Croatia national football team

Croatia
Nickname(s) Vatreni (Fiery Ones)[1]
Association Hrvatski Nogometni Savez
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Flag of Croatia Slaven Bilić
Asst coach Flag of Croatia Aljoša Asanović
Flag of Croatia Nikola Jurčević
Flag of Croatia Marijan Mrmić
Flag of Croatia Robert Prosinečki
Captain Niko Kovač
Most caps Dario Šimić (100)
Top scorer Davor Šuker (45)
Home stadium Maksimir Stadium
FIFA code CRO
FIFA ranking 7
Highest FIFA ranking 3 (January 1999)
Lowest FIFA ranking 125 (March 1994)
Elo ranking 9
Highest Elo ranking 5 (July 1998)
Lowest Elo ranking 26 (Oct 2002)
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away colours
First international
Flag of Croatia Croatia 4–0 Switzerland Flag of Switzerland
(Zagreb, Yugoslavia; April 2, 1940)
Biggest win
Flag of Croatia Croatia 7–0 Australia Flag of Australia
(Zagreb, Croatia; June 6, 1998)
Flag of Croatia Croatia 7–0 Andorra Flag of Andorra
(Zagreb, Croatia; October 7, 2006)
Biggest defeat
Independent State of Croatia:
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy 4 - 0 Croatia Flag of Croatia
(Genova, Italy; April 4, 1942)
Flag of Germany Germany 5–1 Croatia Flag of Croatia
(Vienna, Germany; June 15, 1941)
Flag of Germany Germany 5–1 Croatia Flag of Croatia
(Stuttgart, Germany; November 1, 1942)
Present Croatia:
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 4–1 Croatia Flag of Croatia
(Bratislava, Slovakia; April 20, 1994)
Flag of Croatia Croatia 1–4 England Flag of England
(Zagreb, Croatia; September 10, 2008)
World Cup
Appearances 3 (First in 1998)
Best result 3rd, 1998
European Championship
Appearances 3 (First in 1996)
Best result Quarterfinals, 1996, 2008

The Croatia national football team represents the Republic of Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and is currently managed by Slaven Bilić, who was appointed in 2006 by Vlatko Marković.

The modern-day team was formed in 1990 and became a member of both FIFA and UEFA by 1993, two years after the nation's independence from Yugoslavia.[2] Previously, a recognized national team represented the short-lived Banovina of Croatia and Independent State of Croatia in nineteen friendly matches between 1940 and 1944.[3] Although the team was an affiliate of FIFA during this period, Croatia remained a constituent federal republic of Yugoslavia and did not field a separate team at the competitive level.

The modern team debuted in a successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 96, leading to its first appearance at a major European championship.[3] Croatia then took part in its first FIFA World Cup in 1998, eventually finishing third at the tournament, with Davor Šuker receiving the Golden Boot award. Since becoming eligible to participate in 1993, Croatia has qualified for every World Cup and has only missed only one European Cup tournament, in 2000.[4]

The national team plays most of its home matches at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb; some fixtures are played at the Poljud Stadium in Split, or at other smaller venues depending on the nature of the match. The team was undefeated in competitive matches on home soil until being beaten by England in 2008,[5][6] ending a 36 match streak.[7][3]

Croatia has achieved several noteworthy victories in major tournaments against opponents in the top five of the FIFA World Rankings. During the 1998 World Cup, they defeated Germany 3–0 before winning the bronze medal through a 2–1 victory over Holland. They also beat eventual finalists Germany 2–1 in the opening round of UEFA Euro 2008.[8] At the 2002 FIFA World Cup Croatia defeated Italy 2–1, and in 2008 recorded home and away wins over England in qualifying for the European Cup.[9]

Croatia was named FIFA's "Best Mover of the Year" in 1994 and 1998 and is the only team to win the award more than once.[10] The unknown side was ranked 125th in the FIFA World Ranking in 1994 before rocketing to third in 1998.[11][1][12]

Supporters of the national team have frequently been sanctioned as football hooligans for misconduct during matches, leading to fines against the national federation and exposing the team to risk of penalty. Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), the country's principal news outlet, covers all of Croatia's performances live.

Contents

History

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

Pre-independence

Football was introduced to Croatia by English expatriates in Rijeka and Županja in 1873; the official rulebook was first recognized in 1896. By 1908, a modern edition of the sport's laws was published as Croats began to play football regularly in organised clubs.[13] An international representative side was initially formed a year earlier, as FIFA record a Croatian team playing a full-length fixture against domestic opposition in 1907.[2] Before the nation's independence, Croatian footballers competed as part of the national teams of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1919–39) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–90), but during politically unsettled times, ethnically Croatian representative sides were formed and played unofficial matches.[14] A hastily arranged national side, managed by Hugo Kinert, played a few private domestic matches in 1918-19.[15][16]

In 1940, Jozo Jakopić led an unoffical national team which represented the Banovina of Croatia in four friendly matches: two against Switzerland and two against Hungary.[3] Croatia defeated the Swiss 4–0 in Zagreb on April 2, 1940, marking their debut performance as an independently sanctioned team.[note 1] Following invasion by the Axis powers, the Croatian Football Federation became briefly active, joining FIFA on July 17, 1941 as the Independent State of Croatia. The national side played fifteen friendly matches until 1944—fourteen as an official FIFA member[2]—under the direction of Rudolf Hitrec.[17] Their first recorded result as a FIFA associate was a 1–1 tie with Slovakia on September 8 in Bratislava.[3] However, they were prohibited from participating in competitive matches as FIFA still recognized the Yugoslavian team as the official representative of the country.

