the helm, Dalic added: “I will continue my contract until 2024 and the European Championships and, in six months, we have the Nations League [finals].

  • World Cup 2022: Croatia knock out Brazil to reach semis

    Brazil’s hope of winning a sixth World Cup has fallen into the mud after losing to Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals.

    The Selecao since the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup have been one of the favourites to win the tournament.

    Unfortunately, their journey has been ended by a determined Croatian side that fought to stay in the quarter-final contest throughout the 120 minutes on Friday, December 9.

    In the game today, neither Brazil nor Croatia did enough to win at the end of the 90 minutes

    After the goalless draw, the game travelled to extra time where both sides managed to score a goal each.

     

    It was Brazil that took the lead in the 105th minute when poster boy Neymar got the ball into the net of Croatia’s net to complete a well-worked team move.

    Unfortunately, for the Samba Boys, they could not hold onto the lead. A strike from Bruno Petković four minutes before the end of the match restored parity to the game.

    At the end of the penalty shootout, Croatia won 4-2 to progress to the semi-finals of the tournament.

    Brazil are out and will have to wait for the next four years to try again for the sixth world title.

  • World Cup 2022: Brazil vs Croatia is the eighth 0-0 after 90 minutes at the tournament

    The current World Cup in Qatar has broken all previous records. The tournament exceeded all previous finals with the eighth 0-0 after 90 minutes in the quarter-finals between Croatia and Brazil.

    The tallies were 0-0 seven games beyond the regular ending of the game at the World Cups in 1982, 2006, 2010, and 2014.

    Croatia also drew goalless matches with Belgium and Morocco prior to the first quarterfinal encounter. Denmark and Tunisia, Mexico and Poland, and England and the United States all had scoreless matches.

    Furthermore, Uruguay and South Korea tied 0-0. In the round of 16 encounter between Spain and Morocco, it was likewise deadlocked

    The first 0-0 at a World Cup was a long time coming for the football world. There were two gameswithout a goal after 90 minutes just once, in the sixth round of the 1958 tournament. After 90 minutes of play at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the score remained 0-0. Denmark and the eventual world winners France were separated without scoring in the group stage. Even after Qatar, the current World Cup record for fewest goals scored will continue.

    After 58 games, 154 goals were scored – 2.75 per game. The 1990 World Cup in Italy holds the negative record. Only 115 goals were scored throughout the tournament – ​​an average of 2.21 goals per game. The record for the highest goal average at a World Cup will probably not be beaten either. When Germany became world champions for the first time in 1954, the ball landed in the net 140 times in 26 games – an average of 5.38 goals per game.

  • World Cup 2022: Croatia ready to face Brazil – Zlatko Dalic

    Croatian football Manager Zlatko Dalic is optimistic that Croatia is prepared to take on “terrifying favorites” Brazil in their World Cup quarterfinal on Friday.

    During the 2018 World Cup, Dalic’s team advanced three times without extra time before falling to France 4-2 in the championship match.

    Croatia beat Japan in the last 16 on Monday on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

    “Brazil is the favourite, let’s face it,” Dalic said.

    “Brazil is the most powerful and the best national team at the World Cup. What I’ve seen so far, when you take a look at their selection of players, their quality, skills and value, then it is indeed terrifying.

     

    “I think we have a great exam ahead of us, a tough task against the team which plays great soccer with so many good quality and fast players.”

    Dalic added that Croatia, ranked 12th in the world, winning the knock-out match would not be a huge upset.

    “I think we have nothing to fear,” Dalic said. “We need to enter the match with much faith, self-confidence and looking for our chances, enjoy the occasion of playing Brazil, that’s it. [It’s] too early, if only it were the final.

    “It is a great team, but I believe that we can challenge them, we need to be smart … The match is not 50-50, but we are also not outsiders.”

    Croatia would face Argentina or the Netherlands in the semi-finals if they beat Brazil.

  • Netherlands to host 2023 Nations League Finals

    The Nations League Finals in 2023 will be held in the Netherlands.

    Since only they and their opponents from Group A4—Belgium, Poland, and Wales—expressed interest in hosting the knockout round, the Oranje were widely expected to welcome their rivals to play them on home soil.

