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Croatia national football team

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Croatia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Vatreni ("The Fiery Ones")
AssociationHrvatski Nogomenti Savez
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachCroatia Slaven Bilić
CaptainNiko Kovač
Most capsDario Šimić (99)
Top scorerDavor Šuker (45)
Home stadiumMaksimir Stadium
FIFA codeCRO
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 7
Highest3 (January 1999)
Lowest125 (March 1994)
First international
CroatiaCroatia 4–0 Switzerland Switzerland
(Zagreb, Yugoslavia; April 2, 1940)
Biggest win
Croatia Croatia 7–0 Australia Australia
(Zagreb, Croatia; June 6, 1998)
Croatia Croatia 7–0 Andorra Andorra
(Zagreb, Croatia; October 7, 2006)
Biggest defeat
Germany Germany 5–1 Croatia Croatia
(Vienna, Germany; June 15, 1941)
Germany Germany 5–1 Croatia Croatia
(Stuttgart, Nazi Germany; November 1, 1942)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1998)
Best resultThird place, 1998
European Championship
Appearances3 (first in 1996)
Best resultQuarterfinals, 1996, 2008

The Croatian national football team (Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in international football matches and is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation. The current team has been in existence since 1990, and were recognised by FIFA and UEFA in the summer of 1992, one year after Croatia's independence from Yugoslavia.[1] Previous Croat national teams played 19 friendly matches, between 1940 and 1944.[2]

The team played their first competitive matches during their successful qualifying campaign for Euro 1996, leading to their first appearance in a major international tournament.[2] They have remained as an augmenting force[clarification needed] in international football ever since, having been led to a third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup by Golden Boot winner Davor Šuker. Croatia have since qualified for every World Cup that they have entered as an independent nation.[3]

The team have several memorable results, the most well known of which being their 3–0 victory over Germany in the quarter finals of the 1998 World Cup and their 2–1 victory over Holland in the third-place playoff of the same tournament. In addition, Croatia defeated four time World Champions Italy during the qualifying campaign for Euro 96 and then again at the 2002 World Cup, by a 2–1 scoreline on both occasions. More recent results include home and away victories against England: 2–0 at Maksimir Stadium and 3–2 at the Wembley stadium (which was England's first ever defeat at the venue). At Euro 2008 they defeated eventual finalists and favourites Germany 2–1.[2]

Croatia are the only team to win FIFA's "Best Mover of the Year" more than once, winning in 1994 and 1998.[4] Their FIFA World Ranking has been more volatile than any other nation, reaching a high of third and a low of 125th (shortly after they began playing independently). They are undefeated in competitive matches on home soil since 1994, usually playing at Maksimir Stadium in the nation's capital, Zagreb.[5][2]

History

See also: Yugoslavia national football team and Croatia national football team games - 1940s

.

Pre-independence

Football was played in Croatia from the beginning of the 20th century, but until the 1990s the country was not independent in its current form and hence could not participate separately.

File:Croatian first team.jpg
Considered to be the first ever national team: Jozo Jakopić, Emil Urch, Florijan Matekalo, Franjo Wölfl, Zvonko Jazbec, Milan Antolković, Ivan Jazbinšek, Ivan Belošević, Zvonimir Cimermančić, Franjo Glaser, Ivica Šuprina, August Lešnik and Mirko Kokotović

Before full independence, players from Croatia had participated in the national teams of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1919–1939) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1990). In 1940, a non-FIFA recognized team played four friendly matches: two against Switzerland, and two against Hungary, as the team representing Banovina of Croatia.[2] As such, the very first of Croatia's international games could be considered a 4–0 victory over Switzerland played in Zagreb on 2 April, 1940. Following invasion by the axis powers, between 1941 and 1944, a Croatian team played fifteen friendly matches as the Independent State of Croatia. The last fourteen were as a FIFA member.

1990s

The last Yugoslav team to field a significant Croatian contingent was against Sweden on May 16, 1991, a few days before Croatia's independence referendum.[6] The modern Croatian team played its first international in a friendly game against the United States at Maksimir stadium on October 17, 1990 at a time when Croatia was still a part of Yugoslavia.[7] Aljoša Asanović registered as the first ever goalscorer for the modern day national team as Croatia went on to win the match 2-1.[8] Croatia officially became independent on October 8, 1991[9], allowing introduction to what is now known as the official independent national team.

