▀▄▀▄▀ Croatia ▀▄▀▄▀ - the smallest nation of Euro 2012 and we don't care

Founded : 1912

Member association : Croatian Football Federation

Website : www.hns-cff.hr

E-mail : info@hns-cff.hr

Nickname: Kockasti (Checks), Vatreni (The Blazers)

Tournaments competed:

Euro 1996: 1/4 final

WC 1998: 3rd

WC 2002: group relegation

Euro 2004: group relegation

WC 2006: group relegation

Euro 2008: 1/4 final

Euro records:

Overall: P63 W39 D14 L10 F112 A47

Final tournament: P11 W5 D3 L3 F14 A13

Qualifying: P52 W34 D11 L7 F98 A34

Euro 2012 Group C:

Spain

Italy

Republic of Ireland

Croatia

Euro 2012 Group C fixtures

Sunday 10 June: Republic of Ireland v Croatia, 20.45CET, Poznan

Thursday 14 June: Italy v Croatia, 18.00CET, Poznan

Monday 18 June: Croatia v Spain, 20.45CET, Gdansk

Coach:

Slaven Bilić

Squad:

  Pos     #  Name                                 Nickname

  GK     1  Stipe Pletikosa                      Plete
        12  Ivan Kelava                          Kele
        23  Danijel Subašić                      Suba
------------------------------------------------------------------
  DF     2  Ivan Strinić                         Strina
         3  Josip Šimunić                        Joe
         4  Jurica Buljat                        Sikira(axe), Kosilica(mower)
         5  Vedran Ćorluka                       Čarli (Charlie)
        13  Gordon Schildenfeld                  Šifo (Schifo)
        21  Domagoj Vida
------------------------------------------------------------------
  MF     6  Danijel Pranjić                      Pranja
         7  Ivan Rakitić                         Raketa (the rocket)
         8  Ognjen Vukojević                     Ogi
        10  Luka Modrić
        11  Darijo Srna
        14  Milan Badelj                         Miki (Mickey)
        15  Ivo Iličević
        16  Tomislav Dujmović                    Dujma
        19  Niko Kranjčar
        20  Ivan Perišić
-------------------------------------------------------------------
  FW     9  Nikica Jelavić                       Jela
        17  Marijo Mandžukić                     Mandža
        18  Ivica Olić                           Ola
        22  Eduardo                              Dudu

Likely 11:

        Mandžukić    Jelavić

Perišić   Modrić     Dujmović  Srna

Strinić   Šimunić     Ćorluka   Vida

             Pletikosa

Opening post.

WC 1998: 3rd - Reminds me of Šuker every time.

Fancy Croatia to get through at the expense of either Spain or Italy, think they'll beat one of them.

Axe and Mower as nicknames for one person? I'm interested

I'm fairly confident in a game against Italy. We never lost against them. Biggest worry is the first game against Ireland. Not confident about that one at all. Can see a 0-0 draw or 1-0 loss there. Anyway, our scores against teams in the group.

Hrvatska - Španjolska

- Valencia, 23.03.1994: Španjolska - Hrvatska 0:2

- Sevilla, 5.05.1999: Španjolska - Hrvatska 3:1

- Split, 23.02.2000: Hrvatska - Španjolska 0:0

- Ženeva, 7.06.2006: Španjolska - Hrvatska 2:1

Hrvatska - Italija

- Ibaraki, 8.06.2002: Italija - Hrvatska 1:2

- Palermo, 16.11.1994: Italija - Hrvatska 1:2

- Split, 8.10.1995: Hrvatska - Italija 1:1

- Zagreb, 28.04.1999: Hrvatska - Italija 0:0

- Livorno, 16.08.2006: Italija - Hrvatska 0:2

Hrvatska - Irska

- Kvalifikacije za EP 2000

- Dublin, 5.09.1998: Irska - Hrvatska 2:0

- Zagreb, 4.09.1999: Hrvatska - Irska 1:0

- Dublin, 2.06.1996: Irska - Hrvatska 2:2

- Dublin, 15.08.2001: Irska - Hrvatska 2:2

- Dublin,16.11.2004: Irska - Hrvatska 1:0

- Dublin, 10.08.2011: Irska - Hrvatska 0:0

Axe and Mower as nicknames for one person? I'm interested

A person that is known for conceding penalties (sometimes a few per game) and scoring own goals, all of that while being ridiculously aggressive. Will play in England one day, no doubt about it

No Niko in starting line up?

