Croatian players take to the pitch for the 2nd round of the Champions League this week. Player performances will be updated here throughout the day. Let’s see what our boys can do!
Matches (10/3/23):
Union Berlin vs Sporting Braga (12:45 ET) Josip Juranović plays the full 90 minutes Tuesday as Union Berlin blow a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Braga
Red Bull Salzburg vs Real Sociedad (12:45 ET) Players: Roko Šimić plays the full 90 minutes in RB Salzburg’s 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad. Šimić was fouled in the box in the 2nd half but the decision was reversed by VAR quickly after. Luka Sučić came off the bench for Salzburg in the 78th minute.
Napoli vs Real Madrid (3:00 ET) Players: Luka Modrić came off the bench for Real Madrid in the 64th minute Tuesday. With the game 2-2 in the 78th minute, it was Modrić’s corner kick that lead to Valverde receiving the clear-out at the top of the box and blasting a missile off the crossbar and back of the Napoli keeper for an own goal. Real Madrid won 3-2 and now have two straight wins to start their CL group stage campaign.
Inter Milan vs Benfica (3:00) Players: Petar Musa came off the bench for Benfica in the 68th minute. Benfica lost 1-0 to Inter Milan at San Siro and have yet to earn a point in group stage thus far.
And what’s happening to Borna Sosa? Do you guys think he will ever get down to work on his defensive shortcomings?
I remember when Sosa started playing first grade for Dinamo, he was very skinny and was weak defensively especially in the air, but very good going forward. He has improved defensively, however against stronger opposition he is the weak link in the defence. That is why Dalic in recent times has even used Perisic as the left back. He is still too skinny for a defender and needs to bulk up his lower and upper body.
Sosa has not played a lot in recent times, so for the upcoming matches,
With Perisic injured, I think that Dalic may opt for Barisic at left back who is physically stronger and is a better defender then Sosa.
I really hope Baturina will come out of his slump by the spring. Want to see him make the cut for the EURO 2024 roster.
Because post-EURO, we need him or Sucic or Majer to be ready to slot into our midfield in the fall of 2024 when the league phase of Nations League kicks off…
Come on, Martin!!!?
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, luka is crazy for not taking the money
Seems like a terrible place to live but he’s still not actually wealthy. This money would greatly change things for him
Agree with you, especially now that Real Madrid have no intent of giving him a fair go of competing for a starting position in the team. Come January he should leave.
Giving him a fair go? Real is doing the right thing. They dont own Modric sympathy starts.
Has anyone watched the Beckham documentary on Netflix and if so, doesn’t everyone agree that Modric should have one based on his life and growing up in a war torn country to being the best midfielder in Madrid for 10 years and counting, ballon d’or, leading his team to 2nd/3rd place consecutive finishes at World Cups where Beckham did what for England?. I get it, it’s about posh spice and his self marketing after his football career but they show a lot of his football in this documentary and lifestyle and Modric should definitely have his own Documentary somewhere down the line.
Beckham didn’t deserve the bad rap he got for the 98 Simeone kick but that’s what you get with meat pie eating english chirper fans who “apparently”invented the game and winning a single WC.
There arrogance is offensive and the way they dress to euro and wc matches is ridiculous with there Longshanks Braveheart outfits…fuckin hooligans yet were the bad guys….I’m happy knowing there like the leafs in that there’s no sight in the next 20 years that suggest they’ll win a major tourney (euro 2020/21 final appearance was a rare instance due to Covid) where they used the circumstances based on the pandemic as other sports team did for those 2 years in overachieving (NBA,NHL bubble).
I am sure I have seen one on you tube regarding Luka’s Life, maybe in Croatian language.
If there is one in the Croatian language that rules out almost everyone on this site.
Modric should have his own international fame and Netflix mini series for his accomplishments and achievements in life personally and professionally (if he doesn’t want too then that’s his choice respectfully)
I’m sure he’d be willing to do a Documentary on his life further down the road when he’s retired to inspire future generations of Croatians who proudly exemplify there heritage as Suker, Boban, Prosinecki, Asanovic and Co. did per 98 to inspire the next generations as we continuously produce top quality talent
for 95% of the posters on this site a documentary in Croatian language will be of no use. Maybe with subtitles our diaspora will then understand
I see your twitter is complaining about being trolled and looking for redemption.
hilarious!