During the summer of 1992, FIFA and UEFA both officially recognized Croatia as an independent nation and national team, allowing them to participate officially under the newly founded Croatian flag.[3] Miroslav Blažević became the first Croatian national team coach as the newly founded side went on to play their first competitive game on 4 September, 1994, as they defeated Estonia 2–0 at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn during Euro 1996 qualifying. Croatia went on to achieve impressive results as they finished top of their qualifying group for Euro 96, earning the FIFA Best Mover of the Year award for their abrupt improvement.[4] Their first competitive loss came against Ukraine during the same campaign on June 11, 1995, as they fell to a 1–0 defeat.[2]

Goran Vlaović went on to score Croatia's first ever goal at a major tournament, netting a late winner against Turkey at the City Ground in Nottingham during Euro 96.[10] Subsequent to their opening victory, Croatia defeated reigning champions Denmark 3–0, concluded with the famous goal scored by Davor Šuker.[11] Contrarily, Croatia would soon suffer their first loss at a major tournament, a 3–0 defeat to Portugal at the same competition and venue.[12] Despite such, they advanced from the group stage only to be beaten by eventual champions Germany in the quarter finals.

Croatia's famous 3-5-2 lineup of their Golden Generation during the 1998 FIFA World Cup

Mario Stanić scored Croatia's first World Cup goal at the Stade Félix Bollaert in Lens during the 98 World Cup, as he opened the scoring in the victory against Jamaica. The team went on to beat Japan and book a place in the next round where they would eventually see off the challenge from Romania. Highly unfavored prior to their quarter final clash with Germany, Croatia managed to overcome all odds and claim a famous 3–0 victory to earn a place in the semi finals. However, a dream of a debuting grand final spot was ruled out after Croatia went on to suffer defeat against eventual host champions France, despite taking the lead early in the second half. A third place playoff was eventually won against the Netherlands to claim bronze at the tournament, with Davor Šuker prevailing the Golden Boot award.[13]

To date, their international squad during their successful first few years has been referred to as their "Golden Generation".[14][15] FIFA once again awarded Croatia with the Best Mover of the Year award in 1998 for their impressive performances during this time.[4] However, despite their impressive run at their first two major competitions, Croatia failed to qualify for Euro 2000 as they fell behind to Yugoslavia and Ireland to finish third in their qualifying group.[16] During this campaign, hatred tensions rose higher between Croatia and their former national Yugoslavia. Both fixtures ended in a draw, with political movements taking presence during the goalless fixture in Belgrade.[17] The return match in Zagreb saw Croatia in need of a victory to qualify, while the end result saw them finish with a 2-2 draw in a match that sparked political differences and controversy once again.[18] Connected to such incidents, Yugoslavia soon broke up into the newly established Serbian national team, as further controversy remained seriously unmentioned over the events.

2000s

Years later, with most of their golden names (including coach Blažević) retired, Croatia qualified for the 2002 World Cup without losing a single qualifying match. Their subsequent loss of form, however, saw them disappointingly lose to Ecuador to be denied a place in the next round, despite a 2-1 surprise over Italy. After qualifying for Euro 2004, Croatia again failed to advance from their group after losing against England in their final game.[19] The tournament did however see them earn a 2-2 draw against reigning champions France.[20]

This[specify] marked the beginning of what many[who?] called a new era for Croatia. Famous retiree Zlatko Kranjčar took over as national team coach[21] and managed to produce a good showing as Croatia finished top of their qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup, again without losing a single match.[22] After narrowly losing to Brazil in their opening game, they went on to then draw their remaining fixtures against Japan and Australia, which saw them once again exit from the group stage. Croatia marked a humorous first in football history when Josip Šimunić became the first player to ever receive 3 yellow cards in a single match. This was done under the refereeing of Graham Poll, who was largely criticized for his inability to control the match.[23]

Nevertheless, former defender Slaven Bilić took over as national team coach and with promising talent at his disposal immediately improved the team's results, beating World Champions Italy 2-0 in an away friendly. With the introduction of new players such as Eduardo, Modrić, Ćorluka and Rakitić, Bilić bought the dream of a new Golden Generation which he was once part of alive.[neutrality is disputed] Croatia went on to excel in their qualifications for Euro 2008, defeating England home and away to deny the latter qualification to the finals of the tournament,[24] giving the grateful Russia second spot in the group. At the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland, the team reproduced high form, winning all 3 group games (including victory over eventual finalists Germany) to claim maximum points in their group for the first time in their history.[25] Further dreams were ended when Croatia suffered a controversial exit in the quarter final match against Turkey.[26][27] Following the tournament, the Croats received note for their statistical achievements—some of which[specify] were new European championship records—having conceded the fewest goals (2), suffered the fewest losses (0) and scored the fastest goal of the tournament (4th minute in opening game against Austria).[28]