Nah. His fitness is crap since he was injured/rarely played last season. Being pushed out of first 11 by younger and in form players like Perišić and hopefully Badelj or Iličević.

Strina.

Unfortunate nickname isn't it

Fairly sure it doesn't have a meaning of the original word ("auntie") but is just a derivative of the surname.

Unfortunate nickname isn't it

Fairly sure it doesn't have a meaning of the original word ("auntie") but is just a derivative of the surname.

Yeah, but still quite funny.

I think you'll find that Jelavić's nickname is Jelly. And yes, it makes me want to kill myself too.

It's his English nickname, pretty awful one indeed.

In Croatia (and especially among his NT teammates) he is known as Jela (Yell-ah).

Over here almost everyone has a nickname and it's mostly shortened version of surname or name in some form, often following a certain pattern. Similar to UK I guess.

I filled out one of those projections the other day and had Croatia getting to the semi finals. It's weird because before doing that I never thought of them as a contender to go so far, but the draw didn't work out too badly. Like their attacking and creative options a lot and think they are very solid defensively on the right side of the field. My only concern is defensively on the left and at centre back. Think if they can beat Ireland like they should then they can avoid defeat against Italy. Playing Spain last when Spain should already have qualification wrapped up is a massive advantage. Could see Spain rested their key players and Croatia would probably only need a point to go through. They then have a weak group to match up against in the quarters. See them as one of the dangerous outsiders along with Russia (if they can actually score any goals) and possibly the Ukraine.

always had a soft spot for Croatia due to the 1998 World Cup and Rangers having Dado Prso and Nikica Jelavic as strikers in recent years

would love to see them get through the group stages and I think it's possible at the expense of Italy

I'm fairly confident in a game against Italy. We never lost against them. Biggest worry is the first game against Ireland. Not confident about that one at all. Can see a 0-0 draw or 1-0 loss there. Anyway, our scores against teams in the group.

I was thinking the same thing, getting something Italy especially but perhaps only drawing with Ireland. Could be one of those odd groups with a few teams having equal points, I think they'll be some draws amongst the rest but Spain to win the group

Is Jelavic likely to start? Noticed he's been on the bench recently and Eduardo and Mandzukic starting instead. Having said that, this was all before he took the Premiership by storm. Reason I ask is I like the look of Jelavic to be Croatia's top scorer at 5/1.

Yeah as I sad he was never a starter before he arrived to EPL. His style is almost useless in our technical but slow build-up play. From the left Strinić has an awful cross, Perišić cuts inside, from the right Srna has a delightful cross but didn't find Jelavić with it much. Mandžukić and Olić are work horses, one technically better than the other, and Eduardo is a technical poacher.

Would dare to say Eduardo is perfect to play against lesser opponents as he has flair and excellent team play with the midfield. On the other hand, Mandžukić and Olić are played against opponents where we sit and defend. In that case Mandžukić is acting as Drogba vs Barca and Olić is annoying defenders with his relentless runs.

Bilić just couldn't seem to utilize Jelavić in neither of those 2 cases. Hard to tell if he will. If we're to play 4-5-1 vs Italy and Spain I wouldn't bet on Jelavić being that striker. Start against Ireland seems likely though.

Smallest nation? Based on population or area km²?

Sretno

Smallest nation? Based on population or area km²?

Population - smallest nation.

2011 census - 4,290,612

Yeah as I sad he was never a starter before he arrived to EPL. His style is almost useless in our technical but slow build-up play. From the left Strinić has an awful cross, Perišić cuts inside, from the right Srna has a delightful cross but didn't find Jelavić with it much. Mandžukić and Olić are work horses, one technically better than the other, and Eduardo is a technical poacher.

Would dare to say Eduardo is perfect to play against lesser opponents as he has flair and excellent team play with the midfield. On the other hand, Mandžukić and Olić are played against opponents where we sit and defend. In that case Mandžukić is acting as Drogba vs Barca and Olić is annoying defenders with his relentless runs.

