June 18, 2021 - Croatia and the Czech Republic played 1:1 at Hampden Park in Glasgow for their second-round Group D match of EURO 2020. 

After losing 1:0 to England at the start of the competition, Croatia chased a victory against the Czech Republic to hopefully bring them closer to the knockout phase. Any other result would significantly complicate their fate and a victory against Scotland in the last round would be imperative. 

Slobodan Kadic

Lineups

Croatia: Livaković; Vrsaljko, Vida, Lovren, Gvardiol; Modrić, Kovačić; Brekalo, Kramarić, Perišić; Rebić

Czech Republic: Vaclik; Coufal, Čelustka, Kalas, Boril; Holeš, Darida, Souček; Masopust, Jankto, Schick

Slobodan Kadic

The match started promptly at 17:00 GMT. 

The Czech Republic came out hungry and already had a dangerous opportunity in the 2nd minute.  Their first corner came one minute later which was headed just over the goal by Soucek.

Croatia's first corner came in the 6th minute after Perisic's ball across the box went long. Kovacic and Modric went short which was defended by the Czech keeper. 

A foul on Rebic in the 8th minute gave Croatia a free-kick from 30 meters.  Lovren shot and hit over the crossbar. 

The Czech Republic was dangerous again in the 12th minute with a shank over the goal.  

An unusual Modric mistake in the midfield saw him head the ball straight to a Czech player which prompted a quick attack and nearly a goal. Croatia's defense remained solid for the goal kick. 

Rebic took advantage of a weak goalkeeper clearance which deflected off his back and almost into the goal in the 20th minute.  

A quick one-two between Gvardiol and Brekalo resulted in a corner in the 22nd minute. Modric went short to find Kramaric, who went back to Modric then Perisic at the top of the box. Perisic aimed right at the Czech keeper. 

Slobodan Kadic

An aggressive Croatia moved the ball to Vrsaljko on the right-wing in the 24th minute who crossed to the keeper. 

Croatia possessed well and moved the ball up the pitch in the minutes that followed. Gvardiol crossed into the box but it was another easy save for the Czech keeper. 

The Czech Republic had a corner in the 32nd minute. Croatia was robbed shortly after. Lovren and a Czech player went up for a header and a penalty was called for the Czech Republic after a VAR review. The Czech Republic scored for 0:1 in the 36th minute. 

Brekalo played the perfect through ball to Rebic just after the kick-off which he shot miserably wide. Kramaric shot in the 43rd which gave the keeper no trouble. The ref added the minutes to the first half. 

Slobodan Kadic

A Kovacic foul outside the box resulted in another dangerous free-kick for the Czech Republic which was hit over. The match ended 1:0 for the Czech Republic at the half. 

Zlatko Dalic made two changs to start the second half. Bruno Petkovic went on for Rebic, and Luka Ivanusec for Brekalo. 

Croatia was awarded a free kick in the 46th minute which Modric played short. Croatia had their chance a minute later - Perisic was played down the left side, carried the ball into the box and onto his right foot, and nailed the goal far post for 1:1! 

Slobodan Kadic

Croatia came out hungry to start the second half as they knew what was a stake. An incredible defensive backline in the 56th minute kept the game even. 

Vrsaljko fouled outside the box in the 60th minute. The ball went out for a corner which was headed over.

Vlasic came on for Kramaric in the 60th minute. 

The Czech Republic had a few dangerous played in the next five minutes, one of which saw Modric sprint back to get the ball out for a corner.  

An excellent Croatia attack between Gvardiol and Perisic found the foot of Vlasic who shot just over the goal in the 71st minute. 

The Czech Republic got fresh legs in the game with two subs in the 75th minute. 

Croatia tried to push plays down the left wing to Perisic which the Czechs defended well. Dalic subbed on Marcelo Brozovic for Kovacic with 3 minutes to go. 

Petkovic had a chance which went out for a corner in the 88th. Another corner came as a result of it which the Czechs cleared away. The ref added three minutes to the end of the match. 