Croatia were again drawn with England in the qualification stages of the 2010 World Cup. The rematch fixtures were voted on FIFA.com to be the most anticipated of the campaign.[29] Slaven Bilić previously[when?] accepted a new contract to stay on as manager and lead Croatia to the tournament.[30] This marked the first occasion since Miroslav Blažević's managerial run that Croatia would enter two consecutive tournaments with the same manager as all the previous coaches were replaced after their respective unsuccessful major tournaments.

Tournament records

World Cup record

Year Round Position Matches Wins Draws[33] Losses GF[34] GA[35]
France 1998 Third place 3 7 5 0 2 11 5
South KoreaJapan 2002 Round 1 23 3 1 0 2 2 3
Germany 2006 Round 1 22 3 0 2 1 2 3
Total 3/3 - 13 6 2 5 15 11

European Championship record

  • 1960 to 1992 - Could not enter[36]
Year Round Matches Wins Draws[33] Losses GF[34] GA[35]
England 1996 Quarter finals 4 2 0 2 5 5
BelgiumNetherlands 2000 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Portugal 2004 Round 1 3 0 2 1 4 6
AustriaSwitzerland 2008 Quarter finals 4 3 1 0 5 2
Total 3/4 11 5 3 3 14 13

Minor tournaments

Year Round Position Matches Wins Draws[33] Losses GF GA
Morocco 1996 King Hassan II Tournament Winners 1 2 0 2 0 3 3
Japan 1997 Kirin Cup Group stage 2 2 0 1 1 4 5
South Korea 1999 Korea Cup Winners 1 3 1 2 0 5 4
Hong Kong 2006 Carlsberg Cup Third place 3 2 1 0 1 4 2
Total - 2 Titles 9 2 5 2 16 14

Statistics

Managers (1990-present)

Name Tenure Played Won Drawn Lost Win % Points per game[37] Achievements
Croatia Dražan Jerković 1990–1991 3 3 0 0 100.00 3.00
Croatia Stanko Poklepović 1992 4 1 1 2 25.00 1.00
Croatia Vlatko Marković 1993 1 1 0 0 100.00 3.00
Croatia Miroslav Blažević 1994–2000 73 36 22 15 49.31 1.78 1996 Euro - quarter-final
1998 World Cup - third place
Croatia Mirko Jozić 2000–2002 18 9 6 3 50.00 1.83 2002 World Cup - group stage
Croatia Otto Barić 2002–2004 24 11 8 5 45.83 1.70 2004 Euro - group stage
Croatia Zlatko Kranjčar 2004–2006 25 11 8 6 44.00 1.64 2006 World Cup - group stage
Croatia Slaven Bilić 2006–present 24 17 5 2 70.83 2.29 2008 Euro - quarter-final
Totals 172 89 50 33 51.74 1.84
Last updated: Croatia 1–1 Turkey, 20 June 2008. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Top appearances

# Name Clubs* Croatia career Caps Goals
1 Dario Šimić Dinamo Zagreb, Internazionale, AC Milan 1996–present 99 3
2 Robert Jarni Hajduk Split, Bari, Torino, Juventus, Real Betis,
Real Madrid, Las Palmas, Panathinaikos 		1990–2002 81 1
3 Niko Kovač Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich,
Hertha Berlin, Red Bull Salzburg 		1996–present 80 14
4 Robert Kovač Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich,
Juventus, Borussia Dortmund 		1999–present 77 0
5 Stipe Pletikosa Hajduk Split, Shakhtar Donetsk, Spartak Moscow 1999–present 72 0
6 Davor Šuker Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla, Real Madrid,
Arsenal, West Ham United, 1860 Munich 		1990–2002 69 45
7 Josip Šimunić Hertha Berlin 2001–present 65 3
8 Aljoša Asanović Metz, Cannes, Montpellier, Hajduk Split, Real Valladolid,
Derby County, Napoli, Panathinaikos 		1990–2000 62 4
9 Zvonimir Soldo Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart 1994–2002 61 3
10 Dražen Ladić Dinamo Zagreb 1990–2000 59 0
*Only clubs played for while receiving caps are listed. Players in bold typeface are still active in football. Last updated: Croatia 1–1 Turkey, 20 June 2008.