Bilić just couldn't seem to utilize Jelavić in neither of those 2 cases. Hard to tell if he will. If we're to play 4-5-1 vs Italy and Spain I wouldn't bet on Jelavić being that striker. Start against Ireland seems likely though.

Odd really, as his goals for us haven't really been from crosses but more from aforementioned slow technical play, and he's been brilliant as the lone striker for us. Been more about him holding the ball up well, bringing others into play and being fed in the box in any and every way.

Yeah but most goals he scored was a direct ball towards him that he just one touches in the net. In the NT he doesn't get those balls.

While he does have a good first touch and likes to bring team mates into play, he is nowhere near Mandžukić technically and nowhere near as quick as Olić. But is a better finisher than both.

Mandzukic had 12 goals and 10 assists in Bundesliga assists last season. Jelavić had 0 assists and 9 goals in EPL (in shorter time naturally).

Basically the way I see it, he is our most traditional number 9 striker. Strong, decent touch, good finish, good heading, not an imbecile technically. But Mandžukić is a better playmaker and a fighter for counters, Olić is a quicker workhorse for counters, Eduardo is a better finisher than Jelavić for slow build-up play and I'd agree Jelavić is just behind him in that type of play. But oddly, he never played good enough for Croatia. If Bilić picks him, it will be solely for his performances at Everton.

But Mandzukic is certain to start isn't he?

Yes. Definitely should start. If not, it would be a huge surprise as he is seen as our best striker.

It looks dead certain we'll end up if not last then 3rd in the group. The only mistery is if Republic of Ireland is worse than us. We're pathetic. 442 flat with incredibly slow midfield that has only one option - kick the ball to a striker and hope he does something with it. And when Jelavić recieves it, it's a lost possesion. With Olić the same.

Plain awful and considering how they play, probably the worst Croatian team I've ever seen.

Population - smallest nation.

2011 census - 4,290,612

if you don't care, why do you put it in the title of your thread?

Tell me, how does that relate? I could say I'm going to get drunk tonight and loose my job tommorow but I don't care. And do that and indeed loose my job. And I've proven I didn't care. Just mentioned the fact that I am aware of it.

So I was about to make a Croatia thread and realised the fact that we're the smallest nation on the Euros. Mentioned that in the title and stressed that no one really cares (well some probably do, we're not Borg so I could know that).

Where was Luka?

"He is feeling generally ill". The same with Ćorluka. Probably didn't want to risk getting our best 2 players injured.

All in all very weird and eccentric game/lineup/subs tonight. I have a feeling he did it on purpose to hide his cards.

Looking at our ridiculously slow midfield, Bilić could have easily call up Kovačić for some fringe oldtimer like Pranjić for example. Runs with the ball, dribbles, takes on defenders. No one bar Modrić in our midfield does that.

[video=youtube_share;Docn7alzZNk]http://youtu.be/Docn7alzZNk

One of my Grandmothers was Croatian - so my second team.

Are Srna always as angry as he was against Norway?

Yeah, he is. And he dives like an utter turd. We have a number of players that could qualify for topping the card charts. In general Croatian players aren't very sportsmanlike as you could have seen.

Olić was sent home, got injured v Norway. Kalinić was called up.

Nikola

Penalinić on his way to the Euros and we look even more ****ed now

He'll be your top scorer by the end of your campaign, watch

Reading through this thread hasn't given me much confidence in picking Srna and Mandzukic for my fantasy team

Slaven Bilic has proved to be flexible when it comes to formations. The Croatia manager can switch from 4‑1‑3‑2 to 4‑2‑3‑1, 4‑3‑3 or 4‑4‑2 – but usually in some sort of modified, unorthodox fashion. He does not think formations play a crucial role and is far more likely to rely on individual instructions as one of the few international managers who is prepared to employ five or six attack-minded players. It could be argued, however, that in Croatia's case this is done out of necessity rather than any determination to play attacking football.

The retirement of the Kovac brothers, the centre-back Robert and defensive midfielder Niko, has been a huge setback for Bilic. Following the break up of the Euro 2008 squad, the national coach has been left with plenty of options up front, but few at the back. This has been exacerbated by his willingness to employ two attacking full-backs, which can often leave his centre-backs exposed, especially without a player like Niko Kovac to protect them.

