‘Super Mario’ Mandžukić got the Champions League party started for Croatians in 2013 when he scored in the final and helped Bayern Munich defeat Borussia Dortmund in extra time. Since then, a Croatian has lifted the Champions League every season. Nine straight campaigns, Croatian blood has lifted Europe’s most prestigious club trophy: Mandžukić, Modrić, Kovaćić, Rakitić, Lovren, Perišić.
That is absolutely bonkers to think about from a nation of only 4 million people!
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid) and Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea) will lock horns in the quarters will one Croatian guaranteed a spot in the final four. This matchup will 100% be a coin flip who goes through.
Šime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid) could get some late minutes off the bench but won’t be a main guy on defense like he was leading up to the 2018 World Cup Final. Could Atletico play spoiler against mighty Man City?
Then there’s the young guns at Bayern Munich, 21 year-old right-back Josip Stanišić (9 caps this season) and 18 year-old Gabriel Vidović, who is a striker for the Bayern II team. Vidović won’t see any time in an important CL quarterfinal match but did make the bench in the Round of 16 versus Red Bull Salzburg. Stanišić was making a nice run in 2021 as a backup defender for Bayern but tore his left thigh muscle in December. He’s back on the Bayern bench but the injury definitely stopped all the momentum he was building this season.
So who we rooting for here?
Ahhhhh come on, it’s got to be Modrić!
In one of the rarest things in tennis, Petra just had a 6-0 6-0 win to mark her 23rd win in a row lol
Wow, that’s amazing
Hope she is the real deal
Any male prodigies coming up?
Real getting poorer draws cause of the super league and Chelsea as well cause Of owner
Maybe??
This is my list of our best players (not in order). The trouble (?) is we have more than 11:
Livakovic (yes, Livakovic) Perisic, Kramaric, Majer, Orsic, Pasalic, Brekalo, Modric, Kovacic, Brozevic, Juranovic, Vrsalko, Car, Gavridol, Sosa ( and if my heart was where my brain is I would also include Lovren and Vida).
That’s 15 without counting all the promising kids. Who plays in Qatar?
You lost me at Liva
Jebiga…it had to be Luka vs Mateo in the quarters 🙁
I guess the best outcome would be Real (or Chelsea) vs Bayern in the finals.
That really is an amazing run for our guys.
Can i just say too – and i know this is future baiting and not many on this board will care – but Petra Marcinko just had her 20th win in a row – this is the 16 year old that won the Aus Open Jnr tourney, she’s now playing on ITF level – which is not the top level – second level – but still has decent players and she’s won another 14 matches since without losing.
Basically saying this kid looks the goods, still only 16, she’s gonna be a superstar i think!
Yea, Marcinko has good potential to become a top player.
The only thing that can derail her are injuries (like they did to Konjuh) or if she somehow gets caught up in other things that makes her lose focus (like Donna Vekic did when she was in the top-20…then started to go downhill).
You can tell that Marcinko is going to be very pretty, so I hope she doesn’t do the whole desperate Instagram model thing that a lot of other female athletes do.
That seems to have happened with the Canadian, Genie Bouchard. She was heading to the top, but dropped then weight. She looks amazing in a bikini but no longer possesses the power that fueled her aggressive style.
Yeah i get you,
but i honestly have a good feeling this time. I think she’s gonna be a goodie, she could easily surpass Goran, Marin, Iva – and let’s hope she does. I haven’t seen anyone this dominant as a teen since Venus tbh (showing my age lol)
As i write this she has another win, is that 21 in a row? lol
Rennes won today but lost the aggregate to Leicester in conference cup
Anyone know how Majer did?
We have players on 4 of the 8 remaining teams. Its possible, depending on tomorrow’s draw, to have a Croat on each of the semi-finalists, therefore guaranteeing one of us to hoist the trophy.
I’m rooting in the following order:
1. Real Modrić
2. Kovačić (Chelsea)
3. Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid)
4. Bayern
Yeah agree with those preferences. The way Luka took that last game by the scruff of the neck and just dominated it in the second half was incredible, the guy is still their MVP by a country mile. He really is an incredible athlete approaching Tom Brady like levels of durability.
why don’t you follow Jesus (Man City) _
you are apostate __ – fear … your God!
Lukita for sure
Sorry I didn’t quite understand that, has vidovic seen some playing time with first team?
What’s the prognosis? Can he crack them next year? Will choosing Croatia stall his club career?
Hasn’t cracked it yet. Scoring goals galore for Bayern II but made the senior Bayern bench for R16 CL games in the past month.
Nagelsmann would have given him game time against Dortmund a while ago until he got injured the day before. He’s just been unlucky, probably would be on the squad right now if it weren’t for covid and small injuries. Expect him to be given a real chance (like Musiala) next season.
Well he should be just what the doctor ordered for next euro
Thanks for all the updates boys