Top goalscorers

# Name Croatia career Goals Caps Average
1 Davor Šuker 1990–2002 45 69 0.65
=2 Goran Vlaović 1992–2002 16 52 0.30
=2 Darijo Srna 2002–present 16 58 0.27
4 Niko Kovač 1996–present 14 80 0.17
5 Eduardo da Silva 2004–present 13 22 0.59
6 Zvonimir Boban 1991–1999 12 51 0.23
7 Robert Prosinečki 1993–2002 11 49 0.22
=8 Alen Bokšić 1993–2002 10 40 0.25
=8 Boško Balaban 2000 – present 10 35 0.28
=8 Ivica Olić 2002–present 10 57 0.17
=8 Ivan Klasnić 2004–present 10 31 0.32
=12 Dado Pršo 2003–2006 9 32 0.28
=12 Mladen Petrić 2001–present 9 27 0.33
Last updated: Croatia 1–1 Turkey, 20 June 2008.

Players

Current squad

EURO 2008 squad
Date announced 05 May 2008

(caps correct as of June 20, 2008)

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Stipe Pletikosa (1979-01-08) 8 January 1979 (age 45) 72 0 Russia Spartak Moscow
12 1GK Mario Galinović (1976-11-15) 15 November 1976 (age 47) 2 0 Greece Panathinaikos
23 1GK Vedran Runje (1976-02-10) 10 February 1976 (age 48) 5 0 France RC Lens
2 2DF Dario Šimić (v-c) (1975-11-12) 12 November 1975 (age 48) 99 3 Italy AC Milan
3 2DF Josip Šimunić (1978-02-18) 18 February 1978 (age 46) 65 3 Germany Hertha Berlin
4 2DF Robert Kovač (v-c) (1974-04-06) 6 April 1974 (age 50) 77 0 Germany Borussia Dortmund
5 2DF Vedran Ćorluka (1986-02-06) 6 February 1986 (age 38) 24 0 England Manchester City
6 2DF Hrvoje Vejić (1977-06-08) 8 June 1977 (age 47) 3 0 Russia Tom Tomsk
15 2DF Dario Knežević (1982-04-20) 20 April 1982 (age 42) 10 1 Italy Juventus
7 3MF Ivan Rakitić (1988-03-10) 10 March 1988 (age 36) 11 1 Germany Schalke 04
8 3MF Ognjen Vukojević (1983-12-20) 20 December 1983 (age 40) 7 1 Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv
10 3MF Niko Kovač (c) (1971-10-15) 15 October 1971 (age 52) 80 14 Austria Red Bull Salzburg
11 3MF Darijo Srna (1982-05-01) 1 May 1982 (age 42) 58 16 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk
13 3MF Nikola Pokrivač (1985-11-26) 26 November 1985 (age 38) 2 0 France AS Monaco
14 3MF Luka Modrić (1985-09-09) 9 September 1985 (age 38) 29 4 England Tottenham Hotspur
16 3MF Jerko Leko (1980-04-09) 9 April 1980 (age 44) 54 2 France AS Monaco
19 3MF Niko Kranjčar (1984-08-13) 13 August 1984 (age 39) 45 6 England Portsmouth
22 3MF Danijel Pranjić (1981-12-02) 2 December 1981 (age 42) 15 0 Netherlands Heerenveen
9 4FW Nikola Kalinić (1988-01-05) 5 January 1988 (age 36) 2 0 Croatia Hajduk Split
17 4FW Ivan Klasnić (1980-01-28) 28 January 1980 (age 44) 31 10 France FC Nantes
18 4FW Ivica Olić (1979-09-14) 14 September 1979 (age 44) 57 10 Germany Hamburger SV
20 4FW Igor Budan (1980-04-22) 22 April 1980 (age 44) 6 0 Italy Palermo
21 4FW Mladen Petrić (1981-01-01) 1 January 1981 (age 43) 27 9 Germany Borussia Dortmund

Recent call ups

The following players have also been called up to the national squad in 2008.

