Dalic hails Croatia's 'football school' and sees bright future after World Cup bronze
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic insisted his side's World Cup bronze medal did not mark the end of an era and said there was "nothing to fear" for the future.
The head coach watched his side defeat Morocco 2-1 on Saturday to take third place in the Qatar 2022 final, four years after being runners-up when hosting Russia.
Croatia, a country of around four million people, has produced remarkable football teams since gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Dejan Lovren have been mainstays of the team for many years, and Modric and Lovren have already ruled out continuing until the 2026 World Cup, when it would be a major surprise if Perisic remained in the team.
He would be 37 years old, and given that his role is very energetic and that he has to move up and down the court, Perisic can probably be excluded from this tournament.
Modric intends to play for now, certainly until the Nations League next year and maybe until the Euro 2024 final, and Dalic thinks the new and next generations of Croatian internationals can thrive just like the current breed.
"Yes, it's the last World Cup for some of my players today, due to their age and other aspects," Dalic said. "But we also have young players, there is a hopeful Croatia: Orsic, Stanisic, Sutalo."
Among them, defenders Josip Sutalo and Josip Stanisic are both 22, while midfielder Mislav Orsic is 29 and should be good for another World Cup cycle.
It was Orsic who scored the winning goal against Morocco, an elegant strike from a difficult angle that left goalkeeper Yassine Bounou seizing air.
Dalic said of the rising stars in his ranks: "We have a lot of these players on the bench, but they couldn't perform well without the older ones.
"Older players instill confidence, they allow them to grow and mature. We have a great football school for the future. Croatia have nothing to fear for their national team.
“Is this the end of an era or a generation? I don't think so. we have great talents.
"There are four Croatian league players in the squad today and I think Croatia has a fascinating future."
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic insisted his side's World Cup bronze medal did not mark the end of an era and said there was "nothing to fear" for the future.
The head coach watched his side defeat Morocco 2-1 on Saturday to take third place in the Qatar 2022 final, four years after being runners-up when hosting Russia.
Croatia, a country of around four million people, has produced remarkable football teams since gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Dejan Lovren have been mainstays of the team for many years, and Modric and Lovren have already ruled out continuing until the 2026 World Cup, when it would be a major surprise if Perisic remained in the team.
He would be 37 years old, and given that his role is very energetic and that he has to move up and down the court, Perisic can probably be excluded from this tournament.
Modric intends to play for now, certainly until the Nations League next year and maybe until the Euro 2024 final, and Dalic thinks the new and next generations of Croatian internationals can thrive just like the current breed.
"Yes, it's the last World Cup for some of my players today, due to their age and other aspects," Dalic said. "But we also have young players, there is a hopeful Croatia: Orsic, Stanisic, Sutalo."
Among them, defenders Josip Sutalo and Josip Stanisic are both 22, while midfielder Mislav Orsic is 29 and should be good for another World Cup cycle.
It was Orsic who scored the winning goal against Morocco, an elegant strike from a difficult angle that left goalkeeper Yassine Bounou seizing air.
Dalic said of the rising stars in his ranks: "We have a lot of these players on the bench, but they couldn't perform well without the older ones.
"Older players instill confidence, they allow them to grow and mature. We have a great football school for the future. Croatia have nothing to fear for their national team.
“Is this the end of an era or a generation? I don't think so. we have great talents.
"There are four Croatian league players in the squad today and I think Croatia has a fascinating future."
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