SPAIN
Photo: SevillaFC
Ivan Rakitić started and played 90+ minutes in Sevilla’s 1-0 win over Osasuna Saturday. Ivan fired away two shots and completed 55 out of 75 passes before being subbed off in the 91st minute for Javi Hervas. The win moves Sevilla up to 11th; still well off their goal of European football.
Ivan’s future with the club has come into doubt since the January window opened as rumors have sprouted from multiple sources. Ivan met with former Croatia manager Slaven Bilić over the holiday period, but the two said they did not discuss any transfer deal. Slaven has been a big fan of Raki in the past, they clearly get along well, and Sevilla’s financial troubles may force them to sell one of their better players. So a move is not out of the question.
“I have my girlfriend here, she’s pregnant, I bought a house. I don’t want to leave, but it’s not up to me. If the clubs agree, I must go. Sevilla need money. The club’s financial situation is very complicated, so I doubt they can reject a large offer”
-Ivan Rakitić
Rakitić chance at 2:40
Photo: Real Madrid
Luka Modrić was subbed on for Mesut Ozil in the 85th minute of Real Madrid’s 4-3 victory over Real Sociedad. He had seven successful passes and one shot off target. Atletico Madrid was held to a draw by Mallorca and Real now find themselves five points out of second place.
Although Modrić has not been poor since his arrival last summer, he has failed to live up to his price tag and high expectations up to this point; being named the biggest transfer flop of 2012 by Spanish news outlet Marca. Although Luka hasn’t delivered in the goals and assists column, he has still put in solid performances and will look to establish himself in the starting lineup in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, he has been linked with moves to Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. He has stated that he aims to stay with Real for the time being.
“I have had a few good performances, maybe not every game, but I believe I can prove I have something to offer. It is very challenging to adapt to life at a big club like Madrid, but I’m not the kind of person to make excuses. This is Real Madrid and I understand there is great pressure for new signings to succeed here.”
-Luka Modrić
ENGLAND
Photo: EPLtalk.com
It was an extremely slow weekend in England as the Premiership took a backseat to the FA Cup 3rd round. Mladen Petrić sat out Fulham’s 1-1 draw vs. Blackpool at Craven Cottage, as he nurses a leg injury. A replay will be played on January 15th at Bloomfield Road. Nikica Jelavić and Everton begin their FA Cup run on Monday, when they take on Cheltenham.
ITALY
No action in Italy this week for the Croatians as both Marko Livaja and Ante Vukušić rode the pine for their respected clubs. Livaja watched on as Inter missed an opportunity to take third place in Italy, losing 3-0 to Udinese Sunday. The same went for Vukušić as he remained on the bench as an unused sub in Pescara’s shock 2-0 win over Fiorentina. The victory puts Pescara four points safe from the relegation zone.
FRANCE
Photo: Le Progres
Dejan Lovren was not listed on the Lyon squad Sunday in a shock loss to third division side Epinal in the Coupe de France. The match ended 3-3 after extra time and Epinal would ultimately defeat Lyon 4-2 on penalties to move onto the next round and end Lyon’s run. Lyon are currently tied for first place in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain.
-Written by Zach Gilfix and Ante Kvartuč
Canucks hockey is back! Vancouver Riot Squad, beware…
Petkovic doing good job at lazio
Petković is one sharp guy!
It’s good to see Lazio in second place in Serie A.
Never really of fan of Lazio, but I am rooting for them solely on the basis that their coach, Vladimir Petkovic, is Croatian.
It would be nice to have a coach in the Champions League not named Krunoslav Jurcic.
To all the Komunjare here Happy Hristo se rodi!
Despite having like half a season, Steven Stamkos will still score 50+ this year. 🙂 Go Bolts!
@ Rags
No one is saying King Henrik will be the best ever, he’s good and all but I just don’t see him becoming a Brodeur, a Roy, or Plante … but for the past few years and probably the next 4-5 years, King Henrik will be one of the top 5 goaltenders in the NHL.
Zivio Dinamo
Bog I Hrvati
@ Nije Bitno , Thank You ! Hajduk zivi vjecno ! Bog, Hrvati, Hajduk, i L.A. Galaxy, i Kings CHAMPIONS !!!
@ Armada. i agree as much as i hate it the will be Cup contenders, The Queen Lundqvist only benifits from modern day he looks like a tranformer in his hockey gear never will he be the best ever!
Why do people defend Luka Modric he was a little bitch in his last days in Tottenham acting like a premadona i wanna leave and bs he said in papers, he makes 50 mill on the transfer, and soild igra doesnt get praised in for that price if he cost them 10 mill maybe, when he started in Tottenham he got flop tranfer of that summer remember, all the best too him but he will not make as i heard Man United 25 million pound offer to him and he will go to the club he should have gone to in the summer of 2012 not real madrid!
GOAL JELAVIC! Against a 4th division mens league team.
https://www.facebook.com/NhlFansBoycott
@ Sime – This is the link for the Vino
http://www.hrvatski-regionalni-proizvodi.hr/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=80
For the Pivo you have to bring it back from over there or if you know anybody thats visiting and coming back tell them to bring you a bottle or two.
