It will be the Croatians’ fourth appearance at the finals.
In France sixteen years ago they were the surprise of the tournament as they progressed to the semifinals and eventually finished third.
Ivica Olić: “I watched those matches when I was a child. And I was an ardent supporter of the national team. Of course, my expectations were very high, but I did not expect them to progress as far as they did.
I remember every match, especially the game against the Netherlands for third place. It was a difficult match, especially after a tough defeat against France in the semi-finals”.
Niko Kovač missed the 1998 finals due to injury. The former midfielder is now in charge of the national side. Born and raised in Germany, the new coach hopes to emulate the success of 1998.
Niko Kovač: “Back then, the team achieved great things for such a small country. Nobody expected them to finish third and that has to be an inspiration for us all. Of course, we know that it will be difficult to repeat that feat. We’ll have to see if it’s possible. We will go to Brazil and we’ll play nice, attractive football”.
Hrvatska is the native name for Croatia, which is home for one of the smallest towns in the world – Hum, located in the West of the country.
The USA’s White House was built using stones from the Croatian island of Brač, which is a part of Dalmatia, the region of Croatia that lent its name to the breed of dog.
The world's largest truffle was discovered by Giancarlo Zigante and his dog Diana in Croatia. It was 19,5 cm long, 12,4 cm wide and 13,5 cm high.
The longest necktie was also produced in Croatia. It was 808 m long.
Croatia made a first FIFA World Cup finals appearance in 1998.
Notable Croatian clubs include Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split.
The national team's nickname is Vatreni of the Blazers.
Croatia opened their qualifying campaign for this year's FIFA World Cup with five wins and one draw.That put them in a position to win the European group A and qualify automaticaly. The run included the 2:0 win against their neighbours Serbia. Confidence in Croatia camp was high, but their form dropped dramatically and they failed to win another game in a group phase.
Joško Jeličić (broadcaster, RTL Televizija): “I would say it is a part of our football mentality. There is a very thin line between euphoria and depression. That was the case in the qualifiers. We exhausted ourselves emotionally against Serbia, but then we lost to Scotland and depression began. For that reason I think the qualifiers were very hard psychologically”.
A single point from possible twelve made automatic qualification hopes disappear. Belgium secured the top spot with a game to spare. The visitors’ 2:1 win in Zagreb consigned Croatia to the playoffs. In the final match of group campaign Scotland defeated Croatia 2:0 at HendonPark. The following day Croatians’ head coach Igor Štimac resigned.
Niko Kranjčar*: “Nothing is surprising in football. I feel sorry for what happened. Whether you want to admit it or not, before the qualifiers, everyone said that our group was the toughest and that our objective was to finish in the top two.
Štimac achieved that, together with players. He made the decision to offer his resignation”.
Štimac was replaced by Croatia’s former captain Niko Kovač. The veteran of 83 matches for the national side, Kovač played at the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006.
Joško Jeličić: “I think that was the crucial moment in the qualifying campaign. The arrival of Niko Kovač turned a negative atmosphere into something positive. He didn’t have much time to see the team train, so the biggest thing that Niko Kovač did was provide a “positive shock”.
Niko Kovač: “I knew if I accepted the role, and there was never a question that I wouldn’t, that those five weeks would be the toughest of my life. The expectation in Croatia is very high. We are a small country, but we’re always expected to qualify”.
Kovač retired from international football in 2008. Now the 43-year-old aims to carry the experience gained from his playing days into his first senior coaching role.
Niko Kranjčar: “He’s a former player with many qualities. He is extremely disciplined. He grew up in Germany and has German mentality.
Kovač will expect maximum effort and discipline from all of us. That way, our individual talent can come to the fore”.
Kovač has adopted various formations since his appointment. In playoffs the 4-2-3-1 scheme was a success.
In goal – Stipe Pletikosa looks likely to keep his place. The veteran has made over a hundred appearances for the national team, but these finals will probably be the last for the 35-year-old. In front of him – Vedran Ćorluka may start in central defense. Dejan Lovren can partner him in the absence of experienced Josip Šimunić, who’s serving a lengthy ban from international football.
Versatile Domagoj Vida is also ready to take the field.
Captain Darijo Srna is expected to operate on the right flank and Ivan Ivan Strinić performs the same role on the left. Much will depend on the form of midfielders Ivan Rakitić and Luka Modrić. Both had impressive season in La Liga.
Combative spirit of Ognjen Vukojević may be also important.
On the left Ivica Olić can create a threat. Mario Mandžukić will miss the tournament’s opener against Brazil due to suspension, so Eduardo or Nikica Jelavić could feature.
Kovač has only had a few games to finalize his formation and squad. His first two matches in charge were the vital playoffs against Iceland. After 0:0 draw in Reykjavík it all was to be settled in Zagreb.
Niko Kovač: “I am seen as a real fighter from my playing days.
That is what the public expect from the team. When we walked onto the pitch in front of 25,000 fans the atmosphere made everybody in the stadium feel the same way. We had a connection with the supporters, so when we sent our energy from the pitch to the stands that energy came back. That was important, and it was something that had been missing”.
Mandžukić opened the scoring in the first half and when the captain Srna scored the second after the break Croatia were on the way to their first finals since 2006.
Niko Kovač: “It was definitely a sense of relief. That was a huge weight off my shoulders.
The pressure disappeared with all the emotions. I cried, which is quite normal in situations like that”.
Croatia were drawn in group A with the hosts, Mexico and Cameroon.
Croatians will face Cameroon in Manaus and Mexico in Recife. The curtain-raiser of the tournament between Croatia and Brazil will take place on the 12th of June in São Paulo.
Ivica Olić: “We have nothing to lose in that match. That is not just my opinion, but the opinion of the fans as well. We will give our best. Football is unpredictable. They are the favourites. They will be playing at home in front of their fans. I’m sure we will make it difficult for them, but it won’t be easy. I believe that Croatia can surprise people in that first match”.
Watch FIFA TV VIDEO about Croatia national team:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_0Yz0-nrSQ
* Niko Kranjčar will miss 2014 World Cup due to injury