The match ended 1:1.  

Croatia will play Scotland in their final Group D match on Tuesday, June 22, in Glasgow. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

June 18, 2021 -  The participation of the Croatian Female Team on EGOI for Informatics (the first edition of The European Girls Olympiad in Informatics) shows young Croatians are keeping up with the pace of the digital trends unfolding across the world.

With coding and computer expertise being the most trusted starting point for a safe career and a steady, well-paid job, younger generations are getting more and more into it. Just like in any field of education, from chemistry, biology, history, physics, sociology to geography and beyond, there are competitions for informatics too.

The Croatian education system has such competitions, but the top events certainly involve international competitions such as International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) or the Central European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI). This year, in its very first edition, there is a new informatics competition for girls only.

''The European Girls Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI) is a new international competition for young women interested in computer science, and it lasts for one week. The Olympiad comprises two contest days where the participants solve challenging algorithmic problems. The programme is then rounded off with excursions. The students will have time to socialise with the other girls interested in the topic and to explore their host country. Each participating country may send a delegation consisting of four female participants under the age of 20, accompanied by two coaches,'' said the official website of the EGOI event which is happening this week.

When it comes to Croatian pupils, such as Dorian Lendvaj and Patrik Pavic, who won gold medals at the International Romanian Master of Informatics, informatics is a much loved subject in Croatia. As such, it's great to hear that Croatia responded to the first edition of EGOI with a female team in place.

As Srednja.hr writes, Ema Borevkovic, Lina Kristic i Lara Semes (from Zagreb's XV Gymnasium), and Martina Licul (Pulau Gymnasium) will participate at the EGOI this Saturday after earning the right to participate in Croatian Informatic Olympic that served as a qualifier contest for EGOI.

''There are significantly fewer women than men choosing to study or work in the IT sector in Croatia, and that's the general case in other places too. That difference is obvious in informatics competitions, so there was an initiative on the European level to start a competition that would encourage interest in the field among females,'' said the Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA), as quoted by Srednja.hr

Srednja.hr adds that the competition, due to the current epidemiological measures, will be held online, but the XV Gymnasium in Zagreb will provide hospitality to the Croatian competitors while the CSSA provided a place for the preparations for the challenges that await the Croatian team in the contest.

These challenges include tasks in the coding languages Python, C++, and Java in the Linux operating system.

The Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA) that organised this performance for the Croatian representatives is a professional organisation that gathers professionals from informatics and technical culture and is a successor to the organisation founded back in 1985. As their statutes say, the mission of the association includes: developing and promoting technical culture in Croatia, developing life-long educational programmes for all age groups, and working on the international visibility of Croatian professionals and experts in the field.

For more on tech, you can learn more about digital nomads in Croatia on our TC page.

For more about education in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 18 June 2021- Croatia's average net pay in April was HRK 7,082, which is an increase of 6.9% on the year in nominal terms and of 4.7% in real terms, according to data released by the national statistical office (DZS) on Friday.

Compared with March 2021, the average net wage was lower by 0.8% in nominal terms and by 1.5% in real terms.

The highest average monthly net salary per person employed in legal entities for April 2021 was paid in Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas, amounting to HRK 11,652, and the lowest was paid in Manufacture of wearing apparel, amounting to HRK 4,361.

The average monthly gross salary in April 2021 was HRK 9,529, which is a decrease of 0.7% in nominal terms and of 1.4% in real terms compared to March. Compared to April 2020, the average gross pay was higher by 5.2% in nominal terms and by 3% in real terms.

For more on business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated business section.

ZAGREB, 18 June 2021 - The Croatian Parliament's Agriculture Committee on Friday endorsed the initiative by its chair, Marijana Petir, and adopted a declaration on the Alps-Adriatic-Danube region free of GMO.

The declaration will be forwarded to Parliament for adoption, and activities will be undertaken through national decisions and cooperation with the countries in the region to ensure that the region remains GMO-free, the Committee said.

