Dalić names Croatia squad for W Cup in Abu Dhabi
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Croatia squad named
Zlatko Dalić, the coach of the Croatian national team, has announced the roster for the international friendly tournament “W Cup,” which will take place in the United Arab Emirates from March 22nd to March 26th.
The Croatian team will participate in Abu Dhabi (UAE) at the “W Cup” tournament alongside Tunisia, Egypt, and New Zealand. Croatia will face Tunisia in the semifinals at Al Jazira Stadium on March 22nd at 10:00 PM local time, while Egypt and New Zealand will compete in the second semifinal on the same day at Al Wahda Stadium.
The defeated teams will meet in the third-place match on March 25th at Al Wahda Stadium (10:00 PM local time), and the final will be played at Al Jazira Stadium on March 26th (also at 10:00 PM local time).
Dalić has called up 25 players for this event and issued six standby-calls (Barišić, Ćaleta-Car, Moro, Sučić, Marco Pašalić, and Sigur).
“We are looking forward to a new gathering after a long break since the last match where we secured a spot in the EURO. There was no reason for major changes; we remain faithful to the players who earned a place in the European Championship squad, with the addition of Dominik Kotarski for the first time, whom we want to see in the national team environment considering his consistent good performances,” said coach Dalić.
“The tournament in Abu Dhabi is very important for our Euro preparations, with a special emphasis on strengthening the good atmosphere and unity. That’s why Ivan Perišić is with us, who is in the final stage of recovery. Regardless of whether he can play, it’s essential for him, as a vice-captain and one of the team leaders, to be part of this gathering, which we see as an opportunity for team-building. I am delighted that Ivan has expressed a strong desire to be with us in the Emirates. It’s the best indicator of the strong will among the players and all of us to be at our best for the Euro,” Dalić added.
“We have two more weeks until the gathering; we will closely monitor the performances of all players and decide if we will take one or two more players, as much as we have room for,” concluded the coach.
The team will assemble on March 18th in Zagreb and travel to Abu Dhabi the next day.
Croatia is placed in Group B with Spain, Italy, and Albania for the Euros, and before the competition, they will play friendly matches against North Macedonia (June 3rd in Rijeka) and Portugal (June 8th in Lisbon).
Croatia squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Ivica Ivušić, Dominik Kotarski, Nediljko Labrović
Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Josip Juranović, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Martin Erlić, Marin Pongračić
Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Lovro Majer, Luka Ivanušec, Martin Baturina
Forwards: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Marko Pjaca, Ante Budimir
Stand-by: Borna Barišić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Luka Sučić, Marco Pašalić, Nikola Moro, Niko Kristian Sigur