Because of this, Bilic usually employs a deeper defensive line and when Croatia play against teams with congested midfields, the attackers also have to drop deep to win the ball. It is a very demanding plan, both tactically and physically, and it is very hard to get it right without adequate preparation, a luxury this squad – which is scattered across the continent and only together for a few days before matches – have not had during their qualifying campaign. But this is also what gives them hope. Bilic and the players have expressed the belief that everything will fall into place at Euro 2012 because of the extra time they will have together.

The highly dynamic and attacking 4-4-2 formation that Croatia employed in their 3-0 play-off win against Turkey in Istanbul is an option for the match against Italy on 14 June, but it is unlikely that the manager will choose a similar approach in the Group C opener against Ireland on 10 June. Bilic could well add Eduardo da Silva or Nikica Jelavic to the forward line for the game against Giovanni Trapattoni's side. However, the Croat is a man who analyses tactical trends and it is entirely possible he will come up with something completely new for the tournament.

Against Ireland and Italy, injury permitting, Bilic is almost certain to start with Stipe Pletikosa in goal, Tomislav Dujmovic or Ognjen Vukojevic as the defensive midfielder, Darijo Srna as a right-sided midfielder, full-back or wing-back, Tottenham Hotspur's Luka Modric in the centre of the midfield, and, following the late withdrawal of Ivica Olic through injury, Nikica Jelavic and Mario Mandzukic up front. Vedran Corluka is also likely to start these games, though it is not clear in which position he will play. The Bayer Leverkusen man feels most comfortable at right-back but could be asked to fill in on the left, in the centre, or even in midfield.

While Bilic has plenty of options in midfield (Ivan Rakitic, Niko Kranjcar, Ivan Perisic), and in attack (Eduardo and Nikola Kalinic), defence is a real problem. Lyon's Dejan Lovren has left the squad with an achilles injury and depending on where the manager chooses to play Corluka, Joe Simunic of Dinamo Zagreb and Eintracht Frankfurt's Gordon Schildenfeld are candidates for the central roles while Domagoj Vida should begin at right-back with either Ivan Strinic or Danijel Pranjic on the left.

Bilic is more unpredictable than any former Croatia manager. In fact, he is probably more unpredictable than most national coaches. While it can be argued that his tinkering is simply down to a lack of vision, it is probably closer to the truth to be saying that he is trying to get the most out of a limited pool of players.

"The highly dynamic and attacking 4-4-2 formation that Croatia employed in their 3-0 play-off win against Turkey in Istanbul is an option for the match against Italy on 14 June, but it is unlikely that the manager will choose a similar approach in the Group C opener against Ireland on 10 June."

I have no idea what game he was watching. In Turkey we were very defensive and let Turkey play while we hit them on counters and set pieces. It was a tactical master class though, don't know what hit him to put that team on the field but it worked. (probably Robi Prosinečki telling him what to do over the phone )

And that first paragraph is true unfortunately. I wonder what will Lokomotiv Moscow players think of his eccentric tactical setup. Really interested how's his tinkering there gonna end up

Always had a soft spot for Croatia, even before we turned in to Croatia Hotspur.

Had such an awesome time in Split when we went. Awesome, friendly, kind people, beautiful countryside, cracking weather.

So, good luck

I watched the Croatia - Turkey game at Euro 2008 with a Croatian friend of mine. When I saw his face at the end of the game, I didn't know whether to laugh or console him. Hope Croatia do well.

Inverview with Bilić -

You have said that Croatia could go "all the way" if some things click for you. Do you really mean that?

You can call me a madman, but I think I'm just being realistic. There are teams that are stronger than us on paper, as well as those who are weaker, again on paper. For the last five years, we have been either among the top 10 teams in the world according to the Fifa rankings or very close to that. And those rankings are realistic, because they take results into account, not natural beauty or shirt design.

If we stay clear of injuries and prepare properly, which I'm sure we will, than we have a chance against anyone. There are only five matches on the road to the final – if we take each one as it comes, with a right plan and motivation we really could go all the way. In 2008 we were only one minute away from the semi-final, and if we got through [the group] we would have a big chance to win the tournament. I'm saying that because I know the character of this team – when we take off, it's an explosion.