Petir launched the initiative in 2010 after receiving the support of the professional and interest public that all Croatian counties should be declared GMO-free. She also received support from Hungarian, Austrian and Slovenian MPs and the Italian ambassador to Croatia for her initiative to declare the entire Alps-Adriatic region free of GMO.

For more on politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 18 June 2021 - New epidemiologicial measures will enter into force in Croatia on 1 July, under which events involving people with digital EU certificates will not be subject to restrictions on the number of people gathered, the head of the national coronavirus crisis management team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, announced at a press conference on Friday.

People who have been vaccinated, who have recovered or who have a negative test for COVID-19 will be allowed to participate in events without having to comply with special epidemiological measures or with the scope of restrictions reduced, Božinović said.

The new measures mostly concern gatherings of persons possessing EU digital COVID certificates. Events involving such people will not be subject to restrictions on the number of people attending or the duration of the event.

Božinović said that in other cases where people's COVID status will not be checked, the restriction of 100 persons per event and the duration of events until midnight remain in force.

Cafes with outdoor terraces will be allowed to serve only seated customers, to deter crowding and uncontrolled gatherings.

EU digital COVID certificates will not be required at events involving up to 30 persons, but participants will have to observe epidemiological measures. On the other hand, participants in events attended by more than 30 people, such as wedding parties, will have to have COVID certificates.

Božinović said that only people with EU digital COVID certificates would be allowed to attend sporting events.

Follow  the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 18 June 2021 - Croatia has registered 113 new coronavirus cases and three COVID-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus crisis management team said on Friday.

The number of active cases currently stands at 700, and 313 of them are hospitalised, including 25 who are on ventilators. A total of 4,274 persons are self-isolating.

Since late February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in the country, 359,031 people have been registered as having contracted the novel virus, of whom 8,168 have died.

To date, 2,101,829 people have been tested for coronavirus, including 4,436 in the last 24 hours. So far, 2,272,244 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been administered.

For more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated news section.

June 18th, 2021 - The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released an updated map of Europe, Croatia no longer red!  

Slavonia County, Karlovac County, and Moslavina are now marked in green, while the rest of Croatia is orange Like Metković reports. 

The ECDC map is updated weekly using data from Thursday at 23:59. Colors for individual areas are determined by combining the number of confirmed cases of infection in the past 14 days per 100 thousand inhabitants, and the percentage of the population tested.

ECDC Twitter

Belgium is no longer in the red zone on the new map, and northern Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary have moved to the green zone. Much of France has moved to the orange zone.

Not all European countries use this map to decide on travel measures, but some, such as Lithuania, Croatia, and Cyprus, do. However, although other countries use their own models and parameters, the map has a symbolic weight and can significantly affect tourism.

According to the first data from the eVisitor system, today, the number of 200,000 tourists in one day was exceeded. Namely, 213,000 tourists are currently staying in Croatia, of which 183,000 are foreign tourists and 30,000 domestic.

"This is a confirmation that tourists see it as a safe destination for their stay and vacation. We have created all the preconditions for that, and compliance with epidemiological measures is still crucial to maintain this favorable epidemiological situation and achieve a successful season," wrote Minister of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac on Facebook today.

EU member states agreed late last week to ease travel restrictions during the summer and fully vaccinated tourists will be exempt from vaccination or isolation. In contrast, the list of European regions from which it is "safe to travel" will be expanded. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 18, 2021 - On international picnic day, TCN introduces Piknika, an excellent way to enjoy food and nature while others cook for you! 

Summertime is ideal for weekend trips and new experiences in nature, and one of them should be a picnic. We present a wonderful project by two friends who found a way how to offer urban families a great experience – time in nature and a delicious lunch on a blanket!

Just over two years ago, friends Ana Gašparović and Aleksandra Kuratko Pani were exchanging their experiences of weekend trips and enjoying nature and came up with a great idea – offering a picnic experience modeled upon numerous world-renowned destinations. And not just any – all it takes is goodwill, several clicks on the menu of the restaurant of your choice, and good company for a feast on a blanket!