Goalkeepers
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most Recent Call up
Marin Skender August 12 1976 Croatia Osijek 0 (0) v. Scotland, 26 March, 2008
Defenders
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most Recent Call up
Manuel Pamić August 20 1986 Austria Red Bull Salzburg 0 (0) Euro 2008 provisional squad
Midfielders
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most Recent Call up
Marko Babić January 28, 1981 Spain Real Betis 49 (3) v. Netherlands, 6 February, 2008
Jurica Vranješ January 30, 1980 Germany Werder Bremen 26 (0) v. Netherlands, 6 February, 2008
Anas Sharbini February 21, 1986 Croatia Rijeka 0 (0) Euro 2008 provisional squad
Strikers
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most Recent Call up
Eduardo da Silva February 25, 1983 England Arsenal 22 (13) v. Netherlands, 6 February, 2008

Previous squads

Foreigners

Born outside Croatia, the following were eligible to play for alternate national federations but have notably appeared for the Croatian team instead:

Records

Current defender Dario Šimić holds the record of most caps for the national team, having appeared in all of their major tournaments so far. At present, he is one cap short of reaching the 100 mark, which would make him the first Croatian player to achieve this milestone.[38] Robert Jarni held the previous record of most appearances as he was capped 81 times, eventually to be surpassed by Šimić during the 2006 World Cup match against Japan.[39][40]

Davor Šuker, who was also selected as Croatia's best player for the UEFA Jubilee celebration[18], set a memorable standard of 45 goals during his career as a striker in the early years of the modern national team. Such has been proven a difficult milestone to surpass, as all closest followers have scored fewer than 20 goals so far. The closest follower is midfielder Darijo Srna who has so far scored 16 goals for the national team. However, at age 25, foreign striker Eduardo da Silva is considered to be the closest contender to break the record as he started his international career in highly prolific form. The most goals scored in a single match however is held by Mladen Petrić who surpassed all previously held records to set an all time high. He did this by scoring 4 goals in Croatia's 7-0 home victory over Andorra on 7 October 2006. [41]

The national team's highest scoring victory is an equal par with 7-0 victories of Andorra (achieved in 2006) and a same scoreline victory over Australia (achieved in 1998). However, Andorra's defeat was a competitive game while Australia's was a warm up friendly prior to Croatia's run at the 98 World Cup. Croatia's highest suffered loss is also jointly considered, this time between 5 different occasions. The first two of such were 5-1 defeats against the former German national team in the 1940s, although the Croatian team was actually representing the short-lived Independent State of Croatia. In the modern era, Croatia suffered a 4-1 defeat against Slovakia in a 1994 friendly, a 3-0 defeat to Portugal at Euro 96 and a 3-0 loss over Netherlands in a 2008 friendly[2] (which is also Croatia's worst defeat on home soil in the modern era).

Jurica Vranješ is the youngest player ever to appear for Croatia as he was capped for the first time at just 19 years, 4 months and 13 days in the game against Egypt on 13 June 1999. Goalkeeper Vedran Runje is considered one of the oldest players to debut for the national team as he earned his first cap at the age of 30, while the oldest player ever to appear for Croatia was Dražen Ladić who was 37 years, 5 months and 27 days old in his last game for Croatia on 28 May 2000, which was a friendly against France in Zagreb.

Stadium

Main article: Maksimir Stadium
File:MaksimirStadium.jpg
Maksimir stadium from an aerial view

Croatia play most of their home matches at the Maksimir Stadium in the nations capital city of Zagreb, especially competitive fixtures. The stadium, also used by league giants Dinamo Zagreb, is famously remembered in the Balkans for the Dinamo vs Red Star riot during the early years of the war. The monument contracts its name from the nearby neighborhood of Maksimir and is commonly also used for domestic concerts. Although, these are constantly set long before any major fixtures take place. Subject to such over the years, there are currently extensive plans to renovate the Maksimir. If done to the expected degree, it will become the most expensive football stadium in the world.[42]

Croatia are still undefeated in all competitive games played on home soil, proving to be a tough competition for any opponent. Their primary stadium has a reputation of a fierce and largely supporting atmosphere which is believed to be the prime factor behind Croatia's undefeated record. Prior to the European Championships in 2008, the Croatian Football Federation was fined for alleged racist behaviour by the fans during the tournament. After further investigation, the possibility occurred that the stadiums tenants may have to perform under a strict number of limited fans as a punishment.[43] France are the only team ever to have beaten Croatia at Maksimir, during a friendly game back in 2000.[44] In 2006, England suffered the effect of a slight discoloration in the turf, which lead to the infamous own goal conceded by goalkeeper Paul Robinson. [45]

The national team is also known to play some fixtures at the Poljud Stadium in Split, which has seen them produce overall disappointing results for a coincidental reason. Smaller games are sometimes even played at the minor Kantrida Stadium in Rijeka, along with others.