From 1950 to 1956, another unofficial Croatian team was briefly active; it won games against Indonesia and a Yugoslav team playing as 'Serbia'.[16] When Yugoslavia took part in the 1956 Summer Olympics, their squad included numerous Croatian footballers.[18] Subsequent Yugoslavian teams that played in World Cup and European Championship tournaments up to 1990 also included Croatian players.[19][20]

Official formation

The last Yugoslav team to field a considerable Croatian contingent played against Sweden on May 16, 1991, only a few days before Croatia's independence referendum.[21] Another Croatian team was formed during this time; it played its first modern international game against the United States on October 17, 1990 at Maksimir Stadium. The game, which Croatia won 2–1,[22] was one of only three games played under original manager Dražan Jerković. Croatia earned two more victories under his direction before Stanko Poklepović and Vlatko Marković each briefly headed the team. Although Croatia was still considered part of Yugoslavia,[23] this team was a de facto national team until Croatia was declared independent on October 8, 1991,[24] at which the team became the official representative.

In the summer of 1992, the team joined FIFA and UEFA; because the team's performances before Croatia's independence were not recorded by FIFA, they entered the World Rankings in 125th place.[12][4] Miroslav Blažević was appointed manager and led the Croats into their qualifying campaign for Euro 96 against Estonia on September 4, 1994. Croatia won the game 2–0 at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn earning their first officially recognised victory since the nation's independence. They finished on top of their qualifying group[25] and won FIFA's Best Mover of the Year award as they rose rapidly in the international rankings. They lost their first competitive game 1–0 in the away fixture against Ukraine during the same qualifying campaign on June 11, 1995.[3]

'Golden Generation'

Goran Vlaović scored the team's first goal at a major tournament when he netted a late winner against Turkey at the City Ground during Euro 96.[26] After their opening victory, they earned a 3–0 win over reigning champions Denmark[27] with Davor Šuker scoring one of his "favourite" goals; after receiving a long pass, he lobbed the ball into the goal from 12 yards.[28] Croatia were beaten 3–0 by Portugal in their final group fixture,[29] but still advanced out of the group stage to then be knocked out by eventual champions Germany in the quarter finals.[30]

Soccer.Field Transparant.png

VLAOVIĆ
ASANOVIĆ
BOBAN
(c)
SOLDO
(PROSINEČKI)
STANIĆ
JARNI
BILIĆ
ŠIMIĆ
ŠTIMAC
LADIĆ
Croatia's 3-5-2 lineup during the 1998 World Cup. Initial striker Alen Bokšić was withdrawn due to injury.

Miroslav Blažević remained in charge as Croatia began qualifications for the 1998 World Cup. They earned a place at the tournament by defeating Ukraine in a qualifying playoff. Against their first opponent, Jamaica, the team won 3–1 at the Stade Félix-Bollaert in Lens. Croatia narrowly beat Japan in their next fixture to secure a place in the next round but lost to Argentina in their final group match. They defeated Romania to reach the quarter finals, where they faced Germany. Although they were initially considered underdogs, Croatia enjoyed a 3–0 victory with goals from Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaović and Davor Šuker after Christian Wörns was sent off.

Croatia faced the host nation, France, in the semi-final encounter. After a goalless first-half, the Croats took the lead. However, opposing defender Lilian Thuram scored the game-winning goals for France; the final score was 2–1. Croatia won third place by defeating the Netherlands, and Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the tournament.[31] This was among the best debut performances in the World Cup, and as a result, Croatia earned third place in the January 1999 FIFA World Rankings, its highest ranking to date.[19][12]

For their successes, the team of the 1990s was dubbed the "Golden Generation".[32][33] Croatia again won the Best Mover of the Year award in 1998.[10] However, despite impressive runs in their first two major competitions, Croatia finished third in their qualifying group behind Yugoslavia and Republic of Ireland and thus failed to qualify for Euro 2000.[34] Both of the tournament's fixtures between Croatia and Yugoslavia ended in draws; this fueled the politically-based tension between fans of the two teams, and political protests broke out during the fixture in Belgrade.[35] The return match in Zagreb also incited controversy: it ended in a 2–2 draw, preventing Croatia from qualifying for the tournament.[28]

Decline under Jozić and Barić (early 2000s)

Despite the retirement of their "Golden Generation", including coach Blažević, Croatia qualified for the 2002 World Cup with an undefeated record.[36] Mirko Jozić led the team to a surprise 2–1 victory over Italy,[37] but due to a loss of form,[38] Croatia lost to both Mexico and Ecuador and failed to qualify for the knockout stages.[39] Jozić soon stepped down as manager and was replaced by Otto Barić, the team's only manager born outside the Balkans.[40][41]

Despite Barić's experience, Croatia continued to struggle during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Lacking victories, they pipped Belgium to second in their group after winning their last match against Bulgaria, and went on to defeat Slovenia 2–1 on aggregate in the playoffs, with both goals coming from Dado Pršo.[42] They failed to advance from their group at the tournament after losing to England in their final game.[43] However, they managed an earlier 2–2 draw against reigning champions France.[44] Citing criticism as the cause, Barić, like his predecessor, left the team shortly afterwards.[45]

