Croatia national football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Vatreni (Fiery Ones)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Hrvatski Nogometni Savez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach |  Slaven Bilić |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asst coach | Aljoša Asanović Nikola Jurčević Marijan Mrmić Robert Prosinečki |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Niko Kovač | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Dario Šimić (100) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Davor Šuker (45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | Maksimir Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | CRO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA ranking | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 3 (January 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 125 (March 1994) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elo ranking | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Elo ranking | 5 (July 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 26 (Oct 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Croatia 4–0 Switzerland  (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; April 2, 1940) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Croatia 7–0 Australia  (Zagreb, Croatia; June 6, 1998) Croatia 7–0 Andorra  (Zagreb, Croatia; October 7, 2006) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Independent State of Croatia:.svg){kind=small} Italy 4 - 0 Croatia  (Genova, Italy; April 4, 1942)  Germany 5–1 Croatia (Vienna, Germany; June 15, 1941) Germany 5–1 Croatia (Stuttgart, Germany; November 1, 1942) Present Croatia:  Slovakia 4–1 Croatia (Bratislava, Slovakia; April 20, 1994) Croatia 1–4 England  (Zagreb, Croatia; September 10, 2008) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 3 (First in 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Third place, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 3 (First in 1996) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Quarterfinals, 1996, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Croatian national football team represents the Republic of Croatia at the top level of men's international football matches and is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, currently directed by Vlatko Marković, in matters of team supremacy and administration. The modern team was formed in 1990 and became a member of both FIFA and UEFA—the highest authorities of global football—by 1993, two years after the nation's independence from Yugoslavia.[2] The national team was previously sanctioned while representing the short-lived Banovina of Croatia and Independent State of Croatia, two temporary puppet states of monarchy power, in nineteen friendly matches between 1940 and 1944.[3] Although they were authorized as an affiliate of FIFA in this earlier period, Croatia remained a constituent federal republic of Yugoslavia and was therefore unable to participate separately at the competitive level.
The modern team played the nation's first competitive matches during a successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 96, leading to their first appearance at a major European tournament.[3] They entered their first FIFA World Cup in 1998, eventually finishing in third-place at the tournament with Davor Šuker receiving the Golden Boot award. Croatia has since qualified for every edition of the World Cup; it has missed only major event, UEFA Euro 2000, since the team became eligible to participate.[4] The national team play most of their home matches at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb; they have also played scheduled home fixtures at the Poljud Stadium in Split, as well as other smaller venues depending on the nature of the match. They were previously undefeated in competitive matches on home soil until suffering a defeat against England in 2008,[5][6] ending a thirty-six-match streak.[7][3]
Croatia has achieved several noteworthy victories throughout major tournaments, defeating opposition within the top-five of the FIFA World Rankings. During their 1998 World Cup foray, they defeated Germany 3–0 before winning the bronze medal with a 2–1 victory over Holland. They repeated their victory against the German side at UEFA Euro 2008, defeating the eventual finalists 2–1 in the first-round.[8] Croatia also defeated Italy 2–1 at the 2002 FIFA World Cup,[3] along with home and away qualifying victories against England in 2008.[9]
Having won FIFA's "Best Mover of the Year" in 1994 and 1998, Croatia is the only team to accommodate the award more than once.[10] Their FIFA World Ranking has been among the most volatile throughout history,[11][1] ranging from third in 1998 to 125th in 1994.[12] The associated supporters of the national team, often sanctioned as football hooligans due to their misconduct, have been responsible for numerous charges and scrutiny towards the Croatian Football Federation and the national team itself. Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), the country's principal news outlet, covers all of Croatia's performances live.
