The Croatia national football team is gearing up for its upcoming fixtures in the new edition of the UEFA Nations League.
Ahead of today’s gathering, Croatia coach Slaven Bilić held a press conference, opening with comments on the fact that several national team players changed clubs this summer.
“Josip Šutalo? That’s good for him and for the national team. It’s a similar situation to Majer. He’s gone to a club and a league where proper defending is played, and things are going really well for him at Lazio. Of course he’s not yet at his top level, he’s played two matches, but I’m happy for him.
Luka Vušković? I can’t do anything but add to the praise. I’ve watched all of his matches, and you keep waiting for him to make a mistake, but it doesn’t come. He’s smart, brave, confident, and a real leader. He’s a young player, very young, and it’s normal for players like that to have ups and downs. He hasn’t shown any so far, but we have to keep an eye on him.
Ivor Pandur? He’s excellent. He was one of the key players in Hull’s promotion push toward the Premier League. Dominik Kotarski? He’s back at Dinamo, a club where you have to win and can’t afford to concede. All of that is good news. The same goes for Dominik Livaković. Flick didn’t put Livaković in goal because of Croatia — he did it because Livaković showed him in training that he deserves it. That’s grounds for optimism.
Franjo Ivanović? He changed clubs, and he didn’t play all that much last season. He’s made a really good start. I’ve already said he brings something different from our other forwards. I don’t doubt him,” Bilić said.
Four big matches lie ahead…
“All four matches are massive. We can’t overlook the Czech Republic, because everything is built around that match. It’s first up on the schedule, and the public expects a win. With all due respect to our opponents, we know it’s going to be tough. Our last match in Prague finished 0-0. These days it’s hard to play against Spain and England, but it’ll be hard for them against us too. We’ll need a lot of sacrifice, but also a lot of courage.”
On the option of playing with three or four defenders…
“I’d single out the Czech Republic match. We have players we expect a lot from, and I’m hoping some things become clearer to me as well. They also have every right to think about what awaits them when they play us. Four matches lie ahead of us, and football isn’t mathematics. We’ll need a lot of players, but our focus is on the Czech Republic for several reasons. Croatia has enough quality in defense and midfield to play with either three or four at the back. I prefer four, but we have the kind of players that let us defend with four and attack with three within the same match. We’ll certainly make use of some of that.”
On Modrić staying on…
“We’re all happy that he’s staying. His passion has never been in question. It’s been more of a media circus, because everyone kept asking him when he’d say goodbye to football. When I became coach, I noticed the national team means everything to him. He’s the last person who’d want to coast. Milan don’t look the same with him as without him. He’s great, and when he plays at that level, Milan are far more vertical with him on the pitch. As long as he keeps playing there, he’ll keep playing for us.”
On Ante Budimir…
“I congratulate him. Scoring a hundred goals in any league, let alone in Spain, is a huge achievement. I remember when Šuker put together a tape of his hundred goals, and back then that felt incredible. It still does today; it’s just that Ronaldo and Messi have spoiled that feeling a bit. He plays for Osasuna, who are fighting for a mid-table finish. Given the way Croatia play, he can be very useful to us, as he’s already shown many times.”
On the players joining up with the squad…
“Nobody’s getting a few days off, because we don’t have room for that. Some have played more, some less, some are in top form, and some have changed coaches. That’s part of what makes the national team special — the players arrive in all sorts of different mental states. We’ve already done a lot of the work before the camp. We’ll run a few training sessions, and there’ll certainly be one or two where everyone is out on the pitch together doing a proper session.”
On Ivan Perišić’s positions…
“Both positions. I spoke with him among the first after the season ended. He can play equally well in both roles. If we had two Perišićs, both would play — one at full-back, one on the wing. That’s the kind of player he is, and mentally he’s in the right place too.”
On the excitement of returning after 14 years…
“I’m excited, and I’m not hiding it. A lot of time has passed, and my last spell in charge now feels like ancient history.”
On the Vušković–Gvardiol center-back pairing…
“We’ll see, we’ll talk about it. Gvardiol is a versatile player. At City he plays at full-back. We also have other center-backs there — Šutalo, Pongračić… I see Gvardiol as a center-back, which doesn’t mean he won’t step into the full-back role. The two of them are young, but Gvardiol has been playing at the top level in one of the best leagues in the world for years now. Logically, they’re the center-back pairing of the future. They’ll have to fight for their place with players like Šutalo, Erlić and Pongračić, and that’s a privilege.”
On Modrić’s performances at Milan…
“Modrić’s strength lies in controlling the match. You saw it against Lecce. Once he came off, the opponent started to dominate and Milan lost their stability. Modrić has a huge influence on the rhythm of a game. Now someone will spin that as meaning it’s a static style of play. Capello says Milan play far more vertically with Modrić on the pitch.”
On Martin Baturina and Luka Sučić…
“Baturina has become a complete player. What every coach wants is for his players to be a goal threat. Both of them have scored three or four goals. And I see them both close to goal, playing as wingers or in that second-striker role.”