Kranjčar and Bilić's revival

Shortly after the dropping out of the 2004 tournament, former player Zlatko Kranjčar took over as national team coach[46] and led Croatia to finish first in their qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup without losing a match.[47] Niko Kovač was chosen as the team captain during this qualification campaign and remained captain into the final tournament. Kranjčar was heavily criticized for recruiting his son Niko in the national squad, as this move was perceived as nepotism.[48] Croatia lost to Brazil in their opening game[49] and failed to overcome Japan in their next group fixture; despite many opportunities to score, the match ended in a goalless draw after Dario Srna missed a second-half penalty.[50] Though Croatia led early in the decisive game against Australia, the match ended in a 2–2 draw with three red cards being issued by referee Graham Poll.[51] Croatia were once again eliminated from the tournament in the group stage. Josip Šimunić was mistakenly issued three yellow card warnings by Graham Poll, making him the only player to receive three bookings in a single World Cup match.[note 2] Poll was criticized for his lack of control in the match; as a result, he soon retired.[52]

After the exit, the HNS hired former defender Slaven Bilić as national team coach.[53] With many younger talented players available, he immediately improved the team; in a friendly game against Italy, the team's first under Bilić, Croatia won 2–0.[54] With a string of matches scheduled for the Euro 2008 qualifications, Bilić temporarily suspended Dario Srna, Ivica Olić and Boško Balaban from the national squad after the trio failed to show up for training sessions.[55] By recruiting younger talent, Bilić made Croatia one of the youngest international squads, as Eduardo da Silva, Luka Modrić, Vedran Ćorluka and Ivan Rakitić were each promoted to the senior squad.[56] The team ultimately responded positively to Bilić's coaching, and their performances improved.[57][58][59] In their qualifying campaign, Croatia remained unbeaten in their first eleven matches and secured qualification. They won their next game 3–2 against England at Wembley Stadium; as England needed to avoid defeat in order to qualify, the tournament was the first since 1994 that they missed.[60] It was also their first competitive defeat at the new venue. Having lost only one game against Macedonia in the process, Croatia finished first in their group.[61]

Before the tournament, Eduardo da Silva suffered a compound fracture while playing in the English Premier League.[62][63] His injury alarmed the team; association president Vlatko Marković claimed the incident was "beyond random" and called for action to be taken against the responsible English defender Martin Taylor.[64] Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List portrayed Taylor as showing no sorrow over his actions. Some believed the tackle to be an act of retribution by the English defender, and some English supporters sanctioned Taylor's rough conduct.[65] Bilić was forced to significantly alter the squad for his final selection by recruiting inexperienced players Nikola Kalinić and Nikola Pokrivač, neither of whom had yet played competitive games for the national team.[66][67]

Croatia's weakened strike force and poor attacking performances in warm-up games against Scotland and Moldova caused concern for both management and fans.[68][69] In spite of this, they defeated Austria, Germany, and Poland and advanced to the quarter finals with maximum group points for the first time in their tournament history.[70] Niko Kovač remained team captain at what was expected to be his final international tournament,[71] except in the final group fixture when Dario Šimić temporarily held the position.[72] Croatia's tournament run ended dramatically; Turkey advanced on penalties after a last-minute equaliser from Semih Şentürk erased a goal scored just a minute earlier by Ivan Klasnić.[58][73][74] At the competition, Croatia conceded the fewest goals of any team (2), lost the fewest games (0),[note 3] and scored the earliest goal (fourth minute of their opening game against Austria), the earliest successful penalty in any match in the European Championship Finals.[75]

Despite speculation that he would quit,[76][77] manager Slaven Bilić renewed his contract to remain in charge for the upcoming tournament.[78] This was the first time since Miroslav Blažević had been manager that Croatia entered two consecutive tournaments with the same manager as all previous coaches were replaced after their respective teams failed. Croatia were again matched against England in the qualification stages of the 2010 World Cup; the rematch games were voted as the most anticipated of the campaign on FIFA.com.[79] Though they opened qualifications with a home win over Kazakhstan,[80] they lost their next home game against the English side, ending a fourteen year unbeaten record on home soil since 1994. The match was played under new England coach Fabio Capello who would benefit from Theo Walcott's hat-trick and the dismissal of defender Robert Kovač.[6]

Tournament records

World Cup record

Croatia have qualified for every World Cup since 1998, their debut in the tournament. Although they joined both FIFA and UEFA by 1992, they were unable to enter the 1994 World Cup as qualifications had already started before they became officially recognised.[81] The nation's best performance came in their first World Cup; in both of their following tournaments, they failed to progress beyond the group stage and finished third in their groups.