Just read that the Saudi offer for Modrić is still on the table.
Yes. An article just came up about it.
€200m – net – over two years.
https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/massive-saudi-offer-remains-for-real-madrid-veteran-modric-4472357
According to other articles, he has made the “quality of life decision ” for his family, to live in a western based Judea-Christian Culture and is coming to Maimi and leaving the money on the table for Brozovic and Christian Ronaldo to fight over, at the local hookah bar. Time will tell so enough. Too bad Beckham did not owe an LA team.
Miami might be a little “too Western” for him then
It seems like it is pick your poison, these days for most people. Luckily, he is wealthy enough to place his family wherever and whenever he pleases to make their lives nice. Wish we could all be so lucky. What a dream life. Good for him.
Croatia is the best place, so long as you have a Western income.
Working remotely while living in Croatia is the dream. 😉
Agreed for now.
Even if all of future Croatia becomes Kao Dubrovnik, Kosovo for the wealthy, cosmopolitan world designation for the well-to-do, a Croatian working-class desert, he will still fit in.
Maybe not so much in the future, for the well less accomplished average Croat, who can’t dribble a soccer ball like him or did not attend med school, or work for google. Što znam nista.
Getting a little worried for us. Sutalo seems to be struggling which will affect confidence. Modric with a few scrappy minutes. Perisic out. Ivanusec injured. Kovacic with barely any playing since September. Sosa also dropped to bench. Nobody else really stepping up other than Gvardiol and Livakovic. Feels like a Vatreni disasterclass could be on the cards. Really hope that we don’t turn into the average post 1998 team that stayed average until we beat England in 07.
We’ll see next week against Turkey and a few days later against Wales.
Defense and midfield should be Ok, however upfront will be problematic.
Touch wood that no one else gets injured this weekend.
I have read that Kramaric is also injured and will not play this weekend for his club side? Not a big fan of Musa but I hope that Dalic starts with him over Livaja.
Dinamo missing 4 or 5 starters in the lineup against Ballkani and it showed big time. The entire team was awful, and they failed to create even one clear cut chance during the entire match. If any scouts were watching players like Baturina, Bulat and Vidovic they would have been hugely disappointed with their individual performances. All three were absolutely useless just like the rest of the team.
just watched the AEK-Ajax game, Sutalo looked pretty rough. Vida scoring is always fun to see though, king of late-game goals
Just now, according to the exact news brought by the Spanish media Radio Ser. Real Madrid midfielder Modric has reached an agreement with the MLS team Inter Miami, and the Croatian No. 10 will join the club next. For Magic Flute personally, his career has entered a new stage. Leaving Real Madrid to retire in a new league environment is a good choice. Currently, contract negotiations between the two parties have come to an end, and an official announcement is only a matter of time.
It is reported that in fact, Modric and Real Madrid have not been willing to renew their contract recently. The two parties can sign the latest contract is the limit. Why do you say that? Because Modric’s personal physical competitive state is no longer what it used to be. Especially in a club with high competitive pressure like Real Madrid, it is unrealistic to retire here. Whether it is Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ramos or Pepe and other stars, these people were all disposed of by Real Madrid when they declined slightly. In other words, it is impossible for any player to retire comfortably at Real Madrid. Unless you choose to hang up your boots directly after contributing to Real Madrid in your playing years, like Zidane did. Otherwise, it would be unrealistic to live in a weak posture here, and Magic Flute himself knew this very well.
So his agent has been contacting new teams in the transfer market. In addition, another reason is that Real Madrid’s renewal no longer requires Modric’s contribution. As a veteran in his 30s, Modric has carried Real Madrid out of the trough in recent years and won its 14th Champions League title. Now the team’s midfield combination has been occupied by young players such as Chuameni, Camavinga, Bellingham and Valverde. The living space of him and Kroos has been further squeezed, and they have directly become substitutes this season, which makes Magic Flute consider leaving.