Contents |
[edit] Nicknames and pronunciation
"Croatia national football team" is frequently translated into Croatian as "Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija" (pronounced: xř̩.ʋaː.ʦkaː nɔːɠɔːmɛtnaː ɾɛpɾɛzɛntaːtsijaː). Under the official FIFA Trigramme, the team’s name is abbreviated as CRO; this unique three-letter acronym formally identifies the team more simply, as used by FIFA and other licensed media anchors.[13] The International Organization for Standardization also assigns official country codes which vary from the FIFA Trigramme, so the Croatian team may also be abbreviated under HRV.[14]
The team is commonly endorsed by their nickname Vatreni, which means "Fiery Ones".[1] They have also recently been dubbed as "Bilić Boys", which is a colloquial epithet based on their current coach, Slaven Bilić, and his recent rapport with the national team.[15]
[edit] Hierarchical team control
The Croatian team is a fully licensed member of FIFA and UEFA; these two confederations govern their associated teams in discipline and scrutiny. FIFA is the universal body of football governance, mainly controlling Croatia's participation in the traditional FIFA World Cup.[16] UEFA specifically holds jurisdiction in European participation such as the European Championships.[17] These two confederations are therefore the highest ascendants of control over the team.
The team is also under the authority of the Croatian Football Federation, which itself abides by the rules of FIFA and UEFA while serving as a more domestic form of management. The federation is currently led by Vlatko Marković, who represents the team in formal appeals and conferences. The federation (abbreviated HNS) has the greatest immediate influence on the team; it governs player registration and selects the team coaching staff. In addition, the HNS is the primary source of the players' salaries. Head coach Slaven Bilić holds the next-highest authority over the team; he selects and organises the competing players and regularly enforces team policies.[18]
[edit] History
[edit] Pre-independence
Football was introduced in Croatia by English expatriates in Rijeka and Županja in 1873; the official rulebook was first recognized in 1896. By 1908, a modern edition of the sport's laws was published as Croats began to play football regularly in organised clubs.[19] An international representative side was initially formed a year earlier, as FIFA record a Croatian team playing a full-length fixture against domestic opposition in 1907.[2] Before the nation's independence, Croatian footballers competed within the authorized national teams of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1919–39) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–90). During this time, Croatian sides were temporarily formed and competed separately in unofficial matches, primarily due to unstable national borders which were controlled under a De jure government, a form of temporary power which replaced obsolete laws.[20] A hastily arranged national side, managed by Hugo Kinert, played a few private domestic matches from 1918 to 1919.[21][22]
In 1940, Jozo Jakopić led an unauthorized national team which represented the Banovina of Croatia in four friendly matches: two against Switzerland and two against Hungary.[3] Croatia defeated the Swiss 4–0 in Zagreb on April 2, 1940, marking their debut performance as an independently sanctioned team.[note 1] Following an invasion by the Axis power, the Croatian Football Federation became momentarily active and joined FIFA on July 17, 1941 as the Independent State of Croatia. The national side played fifteen friendly matches until 1944—fourteen as an official FIFA member[2]—under the direction of Rudolf Hitrec.[23] Their first recorded result as a FIFA associate was a 1–1 tie with Slovakia on September 8 in Bratislava.[3] Nonetheless, they were prohibited from participating in competitive matches as FIFA still considered the Yugoslavian team as the football representative of the country.
