2018 FIFA WC: Despite of a corrupt football federation Croatia managed to reach the final. Find out how?

Anilavaa Chatterjee: Croatia got independent in 1991. They have just 42 lakh people in their country. There are many problems like corruptions, fixing and conviction some footballers also get irregular salaries in the clubs but, there is one Vishwakarma in their football.

The God fell on the red-white jersey when sending footballers into the world. If not, Croatia cannot get the success in any way; Croatia is the centre of the football or infrastructure. Then how they became successful? Success is really God’s blessing in football! Curiously, from this region, one talented footballer came up with one another in the world football. In a natural way when they grow up, then they sign in a top-level football clubs of Europe but, they had no planning to create good footballers. Rather there is a magic that is why Modric, Ivan Rakitic are born here.




I talked with Evicha Moda, a football journalist from Croatia about this. Evicha sad, “ we have natural talents in our country, only Dynamo Zagreb works very seriously for the youth development, they have the money, and also they have a proper planning, they run a very good football school, and they are going well, look at their performance in the Champions League. At least five times they have played in the Champions League. “Dynamo Zagreb’s main source of income is players’ transfer fees! Switzerland’s International Center for Sports Studies recently conducted a survey, which says Croatia is ranked 4th as footballer supplier in the whole world. In the Croatia, Italy, Germany, England, France, Russia, Ukraine, there are all the league footballers in Croatia, such as Modric, Rakitic, in Spain. There are six footballers in the series ‘A’. La Liga four. Two divisions are there in the Croatian national league the first division has 10 teams. The first division is a Professional League and the Second Division is Semi ameture and Semi-Professional. Ivy said, “There are a lot of problems in these clubs, so the League’s budget may be 50 million Euros, clubs like Zagreb spends, 10-15 million euros, and the rest of the club’s budget does not go beyond one and a half, there is irregular salary, anger, but at the same time, our football traditions are very old. There are few clubs situated before the World War II as the league is nearly 70-80 years old. “




In 1998 World Cup Croatia finished third in the World Cup Boban-Suker-Boksic also had a major contributor to Croatia’s football. Suker is now the president of the Football Federation of that country. Ivy has said, “There was no change in the club football after Suker took the charge. It’s nothing for the Croatian federation but the will get at least 60 per cent of the prize money will go to the Federation. It will be around 38 million dollars.”




He also criticized Croatia President Colinda. “There will be an election this year in Croatia. According to him, like other politicians, Colinda trying to apply this success to her own campaign. But I do not remember that she had done anything for Croatia football. No infrastructure, no good stadium – nothing. “Yet Luca Modric, Loverren, Racquetra is being created in Croatia, talent and hard work, all the talents that are taking the whole world, look at our football eyes with dignity.”




The revolutionaries of Serbia once called his Grandfather. His father joined the army. Many footballers like Vedran, Lovren were war refugees. As Modric said, “The war in front of the eyes has made us different, so our boys do not lose easily.” It’s not very easy to beat Modric’s side if you look at the last three matches at knockout stage, then it will be clear. FIFA statistics say Croatian footballers, have run 63 kilometres in Russia so far. Most of them ran 22.7 kilometres off of the ball. Though Raketic may have a couple of steps behind his teammates. They stay in the refugee camps with bombs, bullets, blood, uncertainties create them the streets of life. Tomorrow, they will play against the French in the final. Their success can bring the joy to the number of people in the refugee camps o the whole world.