Year Round Position Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA
Flag of France 1998 Third place 3 7 5 0 2 11 5
Flag of South KoreaFlag of Japan 2002 Round 1 23 3 1 0 2 2 3
Flag of Germany 2006 Round 1 22 3 0 2 1 2 3
Total 3/3 - 13 6 2 5 15 11

European Championship record

Croatia's best results in a UEFA Championship were quarter final finishes on their debut, in 1996, and in 2008. They did not qualify for the 2000 tournament; it is the only major competition the national team have missed since their independence. The HNS bid, with the Hungarian Football Federation, to co-host the 2012 tournament, which would allow the teams to qualify automatically as hosts. However, the event will instead be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine after the decision by UEFA.[82]

Year Round Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA
Flag of England 1996 Quarter finals 4 2 0 2 5 5
Flag of BelgiumFlag of the Netherlands 2000 Did not qualify - - - - - -
Flag of Portugal 2004 Round 1 3 0 2 1 4 6
Flag of AustriaFlag of Switzerland 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 Losses GF GA
Flag of Morocco 1996 King Hassan II Tournament Winners 1 2 0 2 0 3 3
Flag of Japan 1997 Kirin Cup Group stage 2 2 0 1 1 4 5
Flag of South Korea 1999 Korea Cup Winners 1 3 1 2 0 5 4
Flag of 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

Before Croatia's independence, distinct Croatian football federations and teams were occasionally formed separately from the official Yugoslavian organizations. Ivo Kraljević served as the manager of the initial federation, established in 1939, and organised non-sanctioned matches played by unofficial national squads up to 1956.[17] These temporary sides, playing non-competitive fixtures, were led by seven different managers.[note 7]

Statistically, Dražan Jerković and Vlatko Marković are the most successful managers in Croatia's history; they both recorded victories in each of their few games in charge. Miroslav Blažević, who was the first official manager of the team, holds the highest number of competitive victories, having led Croatia to their best performances at major international tournaments.

Name Tenure Played Won Drawn Lost Win % Points per game[note 8] Achievements
Flag of Croatia Jerković, DražanDražan Jerković 1990–1991 3 3 0 0 100.00 3.00
Flag of Croatia Poklepović, StankoStanko Poklepović 1992 4 1 1 2 25.00 1.00
Flag of Croatia Marković, VlatkoVlatko Marković 1993 1 1 0 0 100.00 3.00
Flag of Croatia Blažević, MiroslavMiroslav Blažević 1994–2000 73 36 22 15 49.31 1.78 1996 Euro - quarter-final
1998 World Cup - third place
Flag of Croatia Jozić, MirkoMirko Jozić 2000–2002 18 9 6 3 50.00 1.83 2002 World Cup - group stage
Flag of Croatia Barić, OttoOtto Barić 2002–2004 24 11 8 5 45.83 1.70 2004 Euro - group stage
Flag of Croatia Kranjčar, ZlatkoZlatko Kranjčar 2004–2006 25 11 8 6 44.00 1.64 2006 World Cup - group stage
Flag of Croatia Bilić, SlavenSlaven Bilić 2006–present 29 20 6 3 68.96 2.27 2008 Euro - quarter-final
Totals 177 92 51 33 51.97 1.85
Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Most appearances

# Name Clubs[note 9] Croatia career Caps Goals
1 Dario Šimić Dinamo Zagreb, Internazionale, AC Milan, AS Monaco 1996–2008 100 3
2 Niko Kovač Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich,
Hertha Berlin, Red Bull Salzburg		 1996–present 83 15
3 Robert Jarni Hajduk Split, Bari, Torino, Juventus, Real Betis,
Real Madrid, Las Palmas, Panathinaikos		 1990–2002 81 1
4 Robert Kovač Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich,
Juventus, Borussia Dortmund		 1999–present 80 0
5 Stipe Pletikosa Hajduk Split, Shakhtar Donetsk, Spartak Moscow 1999–present 77 0
6 Josip Šimunić Hertha Berlin 2001–present 70 3
7 Davor Šuker[28] Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla, Real Madrid,
Arsenal, West Ham United, 1860 Munich		 1990–2002 69 45
=8 Aljoša Asanović Metz, Cannes, Montpellier, Hajduk Split, Real Valladolid,
Derby County, Napoli, Panathinaikos		 1990–2000 62 4
=8 Darijo Srna Hajduk Split, Shakhtar Donetsk 2002–present 62 17
=8 Ivica Olić NK Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb, CSKA Moscow, Hamburger SV 2002–present 62 11
=11 Zvonimir Soldo Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart 1994–2002 61 3
Players in bold typeface are still active in football. Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008.

Leading goalscorers

# Name Croatia career Goals Caps Average
1 Davor Šuker[28] 1990–2002 45 69 0.65
2 Darijo Srna 2002–present 17 63 0.27
3 Goran Vlaović 1992–2002 16 52 0.30
4 Niko Kovač 1996–present 15 83 0.18
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
=7 Ivica Olić 2002–present 11 62 0.18
=8 Alen Bokšić 1993–2002 10 40 0.25
=8 Boško Balaban 2000 – present 10 35 0.28
=8 Ivan Klasnić 2004–present 10 34 0.30
=8 Mladen Petrić 2001–present 10 31 0.33
=13 Dado Pršo 2003–2006 9 32 0.28
Players in bold typeface are still active in football. Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008.

Players

Before each tournament or group of qualifying fixtures, each national team manager is required to form a twenty-three-man squad with at least three players in each position. In the case of an injury or sudden inability to participate, managers may replace the ineligible players. A player who receives two yellow cards during the same tournament or qualifying campaign is suspended for the next fixture; the player may receive a longer suspension in the case of violent misconduct or defiance.

Miroslav Blažević was the first manager to submit an official Croatian squad, deciding players for the 1996 European Championship selection. A similar squad, also selected and led by Blažević, appeared for the 1998 World Cup selection. Mirko Jozić announced a new squad consisting of more modern players for the 2002 World Cup selection. For the next tournament, Otto Barić followed the tendency and announced a similar team to compete as the 2004 European Championship squad. When Zlatko Kranjčar took over as national coach, he also led Croatia to a single tournament, comprising a squad for the 2006 World Cup selection. The last officially chosen tournament squad was decided by Slaven Bilić for the 2008 European Championship selection.