From 1950 to 1956, another unofficial Croatian team was briefly active; it won games against Indonesia and a Yugoslav team playing as 'Serbia'.[22] This was the last Croatian national team which played during this period as unofficial matches were eventually ceased. When Yugoslavia participated at the 1956 Summer Olympics, their squad included numerous Croatian footballers.[24] Subsequent Yugoslavian teams that played in several World Cup and European Championship tournaments up to 1990 also consisted of Croatian players who collectively achieved small success at competitive level.[25][26]
[edit] Official formation
The last Yugoslav team to field a considerable Croatian contingent played against Sweden on May 16, 1991, only a few days before Croatia's independence referendum.[27] Another Croatian team was formed during this time; it played its first modern international game against the United States on October 17, 1990 at Maksimir Stadium. Aljoša Asanović was the first goalscorer for the newly established side, as Croatia won the match 2–1.[28] This was one of only three games played under original manager Dražan Jerković; Croatia earned two more victories under him before Stanko Poklepović and Vlatko Marković each briefly headed the team. Although Croatia was still regarded as a part of Yugoslavia,[29] this team remained an unofficially sanctioned national side until Croatia was declared independent on October 8, 1991,[30] at which the team became the official representative of the Croatian republic. The Croatian football federation rejoined the governing bodies of football and went on to organise the first competitive matches for the new national team.[2] Since the team's performances before Croatia's independence were not recorded by FIFA, they entered the World Rankings in 125th place.[12]
In the summer of 1992, FIFA and UEFA both recognised Croatia's football team and allowed it to compete in competitive matches.[4] Miroslav Blažević was appointed manager and led the Croats into their qualifying campaign for Euro 96 against Estonia on September 4, 1994. Croatia won the game 2–0 at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn; this was their first officially-recognised victory since the nation's independence. They finished on top of their qualifying group[31] and won FIFA's Best Mover of the Year award for their rapid rise in the international rankings. They lost their first competitive game 1–0 in the away fixture against Ukraine during the same qualifying campaign on June 11, 1995.[3]
[edit] 'Golden Generation'
Goran Vlaović scored the team's first goal at a major tournament when he netted a late winner against Turkey at the City Ground during Euro 96.[32] After their opening victory, they earned a 3–0 win over reigning champions Denmark[33] with Davor Šuker scoring one of his "favourite" goals; after receiving a long pass, he lobbed the ball into the goal from 12 yards.[34] Croatia were beaten 3–0 by Portugal in their final group fixture,[35] but still advanced out of the group stage to then be knocked out by eventual champions Germany in the quarter finals.[36]
| Croatia's 3-5-2 lineup during the 1998 World Cup. Initial striker Alen Bokšić was withdrawn due to injury. |
Miroslav Blažević remained in charge as Croatia commenced qualifications for the 1998 World Cup. They earned a place at the tournament by defeating Ukraine in a qualifying playoff. Against their first opponent, Jamaica, the team won 3–1 at the Stade Félix Bollaert in Lens. Croatia narrowly beat Japan in their next fixture to secure a place in the next round, despite losing to Argentina in their final group match. Davor Šuker scored his third goal of the tournament as they fended off a challenge from Romania to reach the quarter finals, where they would face former adversaries Germany once again. Although they were initially considered underdogs, Croatia enjoyed a 3–0 victory with goals from Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaović and Davor Šuker respectively after Christian Wörns was sent off.
Croatia faced the host nation, France, in the semi-final encounter. After a goalless first-half, the Croats took the lead. However, opposing defender Lilian Thuram scored the game-winning goals for France; the final score was 2–1. Croatia won third place by defeating the Netherlands; Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the tournament.[37] This was among the best debut performances in the World Cup; as a result, Croatia earned third place in the January 1999 FIFA World Rankings, its highest ranking to date.[25][12]
For their successes, the team of the 1990s was dubbed the "Golden Generation".[38][39] Croatia again won the Best Mover of the Year award in 1998.[10] However, despite impressive runs in their first two major competitions, Croatia failed to qualify for Euro 2000, finishing third in their qualifying group behind Yugoslavia and Ireland.[40] During this campaign, play between Croatia and Yugoslavia took place against a background of tension. Both fixtures ended in draws, with political protests occurring during the goalless fixture in Belgrade.[41] In the return match in Zagreb, Croatia needed a victory to qualify, but the game ended in a 2–2 draw amid controversy.[34] This was one of the last games played by a team representing "Yugoslavia" as the federal nation was soon abolished and renamed as Serbia and Montenegro.[42]
[edit] Decline under Jozić and Barić (early 2000s)
