October 11, 2024 – Croatia and Scotland meet tomorrow in Zagreb to kick off the October UEFA Nations League campaign.
Coach Zlatko Dalić and captain Luka Modrić addressed the press ahead of their upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign, which kicks off tomorrow. On Saturday, October 12, Croatia plays against Scotland at Maksimir, while on Tuesday, October 15, they will visit Poland. Croatia opened the competition with a defeat against Portugal (2-1) and beat Poland in Osijek (1-0).
Recall, the first two teams in the group will advance to the quarter-finals, the last team will be relegated to League B, while the third-placed team will play in the playoffs to stay in League A.
Modrić addressed the press first. What are your memories of playing Scotland at the 2020 Euros?
“It was a tough game, as it always is against Scotland. It was important for us as we qualified for the next round with that win. I scored a nice goal and have very fond memories of that game.”
“The results for Scotland have not been great lately but that doesn’t matter for tomorrow. We don’t have a good record against Scotland, either. They are always a passionate and tough team with players who play in big clubs. It will not be an easy game but we will give it our all. We are playing at home and will go for 3 points tomorrow.
Scotland reminds me of Croatia in some ways. You can tell it is an honor to play for Scotland. It carries a huge importance for the players, just like it does playing for Croatia.”
Is Martin Baturina the new Luka Modrić?
“We will see. He is a great talent but he needs to work and train well. He will become a key player for the Croatia team in the future. He has a lot of potential, quality, and talent, but he needs to keep working every day.”
Where does Luka’s desire to keep playing come from?
“My love for football and love for Croatia. It is an honor to play for the national team and that’s why I am motivated and still playing at this level.”
Scotland’s goalkeeper is 41 – so Luka won’t be the oldest on the pitch tomorrow.
“I know him well, he is an excellent goalkeeper. It’s big for Scotland that he’s still playing and it will be nice to have someone older than me on the pitch for once.”
What is the secret to Croatia’s success?
“It’s hard to say what the secret is. The love and honor are the most important. Of course, you need to have quality and sometimes a little luck. But that desire and love to play for the national team is something special. We love that we get to represent Croatia in the best way and bring our people together. When we get together it’s like a holiday. This is why Croatia has been at the top of European and world football the last few years.”
What is the key for the game tomorrow?
“I hope we can repeat the same play we had against Portugal and Poland. We played a new formation and it will be important to play the same way. We need to be patient and take advantage of opportunities. It is expected that we will take control but we need to create space and chances.”
Dalić then answered questions. What is the latest with Kovačić?
“Kova will not be with us for this game but he may be with us against Poland. Šutalo trained, and if all is well, he will play tomorrow. We worked really well the last three days and are ready to play the same formation. Our goal is to go for 3 points but we know the opponent is difficult. They play aggressive and tough football. There won’t be any big changes otherwise. Luka Sučić, Petar Sučić and Baturina can fill in for Kova.”
Croatia and Scotland play tomorrow at 18:00.
