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July 17, 2018

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Back to harsh reality for valiant Croatia

It was a dream run that came agonizingly close to being crowned with a World Cup title but for Croatia now comes a return to a harsh soccer reality of sketchy infrastructure and scandals.

With Luka Modric most likely having played his last major international tournament at the age of 32, and several of his teammates, including Ivan Rakitic (30) and the 32-year-old Mario Mandzukic, in the twilight of their careers, Croatia’s presence in the World Cup final is an event unlikely to be repeated soon.

Modric was the standout of the team and can still earn the title of world player of the year, breaking the stranglehold of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Croats yesterday threw out a red carpet and staged a heroes’ welcome for the national team despite its loss to France in the World Cup final.

Tens of thousands of people wearing national red-and-white colors and waving Croatian flags poured into the streets in of the capital Zagreb to greet the players.

Croatian air force jets escorted the plane carrying the team from Russia as it entered the country’s air space and flew over the capital Zagreb. “Champions! Champions!” roared the crowds as the players came out of the plane to a red carpet placed on the tarmac at the Zagreb airport.

The small country of 4 million people has been gripped in euphoria since its team beat England to reach its first World Cup final, where Croatia lost 2-4 to France.

The success has been described as the biggest in Croatia’s sporting history, boosting national pride and sense of unity in the country that fought a war to become independent from the former Yugoslavia in 1990s’.

But Croatia almost failed to qualify for the tournament, needing a 2-0 win in Ukraine in its last group match to earn second spot that sent it into a playoff against Greece.

It was the start of Zlatko Dalic’s term at the helm and the coach managed to guide it to Russia where it displayed some of the finest soccer on show.

Dalic’s future, however, is still unclear despite having a contract until 2020.

“I will take a time out, take a breather. I never take decisions overnight,” the soft-spoken coach said on Sunday when asked about seeing out his contract.

“At this moment I am not thinking of anything else but going back safely to Croatia and taking a rest.”

Dalic, however, knows any long-term decisions are difficult to take in Croatia, which is still engulfed in the biggest soccer scandal the country has seen.

Only last month a Croatian court sentenced former Dinamo Zagreb chief Zdravko Mamic to six-and-a-half years in prison for fraud and corruption. Croatia’s state attorney has also charged Modric with giving false testimony in the case, a major black spot on the player’s reputation.

Coupled with the country’s limited resources to improve its soccer infrastructure, it was no wonder Dalic called its World Cup run a miracle.




 

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