Despite the retirement of their "Golden Generation", including coach Blažević, Croatia qualified for the 2002 World Cup with an undefeated record.[43] Mirko Jozić led them into tournament where they produced a surprise 2–1 victory over Italy.[44] Due to a loss of form,[45] however, Croatia lost to both Mexico and Ecuador and failed to qualify for the knockout stages.[46] Jozić soon stepped down as manager; Otto Barić, the national team's only manager born outside the Balkans, replaced him.[47][48]
Despite the experience of the Austrian-born manager, Croatia continued to struggle during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Lacking victories, they pipped Belgium to second in their group after winning their last match against Bulgaria, and went on to defeat Slovenia 2–1 on aggregate in the playoffs, with both goals coming from Dado Pršo.[49] They failed to advance from their group at the tournament after losing to England in their final game.[50] However, they managed an earlier 2–2 draw against reigning champions France.[51] Citing criticism as the cause, Barić, like his predecessor, left the team shortly afterwards.[52]
[edit] Kranjčar and Bilić's revival
A new era for the team began shortly after the 2004 tournament exit. Former player Zlatko Kranjčar took over as national team coach[53] and led Croatia to finish first in their qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup, without losing a match.[54] Niko Kovač was chosen as the team captain during this qualification campaign and remained captain into the final tournament. Kranjčar was heavily criticized for recruiting his son Niko in the national squad, as this move was perceived as nepotism.[55] After narrowly suffering defeat to Brazil in their opening game,[56] Croatia failed to overcome Japan in their next group fixture; despite an array of scoring opportunities and possession, the match ended in a goalless draw after Dario Srna missed a second-half penalty.[57] Though Croatia led early in the decisive game against Australia, the match ended in a 2–2 draw with three red cards being issued by referee Graham Poll.[58] Croatia were once again eliminated from the tournament in the group stage. Josip Šimunić was mistakenly issued three yellow card warnings by Graham Poll, making him the only player to receive three bookings in a single match.[note 2] Poll was criticized for his lack of control in the match; as a result, he soon retired.[59]
After the exit, the HNS hired former defender Slaven Bilić as national team coach.[60] With many younger talented players available, he immediately improved the team; in a friendly game against Italy, the team's first under Bilić, Croatia won 2-0. [61] With an array of competitive matches scheduled for the Euro 2008 qualifications, Bilić temporarily suspended Dario Srna, Ivica Olić and Boško Balaban from the national squad after the trio were absent from his initial training sessions.[62] However, by recruiting younger talent, Bilić made Croatia one of the youngest international squads; Eduardo da Silva, Luka Modrić, Vedran Ćorluka and Ivan Rakitić were each promoted to the senior squad.[63] The team ultimately responded positively to Bilić's coaching, and their performances improved.[64][65][66] In their qualifying campaign, Croatia remained unbeaten in the first eleven matches. With qualification already assured, they won their next game 3–2 against England at the Wembley Stadium; as England needed to avoid defeat in order to qualify, the tournament was the first since 1994 that they missed.[67] It was also their first competitive defeat at the new venue. Having lost only one game against Macedonia in the process, Croatia finished first in their group.[68]
Before the tournament, Croatia's top scorer Eduardo da Silva suffered a compound fracture while playing in the English Premier League.[69][70] His injury alarmed the team; association president Vlatko Marković claimed the incident was "beyond random" and called for action to be taken against the responsible English defender Martin Taylor.[71] Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List portrayed Taylor as showing no sorrow over his actions. A global petition believed the tackle to be an act of retribution from the English defender, as varied supporters sanctioned Taylor's rough conduct.[72] Bilić was forced to significantly alter the squad for his final selection by recruiting inexperienced players Nikola Kalinić and Nikola Pokrivač, who had both not yet appeared for the national team.[73][74]
Croatia's weakened strike force and poor attacking performances in warm-up games against Scotland and Moldova drew concerns from the management team and fans.[75][76] In spite of this, they beat Austria, Germany, and Poland and advanced to the quarter finals with maximum group points for the first time in their tournament history.[77] Niko Kovač remained team captain at what was expected to be his final international tournament,[78] except in the final group fixture when Dario Šimić temporarily held the position.[79] Croatia's tournament run ended dramatically; Turkey advanced on penalties after a last-minute equaliser from Semih Şentürk equalised a goal scored just a minute earlier by Ivan Klasnić.[65][80][81] At the competition, Croatia conceded the fewest goals of any team (2), lost the fewest games (0),[note 3] and scored the earliest goal (fourth minute of their opening game against Austria), the earliest successful penalty in any match in the European Championship Finals. ref>Hughes, Ian (June 8, 2008). "Austria 0-1 Croatia". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC Sport). Retrieved on 2008-08-26.</ref>