How important for you is the fact that, for the first time in four years, you now have enough time to prepare?

It's the greatest blessing we could possibly have. Croatia is a small country and has a very limited pool of players, and almost all of them play abroad. During the qualifiers we only had a few days together before each game, so sometimes we had to look for temporary solutions and improvisations. But now, finally, we have enough time to solve the problems we have – maybe we can't completely eradicate them, but we will do everything in our power to minimise their impact on our play, as well as maximise our strengths. Besides, we have a very positive common experience of preparations and tournament from four years ago, so that calls for optimism, too. These players love being together.

It seems that, as a strategist, you put emphasis on individual instructions rather than specific formations. Do you agree?

My opinion is that formations are slowly dying out and a large number of experts will confirm that. It has become increasingly difficult to mark the movement of the players, with regards to the ball, just by assigning numbers to each line. Fluidity is much more important – you want your team to stay compact, and your lines to remain close to one another, so they can flow over. You need to make sure that no gaps emerge, and that tends to happen often to teams who play with strict lines. A quality opponent will always find your weak spot and massacre you.

But that doesn't mean the system is any less important. Organisation and automatism are the foundations for everything – only if you have that, will the individual quality of your players show in a positive way. I will never underestimate the value of individualism and inspiration – but without a solid system, improvisation is just anarchy. And anarchy can also sometimes bring you a result, sometimes even better than your established schemes, but it cannot be a long-term solution.

Croatia always had strong individuals. How much was your tactical outlook influenced by the fact that you were part of the team that finished third at the 1998 World Cup, and played with three playmakers – Boban, Prosinecki and Asanovic?

A lot, because that's when I realised what kind of football is best suited for the Croatian character. We have strong individuals now, too. My intention wasn't to build a system around them, but I didn't want to fit them into a system either. I simply try to give each of them a mandatory frame in which their lucidity will hopefully flourish.

You're known for being one of few managers, especially in the international football, who use five, sometimes even six offensive-minded players in the team at the same time. Does that reflect your desire to play attacking football or simply a necessity, because Croatia has much more options up front than at the back?

It's pure pragmatism. Of course I prefer a passing, possession-based attacking game more than destructive, defensive play, but you have to look at what's best for the team with regards to the players at your disposition. When I took this job, my assistants and I analysed our pool of players and realised we're much better covered in attacking positions. We concluded that our chances against the stronger teams will be better if we try to build our play with more offensive players. If we decided to go the other way, we just wouldn't be as good and the players would be unhappy.

But even though we use many offensive-minded players, solid defence is the foundation of our play. You can never score as many goals as you can concede if your defence is porous. You know, for a long time the people have been saying that strikers are the first line of defence, but that was just a phrase intended to motivate the team. However, today the strikers have the obligation to fulfil their defensive assignments, and that especially goes to my boys. We're more dangerous when we play with two strikers, but then those two really have to work hard defensively – just like Olic and Mandzukic did in the qualification play-offs against Turkey.

Is there room in such a system for Nikica Jelavic, who was in exceptional form this season for Rangers and Everton, but is a robust centre-forward playing with his back to the goal? There have been suggestions that you need to adapt your play to make use of his characteristics...

I don't think we need to adapt our play to Jelavic – not more than to any other player in the team, anyway. He's fantastic, a modern version of the classic 'No9' who needs very little space to convert a chance. Playing like he does is the hardest thing for a striker today. People ask how is it possible that he can score twice against Manchester United, but not once against Georgia in the qualifiers, and blame that on our system. Well, it's because against United he can use his skills to find the space between three world-class opposing players in the box – he's that good. But Georgia had eight players in the box whenever we tried to attack and no system would make it easier for a striker in those circumstances.

Besides, I think Jelavic will get more useful balls from our players than he receives at Everton. There he works very well with Tony Hibbert, who was a youth player when I played for the Toffees and I'm really glad he has had such an accomplished career with the club. But I hope I won't offend Hibbie if I say that Darijo Srna crosses the ball better and more often than he does. I also have to say that Jelavic's contribution cannot be measured by goals alone. The opponents know just how dangerous he can be and have to work hard to cover him, which enables us to move our line to 20 metres from their goal and press them.