Home venues record

Since Croatia's first game as an independent country (on 17 October 1990 vs. United States) the national football team played their home games at 8 different stadiums[46]:

Venue City Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA Points per game
Maksimir Zagreb 38 26 11 1 84 21 2.34
Kantrida Rijeka 9 8 1 0 14 2 2.77
Poljud Split 9 0 6 3 7 12 0.66
Stadion Varteksa Varaždin 6 4 2 0 12 3 2.33
Gradski vrt Osijek 5 3 2 0 14 5 2.20
Kranjčevićeva Zagreb 1 1 0 0 3 0 3.00
Šubićevac Šibenik 1 0 1 0 2 2 1.00
Aldo Drosina Pula 1 0 0 1 1 2 0.00
Totals 70 42 23 5 137 47 2.12
Last updated: Croatia 1–0 Moldova, 24 May 2008. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Supporters

Croatia have memorable fame for their supporters as well. The two most common fan groups in the country are the Bad Blue Boys of Dinamo Zagreb and The Torcida of Hajduk Split. As supporters of the 2 biggest teams in the domestic league, a strong rivalry has since developed between both the teams and fans, with some records of increased riots and clashes. However, during the national team matches, these are usually set aside as all fans focus merely on the support of the national team as a whole.

File:First flare croatia.jpg
Passionate Croatian supporters are famously noticed for their wild behavior, usually involving flares to light up their national colour

At many times however, the Croatian fans have been the centre of harshly accused racist behaviour. While national chants are common from the supporters, there has also been an increasingly reported amount of racist actions, allegedly at Euro 2004 as well.[47] In 2006, during the friendly game between Italy and Croatia in Livorno, a small amount of domestic Croatian fans formed the shape of a swastika[48], a symbol connected to the cold years of the Nazi regime. While some conspiracies surrounded the event in the defense of the Croat fans, UEFA eventually fined the Croatian football federation over the incident[47] as the fans claimed to be provoked over the jeering of their national anthem and waving of pro-communist flags towards them.[49] Watched closely during Euro 2008, Croatian supporters were again spotted as accusations were made of displaying racist banners during the match against Turkey. The national football federation was again fined by UEFA.[50]

File:Croatia vienna.jpg
Croatia fans in Vienna during Euro 2008

Despite some controversy surrounding the supporters, Croatians have always been neutrally admired and recognised for their creative passion. During the 2006 World Cup, a Croatian fan managed to bypass all security barriers and make his way onto the field, immediately admiring the presence of the players and notably interacting with former striker Dado Pršo as the crowd reacted positively. Later caught and arrested, the supporter was remembered in a respectful manner by the media as well. [51][52]

During the famous win at the new Wembley stadium in 2007, Croatian supporters were favored for their constant involvement and spirit for the team. A large emphasis soon occurred surrounding the criticism of the English fans who, despite having a clear number advantage, were over-volumed by the 6000 or so away fans. At the conclusion of the match, the players once again celebrated with their fans, prompting a clear relationship amongst them.

After the unexpected loss against Turkey at the final tournament, the national football federation presented professional help to the players and fans who remained distraught over the loss.[53]

Media attention

The national team is subject to constant media attention as support and praise is often composed for the players prior to significant fixtures. Most recently, manager Slaven Bilić and his casual rock band released a hit titled "Vatreno Ludilo" (Fiery Madness) which reminiscences the teams success during the 98 World Cup and relates it back to modern day ability. It soon became a #1 hit in Croatia and was used as a hymn for the teams performance at Euro 2008.[54]

Further throughout the years, domestic bands such as Dino Dvornik, Zaprešić boys, Prljavo kazalište, Baruni and others composed many singles in support of the national team.[55] The most well known of such are still used today and are known as:

  • Malo nas je al nas ima (we are little, but we are many)
  • Samo je jedno (only ever necessary [to cry] once)
  • Moj dom je Hrvatska (Croatia is my homeland)
  • Srce Vatreno (fiery heart) and
  • Hrvatska je prvak svijeta (Croatia are champions).