    After defeating the trio to advance as group champions, the Netherlands will now welcome Croatia, Italy, and Spain for the 2022–23 edition’s grand finale the following year.

    The Johan Cruyff Arena and Philips Stadion will be unavailable due to concerts, so Feyenoord’s De Kuip and FC Twente’s De Grolsch Veste will host the games.

    The competition begins on June 14 and 15, with the semi-finals, and concludes on June 18, with a play-off for third place.

    Next January, a draw will be conducted at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon to determine the pairings for the final four teams.

  • Morocco hold Croatia to a stalemate in opening Group F encounter

    Morocco share the spoils with Croatia in their opening Group F game in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The Atlas Lions held the 2018 finalists to a goalless stalemate at the Al Bayt Stadium.

    Morocco, who exited the last edition with just a point, losing their opening game to Iran, showed a good level of football to match Croatia.

    The North Africans had a strong start in the game and made a lot of incursions, but Croatia’s defense stood tall and did well to avoid conceding early.

    Both Ziyech and Amallah made good efforts on goal, but their shots were blocked.

    Croatia came alive in the later part of the first when Vlasic forced Bounou to make a great save to keep the scoreline intact.

    Shortly after, Modric hit a thumping drive but could not hit the target as the referee brought the first half to a close.

    The second half, just like the first, was keenly contested, with Morocco remaining resolute.

    The best chance of the half came in the 64th minute when Hakimi hit a blistering strike from a freekick, forcing Livakovic to make his only big save of the game.

    Following the draw, Croatia take the lead in the group, with Morocco trailing on the same points.

    The second game in the group between Belgium and Canada will come off later today.

     

  • Modric urges Croatia focus on Qatar despite ‘unforgettable’ 2018 World Cup

    Croatia’s World Cup exploits at Russia 2018 remain “unforgettable” for Luka Modric but the veteran midfielder wants to put those memories aside in Qatar.

    Modric claimed the Ballon d’Or in 2018 after guiding Croatia to the final of FIFA’s top tournament, which ended in defeat to France, while winning a third consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid.

    The 37-year-old and coach Zlatko Dalic are two familiar faces from the Russian run in an otherwise much-changed squad.

    Modric was named Golden Ball winner at the last World Cup, given to the tournament’s best player, but wants to put previous success behind him ahead of Wednesday’s Group F opener against Morocco.

    “Definitely, what we’ve been through in 2018 in Russia is unforgettable and indelible in my mind,” the Madrid legend said on Tuesday.

    “Others can continue speaking about it but we need to put it aside and focus on what’s ahead.

    “Many players at the 2018 World Cup in Russia are not here, we have new players, new quality young players with fresh blood and energy. This is a new tournament and we have to look at it that way.”

    Croatia have lost their opening game in three of their five World Cup appearances, with the exceptions being 1998 when they reached the semi-final and 20 years later where they made the showpiece game.

    Dalic’s side appear in good form after coming through qualifying without any real scares and topping a Nations League group that included France and Denmark.

    While Croatia have won each of their last five games, Modric insisted Dalic’s men will show respect to Morocco, who are ranked 22nd in the world by FIFA.

    “We have to maintain a modest attitude and not make big promises or make great claims that we’ll achieve something,” he added.

    “I’m prepared physically and I’m in great shape. I’m healthy but drawing comparisons with other World Cups makes no sense. It’s important to feel prepared and ready to win.”

    If Croatia can go one better than 2018, Modric vowed to call an end to his illustrious international career.

    “If this happens it would be great. I’ll retire if we win,” he concluded.

    Source: Livescore

     

  • Luka Modric’s Croatia frustrated by stubborn Morocco

    Croatia’s bid to emulate their World Cup exploits of four years ago began in stuttering fashion with a frustrating Group F stalemate against Morocco.

    The 2018 runners-up controlled possession at Al Bayt Stadium but lacked a cutting edge in a forgettable 0-0 draw against opposition with just two World Cup victories in their history.

    Nikola Vlasic went close to an opener in first-half added time, while Noussair Mazraoui and Achraf Hakimi threatened winners for Morocco in the second period.

    The result leaves both sides with hope of reaching the knockout stages – albeit with plenty to do – in a group also containing Belgium and Canada.