Current squad

Croatia's current squad, formed to compete against Ukraine and Andorra for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, was announced on September 29, 2008 by head coach Slaven Bilić. Under their current management, the team is often deployed in a 4–4–2 ratio of defenders, midfielders, and strikers respectively. A systematic 4–2–3–1 formation has also been used to compensate for the absence of preferred striker Eduardo da Silva. The strategic approach has combined five midfielders in the team behind a single striker, with the usual four defenders occupying the opposite half of the field.[83] It was initially introduced into the team in the European Championship fixture against Germany, which Croatia won.

In another strategic effort, the players are often deployed out-of-position, which is legal in football. Bilić has altered the specific roles of each player since his appointment as manager. Danijel Pranjić has recently been used as a wingback, while Ivan Rakitić and Niko Kranjčar have occupied an attacking role as supporting strikers. Additionally, primary striker Ivica Olić has played in a slightly held-back winger position.

Caps and goals are as of October 15, 2008 and the conclusion of the last match vs. Andorra.

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club
GK Stipe Pletikosa January 8, 1979 (1979-01-08) (age 30) 77 0 Flag of Russia Spartak Moscow
GK Vedran Runje February 10, 1976 (1976-02-10) (age 33) 6 0 Flag of France Lens
GK Danijel Subašić October 27, 1984 (1984-10-27) (age 25) 0 0 Flag of Croatia Hajduk Split
DF Vedran Ćorluka February 6, 1986 (1986-02-06) (age 23) 29 0 Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur
DF Dino Drpić May 26, 1981 (1981-05-26) (age 28) 1 0 Flag of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb
DF Dario Knežević April 20, 1982 (1982-04-20) (age 27) 12 1 Flag of Italy Juventus
DF Ivica Križanac April 13, 1979 (1979-04-13) (age 30) 3 0 Flag of Russia Zenit
DF Josip Šimunić (vice-captain) February 18, 1978 (1978-02-18) (age 31) 70 3 Flag of Germany Hertha Berlin
DF Hrvoje Vejić June 8, 1977 (1977-06-08) (age 32) 4 0 Flag of Russia Tom Tomsk
MF Ivo Iličević September 14, 1986 (1986-09-14) (age 23) 0 0 Flag of Germany Greuther Fürth
MF Niko Kovač (captain) October 15, 1971 (1971-10-15) (age 38) 83 15 Flag of Austria Red Bull Salzburg
MF Jerko Leko April 9, 1980 (1980-04-09) (age 29) 57 2 Flag of France Monaco
MF Luka Modrić September 9, 1985 (1985-09-09) (age 24) 33 6 Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur
MF Nikola Pokrivač November 26, 1985 (1985-11-26) (age 23) 5 0 Flag of France Monaco
MF Danijel Pranjić December 2, 1981 (1981-12-02) (age 27) 20 0 Flag of the Netherlands Heerenveen
MF Ivan Rakitić March 10, 1988 (1988-03-10) (age 21) 16 5 Flag of Germany Schalke 04
MF Darijo Srna (vice-captain) May 1, 1982 (1982-05-01) (age 27) 62 17 Flag of Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk
MF Ognjen Vukojević December 20, 1983 (1983-12-20) (age 25) 10 1 Flag of Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv
FW Nikola Kalinić January 5, 1988 (1988-01-05) (age 21) 2 0 Flag of Croatia Hajduk Split
FW Ivan Klasnić January 28, 1980 (1980-01-28) (age 29) 34 10 Flag of France Nantes
FW Mario Mandžukić May 21, 1986 (1986-05-21) (age 23) 4 1 Flag of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb
FW Ivica Olić September 14, 1979 (1979-09-14) (age 30) 62 11 Flag of Germany HSV
FW Mladen Petrić January 1, 1981 (1981-01-01) (age 28) 31 10 Flag of Germany HSV

Other recent appearances

The following players have also appeared for the national squad in 2008 but were not present in the most recent fixture. Their current exclusion from the squad is a result of suspension, injury or manager choice.

Defenders
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most recent cap
Robert Kovač 2 April 4, 1974 Flag of Germany Borussia Dortmund 80 (0) v. England, September 10, 2008
Dario Šimić 1 November 12, 1975 Flag of France Monaco 100 (3) v. Slovenia, August 20, 2008
Midfielders
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most recent cap
Niko Kranjčar 3 August 13, 1984 Flag of England Portsmouth 46 (4) v. Slovenia, August 20, 2008
Marko Babić January 28, 1981 Flag of Spain Betis 49 (3) v. Netherlands, February 6, 2008
Strikers
Name Date of birth Club Caps (goals) Most recent cap
Igor Budan 3 April 22, 1980 Flag of Italy Palermo 6 (0) v. Austria, June 8, 2008
Eduardo da Silva 3 February 25, 1983 Flag of England Arsenal 22 (13) v. Netherlands, February 6, 2008

1 retired from the national team
2 was not eligible for selection for the last two matches due to suspension
3 were not eligible for selection for the last two matches due to injuries

1940s participants

From 1940 to 1944, the temporary national teams played nineteen friendly matches. Twelve players scored for the team during this period.