Notes and references

  1. ^ "History of Croatian national football". BecomeaCroatiafan.com. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Croatia International matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "The Croatian national football team". Vienna Webservice. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "FIFA Best Mover of the Year awards". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "England? They are pretty bad". Guardian.co.uk The Observer. Retrieved 2008-07-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Yugoslavia National Team List of Results 1990-1999". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2008-07-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Croatia - International matches 1990-1995". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2008-07-18. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Aljosa Asanovic - International appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Croatia Marks Independence Day for First Time". Balkan (Southeast European) times. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "Croatia contemplate Turkey task". uefa/euro2008.com. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Suker: a man with a Midas touch". uefa/euro2008.com. Retrieved 2008-07-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Portugal take advantage of slack Croatia". Independent, The London. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "France 98". Expertfootball.com. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "The Golden Generation beginning to show their age". The Sunday Herald. 2001-09-02. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Pletikosa inspired by Croatia's past". uefa/euro2008.com. 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Sport: Football Euro 2000 qualifying group tables". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Draw for Balkan rivals". BBC News. 1999-08-18. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ a b "Suker: a man with the Midas touch". uefa/euro2008.com. 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2008-07-22. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "England 4-2 Croatia". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "Croatia 2-2 France". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Former striker Kranjcar hired to lead Croatia to World Cup". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2008-07-22. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "2006 World Cup qualifying standings". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2008-07-22. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Poll's career on the line after Stuttgart debacle". The Guardian. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Croatia, England face off again in World Cup qualifying". CBC Sports, The Associated Press. 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "Klasnić completes Croatian clean sweep". uefa/euro2008.com. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ "Bilic on wrong end of upset as Croatia fluff the penalty shootout in Euro 2008 quarterfinals". International Herald Tribune. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "Where was Croatia's 3rd substitution?". Croatian Soccer report.com. 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ "Croatia edge out valiant Austria". Goal.com. 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ "England-Croatia topping the bill". FIFA.com. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ "Bilic agrees new Croatia deal". SkySports. 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ Was part of Yugoslavia
  32. ^ Was not a full FIFA member until July 1992, qualifications for this tournament already began prior to their independence acknowledgment
  33. ^ a b c Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
  34. ^ a b Goals for / scored
  35. ^ a b Goals against / conceded
  36. ^ Was still part of Yugoslavia and unable to participate separately
  37. ^ Calculated by multiplying wins by 3, plus draws, divided by games played.
  38. ^ "Simic set on joining centurion club". uefa/euro2008.com. 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  39. ^ "Robert Jarni - player profile". BecomeaCroatiafan.com. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ "Dario Simic - player profile". uefa/euro2008.com. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ "Petric inspires Croatian record". uefa/euro2008.com. 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2008-07-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  42. ^ "What the New Dinamo Stadium Will Look Like". Javno.com. Retrieved 2008-07-07. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  43. ^ "UEFA to Punish HNS Due to Fascist Signs?". Javno.com. 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-07-07. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  44. ^ "Hrvatska reprezentacija (Croatian)". Sve o Sportu. 2000-05-28. Retrieved 2008-07-18. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  45. ^ "Croatia 2-0 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  46. ^ "Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija utakmice (Croatian)". Sve o Sportu. Retrieved 2008-07-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  47. ^ a b "Croatia threatened with expulsion". DailyMail, Mail Online. 2006-10-10. Retrieved 2008-07-15. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ "Racism In Soccer: Croatian Fans Form Human Swastika In Italy". C.a.r.d. 2006-18-08. Retrieved 2008-07-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  49. ^ "Croatia to receive penalty for 'human swastika'". Jerusalem Post. 2006-18-08. Retrieved 2008-07-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  50. ^ "Croatia federation fined over racist fans". Reuters. 2008-06-28. Retrieved 2008-07-07. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  51. ^ "Croatian fan interrupts Brazil-Croatia World Cup game". People's Daily Online. 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  52. ^ "Croatia vs. Brazil: The Fan…". World Cup Blog. 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  53. ^ "Croats seek professional help after Turkey's shock win in Euro 2008". Hürriyet. Retrieved 2008-07-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  54. ^ "Slaven Bilić's band to record Croatia's Euro 2008 anthem". World Cup blog. 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  55. ^ "Croatian football anthems". BecomeaCroatiafan.com. Retrieved 2008-07-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

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News and fans

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