UEFA Croampions League: Quarter-Finals Full of Croatians

by croatiaweek
March 16, 2017
in Sport

Danijel Subašić and Luka Modrić in last 8 of Champions League (photo: HNS)

The best 8 teams in Europe this season have been found as the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League has reached the quarterfinal stage.

Once again Croatia is well represented in Europe’s elite football competition. A total of 8 players are still involved in the business end of the competition.

Out of the 8 still involved, four players have already lifted the famous UEFA Champion League trophy.

The players still involved are Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Mario Mandžukić and Marko Pjaca (Juventus), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona) Šime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Danijel Subašić (Monaco) and American-Croatian Christian Pulišić (Borussia Dortmund).

Luka Modrić with the Champions League trophy

Modrić, Kovačić, Mandžukić and Rakitić have already tasted Champions League success. Croatia is only not represented in two of the final 8 clubs – Leicester City and Bayern Munich. Fabian Benko, who was born in Munich to Croatian parents, was named in Bayern’s Champions League squad.

Dani Alves and Mario Mandžukić

Whilst 8 players is a lot, it is not the most at this stage of the tournament. Back in the 2001/2002 season there were 9 Croatians in the last 8.

Rakitić scoring in the Champions League final (photo: AFP/Olvier Morin)

Niko and Robert Kovač at Bayern Munich, Boris Živković, Jurica Vranješ and Marko Babić at Bayer Leverkusen, Goran Vlaović, Robert Jarni and Danijel Šarić at Panathinaikos and Igor Bišćan at Liverpool.