# Name Croatia career Goals Caps Average
1 Franjo Wölfl 1940–1944 13 18 0.72
2 Zvonimir Cimermančić 1940–1944 8 17 0.47
3 August Lešnik 1940–1944 6 9 0.66
=4 Milan Antolković 1940–1943 3 9 0.33
=4 Branko Pleše 1941–1944 3 13 0.23
=6 Slavko Pavletić 1941–1942 2 4 0.50
=6 Mirko Kokotović 1940–1944 2 15 0.13
=8 Slavko Beda 1941 1 1 1.00
=8 Antun Lokošek 1944 1 1 1.00
=8 Zvonko Jazbec 1940 1 3 0.33
=8 Florijan Matekalo 1940 1 4 0.25
=8 Ratko Kacijan 1940–1943 1 10 0.10

Records

Until 2006, Robert Jarni had the most appearances for the team; he played eighty-one times until his retirement in 2002. However, in 2006, Dario Šimić surpassed this record during the World Cup fixture against Japan.[84] Šimić went on to earn his 100th international cap shortly before he retired in 2008, becoming the first Croatian player to reach this milestone.[85][86] He remains the most highly-capped player for Croatia.

With forty-five goals scored, Davor Šuker is Croatia's highest-scoring player; for this achievement, he was named Croatia's "Golden Player" at the UEFA jubilee celebration in 2004.[28] Darijo Srna is in a distant second position with 17 goals (as of September 2008).[87] The record for goals in a single match for the national team is held by Mladen Petrić, who scored four times during Croatia's 7–0 home victory over Andorra on October 7, 2006.[88]

The national team's joint record for highest-scoring victory comes from two 7–0 results, over Andorra in 2006 and Australia in 1998. Croatia's worst defeat is also a joint record, with two 5–1 defeats against the German national team in the 1940s, as well as a 4–0 loss to Italy during the same period when the Croatian team represented 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, a 3–0 loss to Netherlands in a 2008 friendly and a 4–1 loss to England in the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup (both of the latter are Croatia's worst defeats on home soil since 1990).[3]

Hierarchy

The Croatian team is a fully licensed member of FIFA and UEFA; these two organizations hold the most authority over the team. FIFA mainly governs Croatia's participation in international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup;[89] UEFA specifically holds jurisdiction in European tournaments.[90]

The team is also under the authority of the Croatian Football Federation, which itself abides by the rules of FIFA and UEFA while governing at a domestic level. The federation is led by Vlatko Marković, who represents the team in conferences. The federation (abbreviated HNS) has the greatest immediate influence on the team; it governs player registration and selects the team coaching staff. In addition, the HNS is the primary source of the players' salaries. Head coach Slaven Bilić holds the next-highest authority over the team; he selects and organises the competing players and regularly enforces team policies.[91]

Stadium

Main article: Maksimir Stadium

The team plays most of its home matches at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, where they have only lost one competitive game since their formation; a 4–1 defeat against England on September 10, 2008. Named after the surrounding neighbourhood of Maksimir, the venue is one of the oldest facilities in the country; it was built in 1912 and refurbished in 1997.[92] The stadium has hosted national games since Croatia's competitive home debut against Lithuania; it also hosted the Croatian teams' home matches during World War II.[3] The football federation and the Croatian government have agreed further improvements (among which was an increase in the current forty-thousand seating capacity) that would make Maksimir the most expensive football stadium in the world.[92][93] However, in 2008, UEFA threatened to limit the number of fans allowed in the stadium during games because of crowd troubles during the European Championships.[94] Shortly after the final proposition of Maksimir's renovation plans, Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić refused to proceed with the construction due to high costs; the renovations are still postponed.[95]

Scheduled home matches have occasionally been played at other smaller venues in the country; the Poljud Stadium in Split hosted a small number of qualifying fixtures for Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup. The team also played qualifying matches at the Gradski vrt stadium in Osijek, as well as the NK Varteks stadium in Varaždin. The last competitive match outside Maksimir took place in 2003 when Croatia beat Andorra during the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign; since then, these venues have been primarily used by their club tenants and for occasional friendly matches.[note 10]

Home venues record

Since Croatia's first fixture (October 17, 1990 vs. United States) they have played their home games at 8 different stadiums.

Venue City Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA Points per game
Maksimir Zagreb 40 27 11 2 87 21 2.34
Kantrida Rijeka 9 8 1 0 14 2 2.77
Poljud Split 9 0 6 3 7 12 0.66
Stadion NK Varteks 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 1–4 England, September 10, 2008. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Team Image

Names

"Croatia national football team" is frequently translated into Croatian as "Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija" (pronounced: xř̩.ʋaː.ʦkaː nɔːɠɔːmɛtnaː ɾɛpɾɛzɛntaːtsijaː). Under the official FIFA Trigramme, the team’s name is abbreviated as CRO; this acronym is used to identify the team in FIFA and media.[96] The team is also identified under the International Organization for Standardization country code for Croatia, HRV.[97] Among the team's nicknames are Vatreni ("Fiery Ones")[1] and, more recently, "Bilić Boys" (from the name of the coach, Slaven Bilić).[98]