Despite speculation that he would quit,[82][83] manager Slaven Bilić renewed his contract to remain in charge for the upcoming tournament. [84] This was the first time since Miroslav Blažević had been manager that Croatia entered two consecutive tournaments with the same manager as all previous coaches were replaced after their respective teams failed. Croatia were again matched against England in the qualification stages of the 2010 World Cup; the rematch games were voted as the most anticipated of the campaign on FIFA.com.[85] Though they opened qualifications with a home win over Kazakhstan,[86] they lost their next home game against the English side, ending a fourteen year unbeaten record on home soil since 1994. The match was played under new England coach Fabio Capello who would benefit from Theo Walcott's hat-trick and the dismissal of defender Robert Kovač.[6]
[edit] Tournament records
[edit] World Cup record
Croatia have qualified for every World Cup since 1998, their debut in the tournament. Although they joined both FIFA and UEFA by 1992, they were unable to enter the 1994 World Cup as qualifications had already started before they became officially recognised.[87] The nation's best performance came in their first World Cup; in both of their following tournaments, they failed to progress beyond the group stage and finished third in their groups.
| Year | Round | Position | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1998 |
Third place | 3 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5 |
  2002 |
Round 1 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
 2006 |
Round 1 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 3/3 | - | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 11 |
[edit] European Championship record
Croatia's best results in a UEFA Championship were quarter final finishes on their debut, in 1996, and in 2008. They did not qualify for the 2000 tournament; it is the only major competition the national team have missed since their independence. The HNS bid, with the Hungarian Football Federation, to co-host the 2012 tournament, which would allow the teams to qualify automatically as hosts. However, the event will instead be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine after the decision by UEFA.[88]
- 1960 to 1992 – Could not enter.[note 6]
| Year | Round | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 |
Quarter finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
.svg){kind=small}  2000 |
Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 2004 |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
 2008 |
Quarter finals | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Total | 3/4 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 |
[edit] Minor tournaments
| Year | Round | Position | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1996 King Hassan II Tournament |
Winners | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 1997 Kirin Cup |
Group stage | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 1999 Korea Cup |
Winners | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
 2006 Carlsberg Cup |
Third place | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Total | - | 2 Titles | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 14 |
[edit] Statistics
[edit] Managers
Before Croatia's independence, distinct Croatian football federations and teams were occasionally formed separately from the official Yugoslavian organizations. Ivo Kraljević served as the manager of the initial federation, established in 1939, and organised non-sanctioned matches played by unofficial national squads up to 1956.[23] These temporary sides, playing non-competitive fixtures, were led by seven different managers.[note 7]
Statistically, Dražan Jerković and Vlatko Marković are the most successful managers in Croatia's history; they both recorded victories in each of their few games in charge. Miroslav Blažević, who was the first official manager of the team, holds the highest number of competitive victories, having led Croatia to their best performances at major international tournaments.
| Name | Tenure | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per game[note 8] | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dražan Jerković |
1990–1991 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 3.00 | |
| Stanko Poklepović |
1992 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25.00 | 1.00 | |
| Vlatko Marković |
1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 3.00 | |
| Miroslav Blažević |
1994–2000 | 73 | 36 | 22 | 15 | 49.31 | 1.78 | 1996 Euro - quarter-final 1998 World Cup - third place |
| Mirko Jozić |
2000–2002 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 50.00 | 1.83 | 2002 World Cup - group stage |
| Otto Barić |
2002–2004 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 45.83 | 1.70 | 2004 Euro - group stage |
| Zlatko Kranjčar |
2004–2006 | 25 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 44.00 | 1.64 | 2006 World Cup - group stage |
| Slaven Bilić |
2006–present | 29 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 68.96 | 2.27 | 2008 Euro - quarter-final |
| Totals | 177 | 92 | 51 | 33 | 51.97 | 1.85 | ||
- Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
[edit] Most appearances
- Players in bold typeface are still active in football. Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008.
