Croatia reveals squad for UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Netherlands

Croatia reveals squad for UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Netherlands

The UEFA Nations League Final Four is fast approaching, and the Croatia national football team coach Zlatko Dalić on Monday named his squad for the highly awaited semi-final encounter against the Netherlands.

The UEFA Nations League Final Four, featuring hosts Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Croatia, is scheduled to take place from June 14th to June 18th in the cities of Rotterdam and Enschede.

The semi-final match between the Netherlands and Croatia will take place on June 14th at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. Boasting a capacity of 51,117, the iconic De Kuip stadium will also serve as the venue for the tournament’s final showdown.

The second semi-final clash between Italy and Spain, along with the third-fourth playoff match, will be held at the De Grolsch Veste stadium in Enschede. 

Dalić has made one surprise selection in the squad, calling up striker Dion Drena Beljo for the first time. The 21-year-old currently plays for FC Augsburg in the Bundelsiga. 

CROATIA SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Ivica Ivušić, Nediljko Labrović

Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Borna Barišić, Josip Juranović, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Martin Erlić

Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Lovro Majer, Luka Ivanušec

Strikers: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Marko Livaja, Petar Musa, Dion Drena Beljo

On-call: Josip Brekalo, Mislav Oršić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Filip Uremović, Ivo Grbić, Nikola Moro, Matija Frigan

“The list shows that we trust the proven squad – with minor adjustments, it is the roster of players who won the bronze medal at the World Cup, and they absolutely deserve our trust at this moment. We are aware that at the end of the season, there is noticeable physical and mental fatigue, but we have a historic opportunity ahead of us to win the first trophy in the history of our national team. Over the course of this week of preparations, we will try to refresh and prepare the team to the maximum so that we can perform at the highest possible level in the final tournament,” emphasised coach Dalić.

“We have tremendous respect for all three teams that have qualified for the final tournament alongside us, but we believe in our quality and unity. The Netherlands, as the host, will be highly motivated, but we will also have great support from the stands, which will certainly give us additional strength. We know that a very difficult task awaits us, but we do not hide the fact that having already reached this stage of the competition, we want to take those final two steps and once again make history,” Dalić stated.

Earning their spot in the UEFA Nations League Final Four is another impressive achievement for Croatia, who secured their place after emerging victorious in Group AI. This group included France, Denmark, and Austria, with Croatia finishing at the top of the group with an impressive 13 points.

Their sole defeat came at the hands of Austria, but it was quickly overshadowed by their historic triumph over France. The Croatian team notched their first-ever victory against the reigning world champions, defeating them 1-0 at the renowned Stade de France.

The prospect of competing in the Final Four was particularly compelling for captain, Luka Modrić, who has made the decision to continue representing his country. Clearly, the allure of capturing yet another remarkable achievement on the international stage has proven irresistible for the Croatian talisman.