You follow global trends in football and you have proved to be flexible when it comes to formations. How likely is it that you will prepare some kind of tactical surprise at the Euros?

It is possible, although our style of play is more or less known. Maybe we won't go so far and play with three in the back line, although we have tried that before in certain phases of our matches. But football has changed so much in the last few years and it's extremely important to keep pace with that development. Especially now, when we have enough time to prepare

What has changed the most in your opinion?

It used to be quite a different game tactically – think those Chelsea v Liverpool clashes in the Champions League, those were chess games between Mourinho and Benítez. The goal justified the means. But then Pep Guardiola was crucial in changing that with his Barcelona team, so I have nothing but respect for him. He initiated a revolution in the way coaches look at football. It's true that Barcelona played attractive, attacking football before, and that tiki-taka comes from Cruyff and Rexach, but never before they played the way they did under Guardiola. And that has had a profound influence on other coaches, because everyone wants to emulate the best: most teams today try to play football, they strive to creation, not destruction. Even the Italians took part in that – both the national team and their clubs, with the exception of Inter and a few minor clubs in Serie A. That was unheard of before Guardiola.

Now almost everyone realises that apart from getting a result, it's very important how you play. The fans will accept almost anything as long as there's success, but in the long run, people want to be entertained, they want to enjoy themselves at matches and this is why football needs to be attractive and fun. At Croatia, we have always tried to play and we always look better when our opponents play positive football. Because of the way we play, it's much easier for us when the game is a two-way street.

The team went through a rough patch during the qualifiers and the fans do not seem to be very optimistic ...

The overall atmosphere around football in Croatia is not good, with the turmoil in the FA and numerous scandals in the national league, but that's not necessarily a disadvantage. The Italians had a similar situation in 2006, and they won the World Cup. A lot of negative energy was directed at us through the media – the critics were sometimes well-deserved, and sometimes completely unfounded. But that has only brought us closer together, and I nevertheless expect full support from the fans come the Euro.

How crucial is that Luka Modric is at his best?

All players have to give top performances if we want success, but obviously everyone expects the most from Luka. He dictates our play and makes others better with his rhythm and passes. He does the same at Spurs – if he plays well, the team plays well. Luka knows just how crucial his performances are going to be and he's ready to handle the pressure.

We all know who the favourites are, but which team do you think could surprise everyone at the Euros?

Any of the 16. Some will need more luck than others, but any team can be a surprise package. Take Poland, for example – they're hosts, they can compete with all three teams in their group and they will be hard to stop if they get going. The same goes for Ukraine. I wouldn't dare betting against the really well-organised Sweden, either – if their strikers are in top form, I don't think anyone can count on beating them.

What do you think of England's chances?

There's definitely some 'meat' in that team and they could go far. I don't agree with those who say their problem is that players get exhausted after a long season, but something hasn't been right with England for a long time now. They talk of unity, the Three Lions and all that stuff, but they have huge problems with personal relationships within the team. If they didn't, they would surely have had some international success because they're too good to keep underachieving all the time. But England could do 'a Chelsea' at this tournament: they've changed their manager and people may not expect much of them anymore, but it's the last shot at something big for several of their players. They should draw on that for motivation.

You play your first game against Ireland. What kind of match do you expect?

It will be a tricky match, I can tell you that. A bloody hard match. I've studied all of their games and their defensive discipline is amazing. You dominate the play, you have the ball in possession and you attack, but they just don't give you too many chances to score. We will have to run harder than them, stay compact, fight for each rebound and be really patient. We can't afford to lose our nerve, because Ireland can easily hurt you with a single counter-attack through Duff, McGeady, Long or Keane. How you start is always key to your confidence and self-esteem and Ireland is our big chance, but I'm sure they're saying the same about us.

What did you learn, as a coach, from your years of playing in England?

There was one thing that impressed me the most, and that was a fantastic balance between pressure and freedom. Pressure is important for every job – a journalist will generally write a better article if he's under pressure or if he writes for a better newspaper. But the key is to channel that pressure into positive energy: you want it to be a drive, not burden. And that's what the English do best.