Supporters

Croatia's prominent supporters are followers of Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb, the two best-supported clubs in the Croatian domestic league, the Prva HNL.[99] The clubs' ultra-style supporter groups, the Bad Blue Boys of Zagreb and The Torcida from Split, have both been associated in recent years with hooliganism.[100][101] Though there has been violence between the two groups during domestic league games, Croatia's international games do not have this problem.[102]

However, fans have been reprimanded for their conduct at international games. Because of their alleged racist acts, Croatia has been repeatedly penalized and in Euro 2004 was threatened with expulsion by UEFA.[103] In recent years, Croatian fans have defied national security regulations. During the 2006 World Cup, a fan evaded security and approached Croatian players on the field; he was arrested for trespassing as the incident caused a brief media sensation which questioned the German security.[104] When Croatia played a friendly match against Italy in Livorno, a small group of Croatian fans formed a human-swastika in response to Italians fans' waving communist flags; UEFA penalized the Croatian football federation for the incident.

[105][103] Similar events occurred at Euro 2008; UEFA penalized Croatia for a display of inappropriate banners against Turkey.[106] FIFA fined the Croatian football federation for racial abuse against striker Emile Heskey after Croatia lost to England on September 10, 2008.[107]

A Croatian crowd celebrate with flares following Croatia's victory over Germany in 2008.

Croatian fans often use flares in both domestic league derby matches and in international games,[108][109][110] a practice which, according to agent Igor Štimac and midfielder Luka Modrić, motivates the Croatian team.[111][112] For the use of flares in international games, the fans have been reprimanded by UEFA and, as pyrotechnics are strongly prohibited in some cases, have had their devices confiscated.[113]

Croatian fans have been involved in clashes, often over ethnic or religious differences. On a June 3, 1990 warm-up game for the 1990 World Cup, Yugoslavia played the Netherlands as the Croatian crowd expressed disapproval towards the Yugoslavian national anthem and players, subsequently cheering in support of the Dutch side instead.[114] In the same year, Maksimir Stadium hosted a patriotic riot between a large turnout of Croats and Serbs. The two cross-ethnic fans assaulted each other as a signal of the recent hatred instigated by the parliamentary election.[115] Since the breakup of the former Yugoslavian state, tension between Croats and Serbs have increased; in 1990, a fight between fans belonging to the two ethnic groups broke out at Maksimir Stadium as a result of feuds over that year's parliamentary election. During the 2006 World Cup, brawls broke out between Bosniaks and Croats in Mostar over religious differences[116]; Croats also clashed with Turkish Muslims during a Euro 2008 game against Turkey. Security was tightened when Croats and Turks gathered in Vienna shortly before the quarter final game of the tournament; after the match, Croatian fans resisted police and brawled with Turkish fans.[117]

Media and public relations

Franjo Tuđman, the first president of Croatia, kept a strong relationship with the national team during his reign and credited their contribution towards the formation of a sovereign Croatian republic.

Football is Croatia's most popular team sport[118] and occupied a large role in the country's independent break-up from Yugoslavia. Nationalism grew heavily during the team's formation in the 1990s when Franjo Tuđman was elected president. By competing separately in both official and unofficial matches, the national team strengthened the unity of Croatian culture, an accomplishment which the predominant Catholic Church and economy were criticized for failing.[119] Furthermore, Tuđman’s correlation with the national team became a strong force towards becoming a patriotic Croatian state. After Croatia’s success at the 1998 World Cup, Tuđman declared that “football victories shape a nation’s identity as much as wars”.[119] The team’s unanimous support grew largely after such attention from the political party. American politician and diplomat Strobe Talbott predicted Croatia’s growth in football to influence that of the nation itself.[120] The national team were greeted by Tuđman and 100, 000 residents from all around the country after their return from the World Cup. Tuđman spoke on behalf of the supporters by honouring the squad upon their appearance.

“ It is my honour on behalf of the Croatian state leadership, to congratulate the players of the Croatian soccer representation for their great results at the World Cup. By reaching these heights, dear soccer players, you have contributed to Croatia which stood behind you in Zagreb. During your matches, the entire Croatian people, numbering some eight-million from the homeland and abroad stood behind you. You have given a great contribution to raising Croatia’s reputation in the world. Your magnificent success is a great contribution to the now Independent State of Croatia.[120] ”

When connections between the team and political parties was strong, concerns of fascism arose; English tabloids The London Evening Standard and The Guardian described Croatia as "the most disgusting small nation in Europe".[120] Though the relationship between the team and any political party has waned since Tuđman's death in 1999,[121] the team (and football) remain patriotic traditions in Croatia.[122]

Since its formation, the team has constantly been the focus of Croatian media attention. The team's games are regularly broadcast live on Croatia's principal station HRT.[123] In 2007, the team donated proceeds from the sales of their calendars to charity.[124] The following year, the Vlado Malešević Foundation revealed the production of a football anthem dedicated to Croatia's national team, with all proceeds also devoted to charity.[125] Shortly after becoming manager, Slaven Bilić and his rock band released a single, "Vatreno Ludilo" (Fiery Madness), which recalled the team's progress during the 1998 World Cup and praised their present ambitions. The song reached the top position on the Croatian music charts and was widely played during Euro 2008.[126][127] Because of Bilić's enthusiasm,[128][129] the team was dubbed "Bilić's Boys".[98] Other Croatian artists such as Dino Dvornik, Zaprešić Boys, Prljavo Kazalište and Baruni have recorded songs in support of the team, among which are "Malo Nas Je al Nas Ima" (We are little, but we are many), "Samo je Jedno" (There is but one thing [in my life]), "Moj Dom je Hrvatska" (Croatia is my homeland), "Srce Vatreno" (Heart of Fire), and "Hrvatska je Prvak Svijeta" (Croatia[ns] are world champions).[note 11]

