Slaven Bilić

It was difficult to say anything after such an evening. The biggest defeat, you said it yourself, I’m sorry, we are disappointed, I’m sorry for the fans, I’m sorry for the children who were in the stands. I’m sorry for all Croatian fans, but believe me, we, I was just with the players, we talked a bit, it’s hardest for us. We didn’t even dream that this could happen. Everything looked good, however, there was a total... whether to call it a bad day, whether to call it a blackout, it’s silly to analyze a match lost 7:0, but we still need to find reasons for that, we knew they are a top team. But we couldn’t match them in any area, neither in aggression, nor in technique, nor in physicality, and then it’s clear later that self-confidence drops, focus drops, and with that, the willpower drops. Everything collapses, everything goes in the wrong direction, and we understood this competition in the Nations League as a kind of trial, to get some insights and answers from it. We got some answers, not the ones we wanted, but we got them. They are very painful. I even told the players that there are matches, like the one in Seville, that simply need to be forgotten and to turn the page as soon as possible because there’s a new match in a couple of days. But the only good that can come from this, and there isn’t much good, is that this is a match that shouldn’t be forgotten, but rather remembered for a lifetime. To always remind you when you stumble a bit in anything, to know what to do, and God forbid it ever happens again, because Croatian fans, Croatian players, and all of Croatia do not deserve such a Croatia as it was tonight. It’s not a problem to lose convincingly, especially not against such an opponent. Croatia has lost 6:0 in Elche to Spain, but personally, I do not recall such helplessness from the first to the last minute. Do you even have a reason for that? There’s no reason for that. Yesterday everything looked good, in fact, all the time in this preparation, we have been training well, the atmosphere is excellent, work-focused, every detail is taken care of. But simply, there’s nothing smart to say. It’s clear that the responsibility is mine, I am the coach, this is my team. Of course, we will analyze it, it’s clear we will watch it, however, despite all the situations in which perhaps some players are not playing in their clubs, that still cannot account for such a difference. The truth is that we played against Spain and against England, but to concede 12 goals in three matches is defensively unacceptable. What can be changed in such a short time? So, to speak realistically, that’s what I said, my God, to myself and everyone, I don’t believe that England would beat, as far as I know, Estonia 7:0 at that moment. So, that’s unacceptable for Croatia. But believe me that it’s hardest for us, only we, only the players and I, only we can pull ourselves out of this with one good performance against Spain. It’s easy to be positive when things are good, it’s easy to be a friend when things are good. In these difficult moments, and it can’t be harder than it is right now, now is the right moment to show solidarity, to show character. It’s silly to say now that we will beat Spain, but let’s show a brave Croatia, a strong Croatia, the kind of Croatia that has always been good, whenever it has been successful, the one that showed a big common heart from which energy clearly emerges later, and in the end, that translates into quality. Bilić: We didn’t even dream that this could happen. #Hrvatska #nogomet #Ligenacija (translated)

„Je to ten poslední člověk, který by chtěl jen tak dojíždět kariéru. Reprezentace pro něj znamená všechno. A Milán s ním vypadá úplně jinak než bez něj. Dokud bude hrát tam, bude hrát i za nás,“„Je to ten poslední člověk, který by chtěl jen tak dojíždět kariéru. Reprezentace pro něj znamená všechno. A Milán s ním vypadá úplně jinak než bez něj. Dokud bude hrát tam, bude hrát i za nás,“ pochvaloval si staronový kouč Slaven Bilič. #LukaModrič #JoškoGvardiol #ChorvatskáReprezentace