Croatia Squad Named for EURO 2016 Warm-Up Matches

(photo: hns)

Croatia coach Ante Čačić has named a predictable squad of 20 ahead of EURO 2016 warm-up friendlies against Israel and Hungary this month…

Čačić named his squad on Monday and for the first time in a long while the list did not feature the name Ivica Olić, who retired last week from international football. There was room however for Sporting Gijon star Alen Halilović, who is yet to establish himself in the Croatian national team.

Croatia face Israel in Osijek on 23 March, followed by a friendly in Budapest against Hungary on 26 March.

Croatia Squad:

Keepers: Danijel Subašić (Monaco), Lovre Kalinić (Hajduk), Ivan Vargić (Rijeka)

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Šahtar), Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kijev), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo), Šime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo)

Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona), Ivan Perišić (Inter), Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozović (Inter), Alen Halilović (Sporting Gijon), Domagoj Antolić (Dinamo)

Strikers: Mario Mandžukić (Juventus), Nikola Kalinić (Fiorentina), Marko Pjaca (Dinamo)

Ante Čačić (photo: drago sopta/hns)

“We want to get as much information as possible so we can be effective at EURO 2016. My aim is to give as much playing time to the players and cut the list down to 17 players and 3 keepers. I am looking for good results (in the friendlies), wins, that is the only way we can get the information we need,” said Čačić, before adding that those not in the squad named today are not written off from making the final EURO 2016 squad.