And there was another incident that accelerated Modric’s departure. After Modric was replaced before the end of the Madrid derby, the 37-year-old veteran has been on the bench for two consecutive games. This is also a signal sent by Ancelotti. Modric is no longer Real Madrid’s main force, he has become more of a marginal player. And when the team no longer needs him, it’s finally time for Magic Flute to leave the team. At this time, joining a league with relatively low competitive pressure is a good choice. Of course, some fans will wonder, why didn’t Magic Flute choose the Saudi league? There is less competitive pressure and more money than Inter Miami.
In fact, according to Spanish media Marca, Modric has received offers from the Saudi League more than once. One of the offers had an annual salary of an astonishing 100 million euros, but both were rejected by Modric. The Croatian midfielder believes the location of the Saudi league is terrible. The extremely harsh climate and relatively backward environment are not suitable for him. He himself prefers to join the Major League Soccer League and live in the United States. To a certain extent, Modric and Messi have the same ideas. Both of them hope to have a good environment and not only focus on money.
After Beckham and many Miami executives contacted Modric, the Real Madrid midfielder nodded in agreement. He will join Inter Miami in January on a two-year contract. By then, Magic Flute will end his journey in the five major leagues, and Real Madrid will become his final stop for glory. It is worth mentioning that Argentine football king Messi, who also plays for Inter Miami, learned that Magic Flute was joining through high-level news. According to the media, Messi is very interested in Modric joining. He very much recognizes this master player who has similar characteristics to himself.
Messi and Magic Flute have been symbols of opposition in the past few years. The two often bring peak duels to fans in various competitions. At this time, the two master players will join forces at Inter Miami. I have to say that this is also a blessing for the fans. Judging from Messi and Modric’s ability to cause damage, I am afraid that Miami International’s forward players will be fed up. What do you think about this?
Modric and Messi on the same team…
What’s going on with Dinamo?
I can’t seem to find a stream for the game, but maybe it’s better not to watch ?
https://soccerstreamlinks.com/detail-match/11608757
here is a stream, they are playing pretty lackluster
Dinamo is getting dominated by a club on the level of Slaven Belupo. Simply unacceptable!
Thanks for posting the stream…too bad they sucked.
Luka Modric needs to leave Real in the winter break. There is no guarantee they win La Liga and or Champions. Happy endings for veteran legends don’t tend to happen at Real. Look what they did to Raul and Casillas. His load management is important as a 38 year old but he isn’t playing much at all. And this isn’t good for a guy like him who needs mins to keep the body going. Take the USA $ and join Messi. Ancelloti told him his status wouldn’t change right before he inked his extentsion contract. And as soon as the season started his status changed. Lets go to MAGA Florida Luka. Ajmooooooooooo
I think his plan is to leave in the summer anyway. Not getting the playing time he deserves at Real. No team is going to pay his release clause in the winter if he can leave by the summer
How much was the Saudi offer?
If he’s leaving Europe, he’d be better off going there than Miami.
Al Hilal reportedly offered him €200
* million
Is Dinamo playing like booty, or is Ballkani a better team than I thought?
Sounds like Modric is coming to the USA.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/650688898957655/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1244581002901772
Moro call up
Don’t get it
He’ll be 26 in March already – we have a bunch of players at that age (none overwhelming)
We need to be integrating 18-22 y.o. – so they can learn from Modric, etc (even if not playing – but absorbing how he trains, acts, advice he has, etc)
Gavi already had >20 caps for Spain before he turned 19
Gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to Dalic.
Baturina and Sucic are needed for the U21s, so this is why Moro gets the callup.
Stupid reason, and it has burned Dalic in the past…but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Mišić is probably a better player than Moro but I think the Dinamo thing may have also played a factor with Dalic not wanting to appear pro-Dinamo.
Sucic does not deserve a call up to the senior side. He needs to show something after that knee injury. Baturina also doesn’t deserve a senior team call based on his play this season.