Sometimes huge investments depend on a result of a single Premier League match, the pressure is huge, but you don't feel burdened by it in a negative way. Regardless of the press which can be really cruel – after all, the English invented that kind of journalism. In the Premier League you learn how to overcome fear and negative emotions, how not to dread what might happen but stay motivated and fight the best you can for your team. And that can often be a decisive factor when two even teams meet.

Who were your biggest influences as a coach and what did you learn from them?

It was never my plan to become a coach. But then my club Hajduk Split called and I had to answer, so I caught the coaching virus. Later, I stayed with two of the best managers at the time – Arsène Wenger at Arsenal and Marcello Lippi at Juve, studying their methods and approach. They only confirmed what I always felt was right, but what stood in stark contrast with the old-school dogmas in former Yugoslavia: you don't have to be a tyrant to earn the respect of your players. The only authority you need is the authority of knowledge. I also realised that as a player in Germany with Winfried Schäfer and in England with Harry Redknapp and Walter Smith – all great coaches, as is Miroslav Blazevic of the Croatia national team in the 1990s.

You leave your post as Croatia manager after the Euros [bilic has agreed to coach Lokomotiv Moscow]. How will this affect the team?

Right now, I'm completely focused on the Euros and I don't think about anything else. I'm really proud of this job: to manage your country's national team is the highest point in a manager's career and I don't think any job in the future will mean this much to me, although I'm going to dedicate myself to each one of them 100%. I take great pride in my decision not to give up after the first, second or the fifth time we failed at something and they said I should go. I didn't want to go as loser. But I have always seen myself as more of a club coach. I've never concealed those ambitions and I was glad when clubs first started to express their interest four or five years ago.

A lot of people thought you would end up in England after the Croatia job. Do you think you still could one day?

I admit to being an Anglophile, but I had my chances to go to England. I have had offers from big clubs and chose to stay. I would love to work in England, because of the language and the unique football culture, which is different to anywhere else. But I'm not afraid of the challenge – when I [was] choosing my next job, the potential of the club was more important to me than the country and the league.

Are you ready to handle the everyday pressure which comes with coaching a big club?

Every job brings specific problems and demands adapting, but I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that nothing can compare to the pressure I have experienced in six years on the job as Croatia manager. That's something else. You know, my mother is watching this. My children, too. Their neighbours, the kids at school or just about anyone they know feel it's their place to comment on the decisions I have to make.

Good read that.

Just found this fine review of Luka Modrić on ESPN.

Luka Modric is an unusual footballer. The Croatian midfielder, who plays his club football in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, is the strangest of players: a star who doesn’t seem to shine. For the first few minutes that you watch Modric in action, it’s difficult to work out exactly what he does. He gets the ball and gives it to someone else who promptly runs off and does something much more exciting with it. Then he runs -- but not very fast. And look -- now look at him. He’s standing still. And he’s raising his arms in triumph.

This description is common for Luka Modric almost every time his team scores. You see, he’s very rarely the player who tallies. He is also very rarely the player who provides the assist. But if you count one pass further back -- if you look at the person that supplies that provider -- then you’ll find him almost every time. This position, the deep-lying playmaker -- or what the Italians call the regista -- is vital in the modern game now that defenses are far more conniving and sophisticated; teams must build attacks from withdrawn positions and use more variety than the old days of "Route One" long balls, making players like Modric an essential component.

On its day, Tottenham’s attack -- led by Emmanuel Adebayor up front and Gareth Bale from the flank -- is as fearsome as they come, most notably in the 4-0 league victory over Liverpool last season. And Modric? He’s just watching quietly in the background, having drawn up the attack coordinates. What’s more is every now and then -- as he did in that Liverpool romp -- he produces a spectacular goal.

If Tottenham Hotspur is a thrilling live band, then Modric -- like, for example, Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez and Manchester United’s Paul Scholes -- is its drummer. Arguably the most important skill in soccer is the ability to dictate the rhythm of the match: with this, a team can open up space within the ranks of the opposition. The world first saw this side of Modric when he directed Croatia’s 2-0 Euro 2008 qualifier victory over England in Zagreb. He didn’t score -- and was barely mentioned in the match reports -- but was the source of all that was lethal to England.