“Our Piknika came to life two years ago, and the name consists of the words Pik and Nika, who are actually two characters, mascots who will speak not only of food and places to enjoy it, but also of how to behave in nature and how to properly dispose of everything used in the picnic. We came upon the picnic idea after many times we went to lunch with our families, often facing the fact that kids need entertainment along with food and how it would be good to carry something along and explore the surroundings. This is exactly what we offer to our clients daily in a more sophisticated form of healthy food made from domestic goods,” said Ana Gašparović at a press picnic, asking her business partner Aleksandra to present the contents of the picnic basket.

“As you will see, each basket contains bio-degradable packaging such as paper plates, cups, straws, wooden utensils, and food boxes. With each basket, we provide a blanket and table cloth along with bio-degradable bags for waste, as well as for instructions on disposal in order for every picnic to be nature-friendly. We strived to use products from Croatian companies. The knitted basket is made by Međimurjeplet, the textile is from Tekstilpromet, and the official sponsor of our project is the Consultare company which provides biodegradable bags. The food and drinks you want to enjoy is chosen by you on our website which displays all our partners and their offers. The food you order is packaged in carton boxes which preserve heat for around 30 minutes, so from the time you pick up your order at the desired location to the moment you start eating, you will have a warm meal in your hands,” explained Aleksandra and added a large number of consumers are women and younger people who do not wish to spend their weekend in the kitchen, but rather enjoy nature. The food in the basket is not priced differently than in the restaurant, while a picnic offers the opportunity to explore various destinations. The specialties filling up the baskets, as well as the offer that has a bit of something for everyone were also discussed at the press picnic run by Alma Premerl Zoko. The owner of Međimurski Dvori, Tatjana Martinjaš explained the Međimurje basket often contains breaded chicken, pasta with cabbage, and Međimurje gibanica cake, the symbols of picnicking and enjoying nature in Međimurje. Tatjana added how many young families use this service to offer their children a special experience of a family lunch with a wonderful view. 

The experience of combining traditional specialties, but also enticing cooking, was also spoken of by Bernard Tkalčec, owner of rural tourism Zlatni Klas Otrovanec. Since his rural tourism is located on the border of Podravina and Slavonia, they offer traditional Slavonian specialties: veal baked in a wooden oven, but also an excellent offer for vegans and vegetarians with many specialties from nettle and pumpkin. Rural tourism Kezele, the first Piknika partner, was represented by Slavko Novaković who spoke of specialties of this well-known destination such as kotlovina dishes and homemade strudels, all with famous Kezele wines. The current favorite in picnic baskets is a rose sparkling that goes great with domestic strawberries. The fifth Piknika partner (Ana and Aleksandra invite all interested restaurants to join with their offer) is the Na Malenom Brijegu agrotourism from Bilogora, where among other options you can enjoy white polenta with cream, barbecue, stuffed salted pancakes, zlevanka cake and enjoy unspoiled nature only two hours from Zagreb.

What it’s like to choose your picnic basket food and the place to enjoy your picnic was explained by Jasmina Rakić Horvat, the young owner of the Rakić rural tourism near Križevci. She prepared delicious rolled turkey with nettle, pieces of fried chicken, interesting buckwheat fritters, excellent homemade cheese strudel the way grandmothers make them. The basket also contained drinks – a bottle of wine, homemade citrus juice and utensils, blanket and table cloth, along with the ordered food. Blankets can be spread next to the estate, as well as next to the nearby Čabraji lake within walking distance, or a tractor ride. Guests often take their picnic baskets to Kalnik mountain. Baskets are available all day long, and when your picnic time ends, return it to the start of your gastro nature adventure – the restaurant of your choice. If you wish, you can purchase the basket, blanket, and table cloth for future picnics.

Photos: Nikola Zoko

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.