    Croatia’s starting XI contained five players who were involved in their 4-2 World Cup final defeat to France in Russia, including influential captain Luka Modric.

    Manager Zlatko Dalic also remained from that match in Moscow and saw his side struggle to create in a tight, uninspiring opening period largely devoid of clear openings.

    Tottenham’s Ivan Perisic lashed narrowly over from distance, while Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech wastefully fired a well-positioned free-kick straight into the wall at the other end.

    Croatia saved their best first-half attempts for added time.

    Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was finally tested when he repelled a close-range poke from Vlasic with a thigh, before Modric smashed over just before the whistle.

    Walid Regragui only took charge of the Atlas Lions three months before the tournament and was yet to see his new side concede a goal.

    They remained resilient at the back after the restart and also improved from an attacking perspective, with Bayern Munich full-back Mazraoui, who was later stretchered off injured, seeing a header pushed away by Dominik Livakovic.

    Paris St Germain defender Hakimi then had a superb long-range effort denied by Croatia keeper Livakovic after being teed up by Ziyech at a free-kick before the contest faded away into the third goalless draw in the competition’s last four games.

    Croatia continue their campaign against Canada on Sunday afternoon, with Morocco facing Belgium earlier that day.

    Source: Livescore

     

  • The world’s smallest town has only two streets and three rows of houses

    Hum is a picturesque hilltop settlement in Croatia’s Istria region whose main call to fame is being the smallest town in the world.

    Located in central Istria, approximately a 2.5 hours drive from Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb, the medieval hilltop town of Hum is home to between 20 and 30 people (21 according to the 2011 national census, and 27 as of 2021). Its origins are shrouded in mystery, but its first mention in historical documents dates back to the year 1102, when it was called Cholm. A bell and watch tower was built in 1552 as part of the town’s defenses, and guards and their families started moving in, but the town never really developed over the centuries, and even today it consists of just three neat rows of medieval houses and two streets.

    Measuring only 100 meters long and 30 meters wide, it’s easy to see why Hum is considered the world’s smallest town. What’s not so clear is why it is classified as a village. After all, there are much smaller villages than this; some consist of just a handful of homes spread over long distances.

    The reputation of ‘world’s smallest town’ has done wonders for Hum, and today tourism counts as one of the two main sources of income for the locals, along with agriculture. There isn’t that much to see, due to the sheer size of the place, but locals do their best to make visitors film welcome, and walking along one of the only two cobbled streets, admiring the medieval architecture has its charm.

    Surrounded by a small stone fence erected in medieval times to protect the town from bandit attacks, Hum somehow never outgrew this barrier in the way that most other towns did. And now that it has a title to protect, I suspect we won’t be seeing any new homes being built there any time soon.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Rebic left out of preliminary Croatia squad ahead of World Cup

    Milan forward Ante Rebic has been left out of Croatia’s preliminary 34-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

    Rebic was a key part of the Croatia team who reached the World Cup final in Russia in 2018, opening the scoring in an impressive 3-0 group-stage win over Argentina in that tournament.

    However, the Rossoneri man has only made three Serie A starts this season, and although he has hit the net three times in his seven total league appearances, it has not been enough to enter him into Zlatko Dalic’s thoughts.

    Rebic last played for his country at last year’s Euro 2020.

    Luka Modric briefly sparked concerns over his fitness when he missed Real Madrid’s Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig this month, but the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is included on the list, as are Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic and Tottenham’s Ivan Perisic.

    Croatia will begin their Group F campaign against Morocco on November 23, before facing Canada and Belgium, and they will name their final 26-man squad on November 9.

    Croatia preliminary squad in full: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid), Dominik Kotarski (PAOK), Nediljko Labrovic (Rijeka); Domagoj Vida (AEK), Dejan Lovren (Zenit), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Duje Caleta-Car (Southampton), Josip Juranovic (Celtic), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Borna Sosa (Stuttgart), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongracic (Lecce), Martin Erlic (Sassuolo), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb); Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Luka Ivanusec (Dinamo Zagreb), Lovro Majer (Rennes), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luka Sucic (Salzburg), Josip Misic (Dinamo Zagreb); Ivan Perisic (Tottenham), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split), Antonio Colak (Rangers).