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Football euphoria spreading across Croatia in buildup to World Cup final

Author: Marija Šestan

ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - Croatia and France will play a World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday afternoon, as the best two teams that have reached the final stage of the FIFA 34-day-long football tournament, and the whole of Croatia and its expat communities are in dreamland.

Croatia is aiming to win a first major international trophy at the final match at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, while their opponents are in a third final in six World Cups. France won the first World Cup title in Paris 20 years ago when the Croatian squad was the third.

Foreign media underline that with a population of 4.1 million, Croatia is the second smallest country to have reached a World Cup final, after Uruguay, with an estimated population of about 1.7 million, won the competition in 1930.

At 20th place in Fifa's world rankings, the Croatian team coached by manager Zlatko Dalic are the lowest-ranked team to reach a World Cup final, and the 13th different nation to do so.

The journey the Croatians have passed to reach the final include the victories of all the three games in their Group D:

Group results:

Croatia- Nigeria      2-0

Croatia - Argentina 3-0

Croatia - Iceland      2-1

Knock-out stage

In the Round of 16, Croatia faced Denmark and beat them, and in the quarter-finals they defeated Russia to reach a semi-final match when they beat England.

Croatia - Denmark 1-1 and the victory was ensured in the penalties 3-2

Croatia - Russia     2-2 and the victory was ensured in the penalties 4-3

Croatia - England  2-1

Foreign media also underscore that Croatia, perceived as an underdog of this contest, are the first team to have reached the World Cup final despite trailing in all three of their knockout games.

The Croats have played extra time in their last three matches and could become the first team in World Cup history to play extra time in four matches at a single tournament.

Croatia have scored 12 goals and have had eight different goalscorers (excluding own goals).

National team victories' leave Croatians in high spirits

Croatia has been gripped by soccer euphoria after its national team beat England in the World Cup semi-final in Moscow this past Wednesday. The historic success of the national squad is now the dominant topic of media reports and conversations among ordinary citizens.

With the tournament entering its last stage, Croatia's streets, cafes and public buildings are more and more decorated with national flags and symbols, and the national checkered jersey is now a must-have item not only for fans but also for state officials, waiters, shop assistants, bank clerks and employees in companies and state institutions.

Footballers to get heroes' welcome in Zagreb

Zagreb is preparing a magnificent welcome ceremony for the national soccer team on Monday, regardless of whether they finish first or second in the tournament.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers are expected in Zagreb's main square on Monday afternoon to welcome their heroes:

Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic, Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic

Defenders: Vedran Corluka, Domagoj Vida, Ivan Strinic, Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko, Josip Pivaric, Tin Jedvaj, Duje Caleta-Car

Midfielders: Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Mateo Kovacic, Milan Badelj, Marcelo Brozovic, Filip Bradaric,

Strikers: Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Marko Pjaca and Ante Rebic.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday called on employers to award a day off, where it is possible, to their workers on Monday so that they can join in the welcome party for the soccer team. The homecoming party will be broadcast live on HRT public television.

The national team and its manager Dalic will be decorated by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Monday evening in her office. The president will officially represent Croatia at the World Cup final match with France in Moscow on Sunday.

Croatia's neighbours, enthralled by its national footballers, rooting for "The Fiery Ones"

The Croatian national team, which includes several members originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including coach Zlatko Dalic who was born in the northwestern town of Livno, enjoy great affection among fans in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The excellent results of the squad have even been highlighted by Sarajevo Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, who said a few days ago that the success of the Croatian footballers in Russia made everybody happy and helped ordinary people forget about gloomy political topics.

Posters with encouraging messages appeared in the capital Sarajevo before the historic semi-final match between Croatia and England on 11 July, with one of them reading: "Together with the Fiery Ones to the Final!".

The Croat-populated areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina are also organising fan zones during the matches with the Croatia team. However, this past Wednesday, when the England-Croatia semi-final match was played, the fan zones were not staged in Mostar out of respect for the victims of the Srebrenica atrocity. The match coincided with the 23th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre which was why the leading Bosnian Croat political party - the HDZ BiH - recommended cancellation of an open-air party in Mostar during the match.

Regardless of recently strained political relations between Slovenia and Croatia over unresolved issues such as border demarcation, many of the Slovenians openly admit that their favourite team during the World Cup tournament in Russia are the Croats.

The squad coached by manager Dalic enjoys high ratings among the Slovenians, as evidenced by the fact that Croatian checkered jerseys have been sold out in the Slovenian coastal area, local media outlets have reported.

Furthermore, cafes and restaurants near the border with Croatia are offering fan corners where locals, Slovenian and Croatian neighbours, are together watching matches with the Croatian soccer team at the tournament.

Montenegrin media outlets said that local soccer fans were in high spirits after Croatia's victories during the tournament in Russia.

Euphoric atmosphere prevailing among Croat expat communities worldwide

Ivan Rakitic, a midfielder in the national team, told a news conference on Friday, two days ahead of the final, that being a Croat was the most beautiful thing in the world now.

Rakitic, who was born in Switzerland to a father from Croatia and a mother from Bosnia and Herzegovina, also mentioned a feeling of togetherness between Croat expatriates and Croatia.

In reference to huge support for the national team, he said that he had a feeling that as if "4.5 million Croats will appear on the pitch" of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow for the final match against France.

 

(Hina) ms

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