After suffering yet another crushing loss in the Nations League final on Sunday, Croatia’s head coach Zlatko Dalic told his players that they should be pleased of collecting another gold despite the team’s 5-4 loss to Spain in a penalty shootout.
Croatia, who were cheered on by tens of thousands of cheering supporters during the goalless draw in Rotterdam, passed up another opportunity to claim a first international title, after collecting silver and bronze at the previous two World Cups. The loss was a devastating blow for Croatia, who, despite the support of their fans, were unable to win the match.
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According to Dalic’s statements to the media, “We have won medals, one after the other, which is a really great thing.”
“It’s fantastic that Croatia was able to win three medals; this demonstrates that Croatia has a lot of untapped potential. We are disheartened by the outcome, but we need to be proud of the work that we have put in.
After the 37-year-old Real Madrid midfielder turned in another strong performance, Dalic said that it was still uncertain what the future held for Luka Modric, who serves as the captain of his team.
According to what Dalic stated, “Luka said that he would make his own decision after the tournament, and that is fair.”
“He played great, we would love it if Luka stayed, he is a great player and I hope he will stay with us for a long time,” said the manager. “He played great.”