GO KINGS GO!
Good to see hockey back.
My Rangers are looking DAMN GOOD for this year. One of the top 3 goalies on the planet? Check. Proven scorers (Richards, Nash, Gaborik)? Check. One of the most talented groups of youngsters in the league (Kreider, Hagelin, Stepan, McDonugh, etc.)? Check. A battle tested, tough nosed and talented defense (Del Zotto, Staal, Giaradi, etc.)? Check. Pretty stacked team with one of the better coaches in the league if you ask me…
I guarantee my Blueshirts make it the East Finals and hopefully knock off the Kings or whoever else and bring back the cup to Broadway!
@MatesicMethod
thanks bro, yeah can’t go wrong with a good old Petro jersey, & along with the now oldschool nets jacket that every 1 remembers Petrovic for rocking backing in those great days,
when the NBA was full of classic characters, not just great players, it seems every 1 had a nickname back in them days, the MailMan, Reign Man, The Dream, The Admiral, The Glide, BBall was just more entertaining back then,
man i miss them days..comeing home after school & opening up a packet of upperdeck or NBA Hoops, still got my Shaq Magics all Rookie – 92 Hoops, preserved like i got it yesterday..
I think if we are going to rate sports towns, LA would be down on the list.
Worst sports cities in the US:
Atlanta
Miami
LA
For Miami and LA, there is just more to do in those cities, which is fine, but they are not great sports towns.
@Ante B brother don’t waste your time with CIcio?Sime, he is delusional about his team Hajduk
I know it was a joke :p
Ivan,
Budan not on the CroatianSports.com radar any more. He needs to score a goal/game to get back on website…
You guys didn’t mention that Igor Budan scored today haha 😀
Ante B , i know it’s hard not to be Jealous of our Great Teams in L.A. , & Split , so take a chill pill before you go Nuts . Naprid Los Angeles , i Split . The Home Of Champions !
Loved as much as LA teams? Dude your city lost TWO NFL teams. The only thing the Kings will repeat is getting their asses handed to them by the Sharks. If anything, LA bandwagoned the Kings. That entire city doesn’t know the first line let alone second, third or fourth. Stvarno si puka
Ante B , why such harsh language ? Just because your lame teams are not Loved as much as L.A. , & Split Teams , there’s no need to Cry . Dr. Colin , with all respect , the Los Angeles Kings will Repeat ! You heard it here first ! Thank you .
Perisic to Wolfsberg is a good move. Hopefully he can take his game to the next level.
I’m not sure Vida made the right decision going to Kiev. It’s not gonna be easy for him to break into the starting 11.
I would like to see Modric make his way back to England sooner that later.
Hopefully Lovern stays where he is. I thing Going to Chelsea is too risky for him. I doubt he would be a regular starter.
I was hoping to see Vukusic go to Wolfsburg. But there hasn’t been any talk about that anymore. He needs to get out of Pescara. He is not getting the service he needs and the defence in Serie A is though for any striker to break.
Fuck the Kings, they can’t even beat the Sharks in the California series
Would anyone actually be proud if their team won the cup this year? But it’s going to be intense watching teams battle it out for only 48 games this year. Everyone counts. Also, you heard it hear first. I guarantee LA will not repeat this year. It took them forever to get going last year, and they BARELY squeaked into the playoffs. There’s no time for them to squander half their season this year like they did last year.
L.A. Kings will Repeat as Champions !
HOCKEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
Dusu za Dinamo! In other news
THE NHL IS BACK!
@ raptore
Love the Jersey!
Agreed with the Madrid assessment.
So it’s official huh, Ivan Perišić to Wolfsburg, good luck to him, & all the best to Vida at Kyiv, hopefully Modric earns his starting 11 spot, or if not, move from Madrid to some where he will be a starter, like Inter or back to the EPL for him, im sure he would be a better fit at Chelsea or Man U, somehow I just don’t think he’s going to Gel into the Madrid’s formation & tactics”’
Ante B , Thank You . Srce za Hajduka . Watching Redskins vs Seahawks . Not a bad game . Pete Carroll , the coach of the Seahawks is a Hrvat . Good Coach . Hajduk Zivi Vjecno!
HAHAHAHAHA ONLY 8 points hahahaha this only gets better and better with the grave you keep digging
Second place isn’t bad
It’s only 8 points
This is solid gold.
@Cico it’s only eight points now by the end of the season it will be 25 and bankrupt
rumours of modric going back to the EPL….linked with Man Utd if im not mistaken.
It’s only 8 points . Hajduk ,i Torcida 4 Life !
Jebi ga!
Modric the magician will be ready for us and in my world that is all that counts.
Madrid is a dysfunctional club and Modric is getting the good ole rented mule scape goat treatment.
They want to progress in CL then they have to play through Modric in middle.
He may look a hobit but he plays with the awareness of a Grgur Ninski !
Easy on Modric, there is still half a season to go before we can give a final verdict.