I think U21s are a waste of time if we are trying to do something at that level and holding players back. I don’t thinkt hat is the case here so them playing for U21s is fine.
@Maninjo
Agree – not complaining about Dalic overall – just some small tweak looking forward to next generation
No clue why HNS would care about the U21s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia_national_under-21_football_team#Competitive_record
Out of 15 tournaments – we’ve only qualified for 5 – and of those 5 we’ve only won 1 game – eliminated 4 times in Group phase – pass thru on goal difference as 2nd place once (eliminated then by Spain)
What’s the prize money to win or any other benefit ?
As e.g. if we look at Wales squad for upcoming fixture against us – they have 4 players who could play for their U21 (also happening at same time) – but those 4 are w/ the senior squad
We have only Gvardiol (which once who call the best U21 player up – you might as well call the next 2-3 best from the bunch)
It’s chicken & the egg – we keep shying away from young players – but then start calling them up at 24-25 Moro, Musa, Ivanusec, Sosa, Majer or even later 28-29 Petkovic, Livaja
Why I mentioned Pukstas before – he must be looking around – you’re completely right v-a-v the USA squad (took a look – they stacked w young players in his position – most have been capped bc they were being sought by England, Argentina, etc) – and figure he’ll need to leapfrog a few names to get a real shot – than look at Croatia pipeline and see the opening (albeit bc we’ve had a few players w/ knee injuries in the last yr or two – which opens it up)
Gavi is a talent. None of our players from 18-22 are even close to the potential of Gavi.
What do you think they would learn from Modric? Your talent gets you called up. Nothing else.
Baturina is a legit top talent. Watched him play many times his vision and technique are top class. He was pretty close to going to Arsenal but Dinamo did not want to sell.He was by far our best player at the under 21 euros only our players couldn’t finish for shit. Baturina is in a bad run of form now but he will come out of it just like he did last season where he was one of the best players in the HNL as a teenager. Only Livaja had more assists than Baturina. Baturina was the first teenager to have double digit assists as a teenager since Luka.
The irony, in the end, our success is our ability to me a good dictator to ourselves. There is no freedom, just hard-fought painful wisdom, enabling us to make good decisions, and the discipline and will power and faith to follow thru, on what other men cannot see, as we walk with humility thru life. A man who can control himself, is greater than a who controls a million men through manipulation and fear.
Hello Croatian Sports team. In case you did not know, Roko Simic is the son of Dario Simic. Dario has brother too, Josip.
Let me know if you have questions on this.
“Dalmatian prosciutto” I heard he was going to play for Italy as he says he doesn’t want to live the zds lifestyle
Any “truth” to this??
Yes. He’s changing his name to Rocco Simioni.
Thanks for pointing that out Dalmatinski Pršut.
I for one did know that at some point in time, and you reminded me of Dario’s brothers name – Josip.
There are many things that I didn’t know, that I have found out about on this website. I learn from the articles, podcasts, posts on this board and from the links to other articles – a great website overall. I don’t agree with everything, and recognize that people make mistakes (as do I), however, I value people’s contributions.
I believe that not knowing something does not make me stupid- it just means that I don’t know. Admitting that I don’t know something takes some humility and courage; wheras, thinking that I know everything and pretending to the world that I do, is having a big ego and an undesirable character trait.
Having the know it all attitude is laughable because most people see through the facade (given that an average person aquires only roughly 2% of all the available data in their lifetime).
Maminjo takes great exception to the 2% ?he is the ultimate outlier …don’t call me a liar ?
Great sentiments though franjo humility is needed far more in this world!
Thanks CROBRO!
Regarding Maminjo, from what I can tell from only his posts, I would say he is intellectually above average, and certainly knows a lot about Croatian Football ⚽️ in particular. I like him because of his positivity, and to me, he does not come accross as a person with a big ego in his texts. He engages in debates and is passionate about his perspectives / opinions- in a good way (he often includes some relevant facts).
“above average”?!?!??!?
Allahu AKhbaaarr!
LOL! Perhaps even a genius; However, it takes one to know one, so I wouldnt know?