Dalić: ‘I will now call up new players’

Zlatko Dalić

Croatia suffered two back to back losses in Euro 2024 qualifying, the first time that has happened in a decade. Turkey in Osijek (1-0), and Wales in Cardiff (2-1) were both deserved winners against an unrecognisable Croatia side.

Today, coach Zlatko Dalić talked to Nova TV’s Dnevnik and revealed that it is time for new players to be called up. 

“We had a great situation up until a month ago, now we’ve had two losses and have been really poor. What we played was below any standard. Our opponents were better than us, deserved victories, and we put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. There was nothing suggesting it would be like this after our excellent performance in the Nations League. I blame myself for not sensing it and not reacting in time to prevent it. I didn’t feel the team, I wasn’t good,” Dalić began the interview saying.

“This has never happened to us before, being this bad in two matches, without energy, aggression, any idea. We didn’t create a chance in two games, which is impossible for us, and I would say the problem isn’t the approach, but how much we can and how prepared we were. Many players are out of form, many aren’t playing, and it happens that several players can’t play. In both games, we weren’t even close to what we can be. We can’t say individuals failed; we were all poor from the first to the last, and I have to start with myself,” Dalić explained.

New faces

“The fact is that what we played is unacceptable, and we need to seek better and more quality solutions. I said earlier, in the last 30 matches since the Euros, we’ve only lost two, and now two in three days. I had my ideas, thoughts about what I should do, but I didn’t want to change anything while things were going well. But now I have to. We can expect new call ups. This has been good for me to make decisions I had been thinking about before and to go with fresh strength and energy, to give other players a chance. I can’t talk about names; I need to step out of the comfort zone I had, as well as the players who had it with their quality and medals. Now we are again in a situation of to be or not to be,” the coach explained.

Marcelo Brozović

Marcelo Brozović wasn’t at his best, so the question arises if playing in the Saudi league is detrimental to him.

“I won’t talk about individual players, especially not through the media. I still believe in those players. Questioning Brozović and Kovačić, that’s still the best midfield in the world,” Dalić said to RTL.

Marcelo Brozović (Photo credit: Антон Зайцев/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Domagoj Vida

Due to the absence of Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Luka Ivanušec, and the departure of Marko Livaja, Josip Brekalo, Petar Musa, and Dion Drena Beljo got their chance. And against Wales, Domagoj Vida played as a center-back instead of Josip Šutalo.

“It’s hard to expect someone who has come after a long time to shine. The whole team failed; we were all bad, and I stand by that and say it. If one or two individuals had failed, the conversation would be easier. We had defensive problems against Turkey, a few mistakes, insecurities, and with Vida, I wanted to get some security and do what we did in Qatar – next to the young defender, a more experienced, aggressive one,” Dalić said, then addressing the absences and the problems at left-back.

Domagoj Vida (Photo credit: Анна Нэсси/Soccer.ru/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ivan Perišić

“Now it’s evident how much we miss Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić. They are two players with the most goals and assists in my tenure. When the team was weak, they shone, and we needed that. We were without both, and we missed them a lot. Sosa moved to Ajax and got into trouble there, didn’t play three games, and that’s why Borna Barišić started in both matches.”

Ivan Perišić (Photo credit: Антон Зайцев/Creative Commons license/Soccer.ru)

Midfield

The Croatian midfield trio of Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović, and Mateo Kovačić is known by every football fan worldwide, but they are no longer at the level they used to be.

“The midfield has the right to have a bad day, a bad match. They’ve carried us for six years, and when they’re not at their best, we have significant problems. We have to look for solutions; Brozović can’t play the next game due to a yellow card. We have to regroup, and I have to find solutions for what’s ahead. The defeat was hard for all of us, both of them. We set the bar very high; ambitions are high, and anything we do that’s not at the top is not good. It was hard for all of us, including Luka. Maybe it had to be that way, you have to fall to get up. I will come out of this much stronger, more determined, and in these situations, I have always come out tougher, stronger, and better,” Dalić stated.

Mateo Kovačić (Photo credit: Светлана Бекетова/Soccer.ru/CC)

Whilst Dalić did not want to mention any names, striker Roko Šimić, who has been playing Champions League football with RB Salzburg, and Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina, have been mentioned by analysts. Both are currently in the Croatia U-21 side.

Marko Livaja

Croatia were also without Marko Livaja, who retired just days before the Turkey clash.

“I’m sorry that we’re talking about this and that it happened. A couple of days before the gathering, I sent him a message and called him, but Livaja didn’t get back to me, I don’t know why. I don’t see why it broke, I said that a few jeers from the stands aren’t a reason to leave the national team. I’m sorry he made that decision; I think he was better, maybe if he had been in the Nations League, we would have won it.”

The feeling is that the atmosphere in Osijek wasn’t up to par, and for some time now, the atmosphere at national team matches hasn’t had the fervour it once had.

Roko Šimić (Photo credit: petervanderklooster.com)

Atmosphere

“The atmosphere in Osijek was good; I won’t go into details. In Cardiff, the fans were fantastic support even in defeat. There was good support in Osijek too, and people aren’t used to Croatia losing.”

Croatia no longer has everything in their hands; they depend on other matches too, and the qualification’s culmination is scheduled for a month from now when Croatia first visits Latvia on November 18, then three days later, on November 21, hosts Armenia at Maksimir.

“I won’t think about that; we will qualify for the Euros in any way. That’s why I stayed in the Croatian national team, and I will fight until the end to go to the European Championship,” coach Dalić concluded.