Additionally, the team adopted the song "Lijepa li si" (How beautiful you are) by rock band Thompson,[130] mainly because of its similarity to the Croatian national anthem.[note 12] Recently, many of Thompson's songs have been played during significant games; however, when Croatia faced Israel in a home qualifying game, Thompson songs were not played due to Jewish organisations' criticism of the band. At the conclusion of the match, the squad and management team voiced their concerns and opposed against the band's alleged racism.[131][132]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Previous matches played by unofficial and temporary Croatian teams were still considered as a part of Yugoslavia. However, the side representing the Banovina of Croatia was separately recognised as the temporary puppet state was momentarily separated from Yugoslavia.
  2. ↑ The rules of Association football state that two yellow cards for a single player results in a red card, prompting the removal of the player for the rest of the match and possibly thereafter. Šimunić was supposed to be sent off after his second yellow card, however remained on the pitch due to the mistake by the referee. Laws of the game
  3. ↑ Under the rules of Association football and the official European Championship tournament regulations, a loss inflicted via a penalty shootout does not count as a defeat, but rather a tie which needed a final process to determine the team which advances. Laws of the game
  4. ↑ Was part of Yugoslavia.
  5. ↑ Was not a full FIFA member until July 1992, qualifications for this tournament already began prior to their independence acknowledgment.
  6. ↑ Was still part of Yugoslavia and unable to participate separately.
  7. ↑ The following organisers led the national team as 'managers':
    • 1918 to 1919 – Hugo Kinert
    • 1939 to 1940 – Jozo Jakopić
    • 1940 to 1943 – Rudolf Hitrec
    • 1943 to 1945 – Bogdan Cuvaj
    • 1956 – Bruno Knežević, Leo Lemešić and Franjo Wölfl
  8. ↑ Calculated by multiplying wins by three, plus draws, divided by games played.
  9. ↑ Only clubs played for while receiving caps are listed.
  10. ↑ A comprehensive list of national team games on 'Sve O Sportu' shows each home game played by Croatia. The team listed in the first column is the home team, and the last column identifies the host stadium.
  11. ↑ "Here are the best, and the worst of the Croatian Football Anthems." Football anthems refer to unofficial fan songs preferred by supporters, which can be found at 'BecomeaCroatiafan.com'. Croatian football anthems.
  12. ↑ Bilingual comparison of song lyrics: Croatian national anthem and How beautiful you are

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Goal Programme - Croatian Football Federation - 2006". Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA.com) (July 17, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-04.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Kramarsic, Igor/Puric, Bojan. "Croatia International matches". Rec. Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
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  108. ↑ Milosavljevic, Zoran (May 5, 2008). "Crowd trouble mars Croatian derby, Cluj on verge of title". Reuters. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
  109. ↑ "Flares and Flags on Monuments in Vienna". Javno (June 20, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
  110. ↑ Related images from Reuters, Eurosport and Javno news service: Croatia fans with flares in the stands, Similar celebrations, Primary photo gallery
  111. ↑ Lawrence, Amy (September 7, 2008). "Croatia think large". The Observer. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
  112. ↑ Eder, Alan/Stedul, Joseph (June 9, 2008). "Modric: Goalkeeper Was Far From My Penalty". Javno. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
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  116. ↑ "New clash in scarred Bosnia city". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC News) (June 14, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-11-24.
  117. ↑ Eder, Alan (June 20, 2008). "Police Clash with Croatian Football Fans". Javno. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
  118. ↑ Foster 2004, p. 52
  119. ↑ 119.0 119.1 Bellamy 2003, p. 113
  120. ↑ 120.0 120.1 120.2 Bellamy 2003, p. 116
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  122. ↑ Giulianotti 1997, p.22
  123. ↑ "[cat=126&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1793&tx_ttnews[backPid]=185&cHash=4d25942a86 HRT Broadcasts via Satellite to Australia and New Zealand]". Hrvatska radiotelevizija (May 20, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-11-24.
  124. ↑ "Croatian National Football Team Founds Charity". Javno (December 19, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-09-06.
  125. ↑ ""My Fans' Anthem"". Ana Rukavina Foundation (May 12, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-06.
  126. ↑ "Bilic has Croatia rocking". Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA.com) (April 18, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-07-15.
  127. ↑ Marcus, Jeffrey (June 19, 2008). "Rock On Slaven Bilic". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
  128. ↑ Atkin, John (June 20, 2008). "Bilić's touchline waltz ends with fall". European Championships archive. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA.com). Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
  129. ↑ "Bilic: Klasnic story a fairytale". Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA.com) (June 16, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
  130. ↑ "Putovanje koje se pamti" (in Croatian). Glas Dalmacije (August 13, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-12. Translation
  131. ↑ "Šimunić: Zašto nam nisu pustilu Thompsona?" (in Croatian). Sport Index HR (October 14, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-12. Translation
  132. ↑ "Bilić dao interview novinaru koji je napisao da je Šimunić glupan" (in Croatian). Nogometni-Magazin (October 23, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-12. Translation

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