Besides, if Modric had pointy ears and big furry feet he can surely pass for a Hobbit. Plus he already has the hairstyle. And he is also clever, courageous, and full of spirit like a Hobbit. I mean this in a good way.
Yes, the Mercurial little Modric is perfect to lead the Vatreni on their magical quest to Brasil. Even Gandalf would agree.
Stay tuned, on March 22nd the adventure continues….
It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence. 25 pts behind Dinamo in second is good? That is arrogant if anything.
worst bang for your buck signing so far in spain…..
I wouldn’t call it the worst signing. What is was is the biggest disappointment of a summer signing.
Modric,voted worst signing in spain…i hope he lights it up soon!!
Cico…..yeah, but finishing in second place 25 points behind dinamo is not an accomplishment either. Did you pray for jadan hajduk today???
Ivan Perišić – Gotovo je! Vatreni zaključio ‘agoniju života’!
http://is.gd/Y06hKa
Ziva your correct , anything (below) 2nd is a joke , so 3rd ,4th ,etc. is not good . Ante B , better to be in 2nd then being an arrogant , championship buying ,1st place team .
Cico……..anything below 2nd place in the HNL is a joke……..come one man, take off the homer glasses.
Hahahaha 2nd place isn’t bad hahahhaahahhahaha
I think he’s talking about this… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Fat_Gypsy_Weddings SMH.
Medo , are you talking about honey boo boo . A little funny , but sad too . Dirty , sporki people making money for nothing . Must be nice
Anonymous , lol . Jarac that was good . Hajduk will be ok , & Great agian with Ziva praying or not . 2nd place is not bad even tho we got rid of our best player Vukucic . Naprid Bili .
Siptari = albanci, don’t your parents teach you anything ? HaHa, Siptari don’t appreciate being called Siptari but yet they call each other Siptars
& what’s this world coming to with Cigani, lately they’ve had all these fake Cigani shows on TV, fake fat gypsy weddings or something & recently I seen a new 1 in our own back yard, American gypsies, come on who the hell wants to watch a show about Cigani anyway, no offense to the real Cigani in our homeland Hrvatska, but these assholes are cashing in for being pretenders, why don’t they film the real Cigani in the bulkans if they wan’t some real grimy TV.
haha anon i was joking no worries man. PS u need thicker skin come on man isnt that crazy
Jarac , thank you , but no need to have a cow . God . Thanks 19tornado65 at least you did not go nuts about it . Jeyz louise
Siptari are albanians that live in croatia or balkans, zadar has them Arbanasi town right next the the grad zadar the town has ethnic albanians, Ottman emipre survivors settled in Croatia!
Come on man, albania
Where are Siptari from ?
With Slavko Goluza and Gibac ruining Handball the WC starts this week and will you be routing on this group of Pakleni?
@ Ziva If dinamo cared they would have built a Momcad for hnl and a momcad for CL so they dont get embarrassed i was talking to my kolega who is from zg dinamo fan he told me that a 11 that he liked was Rodic-Vida Kokalovic Simunic-Vrsaljko-Ademi-Kovacic Sammir Tomecak Kramaric Klasnic.
Ice loves Coco
they may mostly hrvati on the roster, but look at the starting line up that was used in CL….plenty of non hrvati out there.
Ziva , pray for God to give you some brains
There are no more “mujo, crnogorci, and siptari” than there were last week though. Dinamo sells Alispahic, and replaced him with Husejinovic. The team is still comprised of mostly hrvati. I’m not upset over this move.
its always much easier to root for hajduk or dinamo when hrvati are on the squad. It shouldn’t matter, but to me it does. I realize they are club teams, but since none of these teams can comptete in Europe I rather compete and lose with hrvati instead of competing and losing with mujo, crnogorci, and siptari.
I’m going to church tonight to pray for jadan hajduk……i encourage all hajduk fans to do the same. Nothing fricken changes with them as now we (hajduk) have a criminal working with the kids in the youth program.
Eh, this doesn’t bother me. It’s a club team. Don’t really care about what other nationalities play for them. It’s still the vast majority of young hrvati on dinamo anyway. And it’s not like he’s the first bosnian to join.
We had BiHajduk and now we have Binamo. Terrible
thanks for the Perisic update… wish you would use a screen name so I could thank you directly though
Ivan Perišić – Odlična vijest: 8,5 milijuna eura za nezadovoljnog Vatrenog
http://is.gd/heyxwm
Said Husejinovic signed for Dinamo. let’s see what he can bring to the table.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzBqiKrL0pY&feature=player_embedded
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Petric won’t play tomorrow.
Fulham FC’s official Twitter page:
“Martin Jol says injured Petric, Duff, Diarra, Schwarzer, Riise and Kelly all out tomorrow”
Boy do i miss the HNL, & the MLS ! Just watching the battle of L.A. , Lakers vs. Clippers , 1st Qtr , good game so far . @ Nije Bitno , how do get a hold of some of that Hajduk – Torcida Beer or Wine ? Happy New Year . Bog, Hrvati, Hajduk, i L.A. Galaxy Champions !!!