[edit] Leading goalscorers
| # | Name | Croatia career | Goals | Caps | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davor Šuker[34] | 1990–2002 | 45 | 69 | 0.65 |
| 2 | Darijo Srna | 2002–present | 17 | 63 | 0.27 |
| 3 | Goran Vlaović | 1992–2002 | 16 | 52 | 0.30 |
| 4 | Niko Kovač | 1996–present | 15 | 83 | 0.18 |
| 5 | Eduardo da Silva | 2004–present | 13 | 22 | 0.59 |
| 6 | Zvonimir Boban | 1991–1999 | 12 | 51 | 0.23 |
| =7 | Robert Prosinečki | 1993–2002 | 11 | 49 | 0.22 |
| =7 | Ivica Olić | 2002–present | 11 | 62 | 0.18 |
| =8 | Alen Bokšić | 1993–2002 | 10 | 40 | 0.25 |
| =8 | Boško Balaban | 2000 – present | 10 | 35 | 0.28 |
| =8 | Ivan Klasnić | 2004–present | 10 | 34 | 0.30 |
| =8 | Mladen Petrić | 2001–present | 10 | 31 | 0.33 |
| =13 | Dado Pršo | 2003–2006 | 9 | 32 | 0.28 |
- Players in bold typeface are still active in football. Last updated: Croatia 4–0 Andorra, October 15, 2008.
[edit] Players
Before each tournament or group of qualifying fixtures, each national team manager is required to form a twenty-three-man squad with at least three players in each position. In the case of an injury or sudden inability to participate, managers may replace the ineligible players. A player who receives two yellow cards during the same tournament or qualifying campaign is suspended for the next fixture; the player may receive a longer suspension in the case of violent misconduct or defiance.
Miroslav Blažević was the first manager to submit an official Croatian squad, deciding players for the 1996 European Championship selection. A similar squad, also selected and led by Blažević, appeared for the 1998 World Cup selection. Mirko Jozić announced a new squad consisting of more modern players for the 2002 World Cup selection. For the next tournament, Otto Barić followed the tendency and announced a similar team to compete as the 2004 European Championship squad. When Zlatko Kranjčar took over as national coach, he also led Croatia to a single tournament, comprising a squad for the 2006 World Cup selection. The last officially chosen tournament squad was decided by Slaven Bilić for the 2008 European Championship selection.
[edit] Current squad
Croatia's current squad, formed to compete against Ukraine and Andorra for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, was announced on September 29, 2008 by head coach Slaven Bilić. Under their current management, the team is often deployed in a 4–4–2 ratio of defenders, midfielders, and strikers respectively. A systematic 4–2–3–1 formation has also been used to compensate for the absence of preferred striker Eduardo da Silva. The strategic approach has combined five midfielders in the team behind a single striker, with the usual four defenders occupying the opposite half of the field.[89] It was initially introduced into the team in the European Championship fixture against Germany, which Croatia won.
In another strategic effort, the players are often deployed out-of-position, which is legal in football. Bilić has altered the specific roles of each player since his appointment as manager. Danijel Pranjić has recently been used as a wingback, while Ivan Rakitić and Niko Kranjčar have occupied an attacking role as supporting strikers. Additionally, primary striker Ivica Olić has played in a slightly held-back winger position.
Caps and goals are as of October 15, 2008 and the conclusion of the last match vs. Andorra.
