Dalić ahead of crucial Euro qualifiers: Gvardiol to left back, Kovačić under cloud, Petković out

Zlatko Dalić (Photo credit: Кирилл Венедиктов/Soccer.ru/Creative Commons)

The Croatian national football team is gathering today in Zagreb ahead of the crucial qualifying matches against Latvia (Riga, November 18) and Armenia (Zagreb, November 21).

The traditional pre-gathering press conference was conducted by the coach, Zlatko Dalić.

“The last two defeats have complicated our situation; we no longer control our fate. We played poorly against Turkey and Wales, perhaps the two worst consecutive matches since I became the coach. It was really bad, especially at the worst possible time. Our focus is on the next two matches, securing six points, and relying only on ourselves. Unfortunately, Bruno Petković won’t be with us; he’s returning to his club due to an ongoing injury. Mateo Kovačić felt a muscle issue last night, so he won’t join us today. He stays in Manchester for further examination,” said Zlatko Dalić, the Croatian Football Federation reported, at the beginning, explaining why he activated the call-up for Nikola Vlašić.

“Our assessment is that he has improved his form, and that’s why he has been called up.”

On mistakes in the last two matches:

“I didn’t recognize the situation, and a combination of many factors led to these results. The fact is, we were without our complete attack, which had been among the best in the previous cycle. Perišić and Kramarić contributed a lot, and their absence was felt. I misjudged the situation and didn’t sense that something was going wrong. We won’t dwell on the past; we have to prepare to correct what went wrong.”

On the call-up of Marko Pjaca:

“We’ve been watching both Marko Pjaca and Mario Pašalić. We lack players on the left side. Pjaca is improving in form, and although not at his previous level, he’s getting there. He can help. Pašalić is playing well, and if he continues, he could be included.”

On Ante Budimir and Joško Gvardiol:

“Budimir is in form. I’ve said that I want to give a chance to future attackers in the qualifiers—Musa, Frigan, Beljo. Budimir was never written off; with his form, he earned the call-up and will get a chance. We’ll be offensive, and that’s why he’s here. Joško Gvardiol plays left-back at City, and in these matches, he’ll be in that position. I didn’t get what I wanted from Barišić and Šoško going forward.”

On a possible change in formation:

“It can’t be that suddenly what was good for six years is now not working. It was bad, but that’s not a reason to shake everything up and start from scratch. I won’t make many changes. What encourages me is that we’ll have more days and training sessions before the match. This gives us hope for improvement.”

On the mood:

“It would be foolish on my part to sink. I have never been stronger, more motivated, and more positive. The same goes for the players. I haven’t forgotten how to be a coach, and the players haven’t forgotten how to play football. It was just a bad seven days.”

On Josip Šutalo:

“He was unfairly blamed for everything bad happening at Ajax, which wasn’t true at all. He will have our support and confidence; Vedran Ćorluka has been in contact with him, and I expect him to be a key player in our defense.”

On criticisms:

“Nothing bothers me. I know my path and my direction; everyone can do as they please.”

On Dominik Livaković:

“He is the first choice, has our support, and will continue to be the goalkeeper unless there is an injury. He has saved us many times, and I don’t want to question him. He remains the first choice.”

On the health situation of Varaždin’s coach, Mario Kovačević:

“I give him maximum support. With his behavior, work, and statements, he has won the entire Croatian public. I wish him a speedy recovery.”

On the period without Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić:

“It’s an evident problem; we’re accustomed to the top performances of Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić, and now we see how much they are missed. Someone will succeed them, but it won’t happen so quickly, and it takes time for such players to develop. I’m happy about Kramarić’s return, even though he’s not in the playing time that indicates optimal form. I hope someone new will come, but we’ll have to wait.”

Croatia against Latvia and Armenia:

“At this moment, there are no easy opponents for us. Latvia will want to prove themselves and raise their value. We must be aware of that. We need to be patient, compact, and not lose our heads. They have tall players and are dangerous in set-pieces. They are not fast forward, playing similarly to Wales. We must be prepared for the fact that they can make it difficult for us. Armenia still has a chance for the Euros, but we’re taking it step by step.”

#Croatia squad back together! 🤗#Family #Vatreni❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZNXmzTnScN

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 13, 2023

On Marcelo Brozović’s form:

“He is our engine and the main player in the third part of the field. He played the last game at a high level, and I expect him to be quality and good. He is my great reliance and strength. I have never doubted him.”

On Martin Baturina:

“His verticality and one-on-one situations are his strengths. He is not here because of his age or to learn; he is one of the players. He has what we need and competes equally for appearances. Dinamo has not been playing the best lately, but he always does something. We lack that breakthrough, one-on-one play. That’s why we included him.”