Two years later, millions more were aware of the danger that he posed and watched as little Luka guided his country to a 2-1 win over Germany at that tournament in the group stages. Germany, who made it to the final before succumbing to Spain, was overwhelmed by his swift, precise and perceptive passing. The great Dutch coach Rinus Michels would have called this a perfect example of “circulation football” -- the art of keeping the ball moving fluidly across the pitch as if it were a red blood cell flowing through an artery.

It is this art that will be of great value to Croatia in a difficult Euro 2012 group against Italy, the Republic of Ireland and reigning European champions Spain. With its star drummer on top form, the Azzurri struggling to find its tempo and the Irish lacking in flair, the Croats could reasonably hope to emerge in second place behind the title-holders.

Yet given the indirect nature of his influence, Modric will likely elude simple statistical analysis. There are many footballers (Robin van Persie, Lionel Messi, etc.) whose numbers immediately bear witness to their vast influence; well, the Croat isn’t one of them. Were you to assess him merely by Moneyball-style metrics, you’d come away feeling decidedly underwhelmed. For example, in the 2011-12 EPL season, he trailed Manchester City’s David Silva by some distance in chances created from open play (by 86 to 67, according to Duncan Alexander of Opta Sports). He scored only three goals and gave only four assists.

This, though, would be an unfairly simplistic appraisal of events. Admirers of Luka Modric would ask you to look at his passing. In 36 league starts this past year, he completed the highest number of passes in the division (2215), ahead of the buccaneering Yaya Touré of Manchester City (2189). What’s more, he was caught in possession many more times than the Ivorian. This last statistic is an important (and ambiguous) one. On the one hand, it suggests that Modric is less careful in possession than Touré; on the other, it suggests that he is more readily targeted because he is perceived as the greater threat. I would argue that the latter holds most of the truth.

Despite his diminutive frame, Modric has adapted well to the physicality of the Premier League.© Scott Heavey/Getty Images

If the worth of Modric cannot conclusively be expressed in mere numbers, it is hinted at by the caliber of those clubs that most covet him. Last summer Chelsea and Manchester United, seeking someone to marshal their midfields through the tricky later stages of the Champions League, both aggressively pursued Modric’s signature. Sir Alex Ferguson identified Modric, and not Gareth Bale, as his player of the 2010-11 season while then-CFC boss Andre Villas-Boas called him “one of the greatest talents in the world, a player who will have tremendous success.” Both were repelled only by the rare resilience of Tottenham’s chairman, Daniel Levy, a feat all the more remarkable for the fact that Chelsea were reportedly offering Modric three times what he is currently earning at White Hart Lane.

Perhaps the most eloquent testimony to Modric’s talents comes from a man of very few words, but who for many years has practised a similar brand of witchcraft at the heart of his team. When asked whether Manchester United should look to buy Modric, Samir Nasri (then at Arsenal), or Internazionale’s Wesley Sneijder, Paul Scholes was unequivocal. “Of the three, Modric, when we've played against him, has been the one I have been most impressed with,” he told the Manchester Evening News in July, 2011. “Whenever we played Tottenham, he was the one who stood out.”

The best evidence of this was the 2009 Carling Cup Final. Modric was up against Paul Scholes in midfield that day, and though Tottenham would eventually lose on penalties, the game saw the Croat at his most majestic. Time and again he would turn away from Scholes, intercepting a pass from him here, twisting past him there, leaving the United veteran in rare discomfort. Scholes is, after all, the man whom Barcelona’s Xavi has described as “the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years” and whom Zinedine Zidane has called as “undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.” Yet against Modric he looked totally nonplussed; as confused, in fact, as someone who’d been asked to express just how good Modric was by using nothing but stats.

The future for Modric is thoroughly exciting given that he is one of a select group of footballers who could materially improve the world’s best teams; furthermore, Tottenham's failure to qualify for the Champions League may very well prompt him to move on this summer. His next destination is anyone’s guess; Chelsea may well rekindle their interest, as may Manchester United. Meanwhile, there is a strong argument that, had Manchester City replaced the often pedestrian passing of Gareth Barry with that of Luka Modric, it would have won the Premier League far sooner than they did. Croatia is fortunate to have him; so, too, will be the club who can afford his rare and understated brilliance.