January 7, 2023 - FIFA has given Robert Ljubičić the green light to change his football citizenship. The 23-year-old Dinamo Zagreb midfielder can now play for the Croatia national team!
In November 2022, Robert Ljubičić decided that he wanted to represent the national team of Croatia in the future, after which the process began with FIFA to change his football citizenship from Austrian to Croatian. After months-long efforts, Ljubičić can play for Croatia!
Ljubičić started his senior career at St. Pölten, after which he played for Rapid Wein and came to Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2022.
"We are happy with the decision that Robert can play for the Croatia national team, and we believe that it will strengthen Zlatko Dalić's squad. I thank the management of GNK Dinamo, led by president Vlatka Peras, for supporting Robert and HNS in this process, as well as our technical director Pletikosa and the Federation's administration, who once again did a superb job in communicating with the player and with FIFA. Of course, I am most pleased that Robert and his family chose to play for Croatia, which confirms how strong the cult of our national team is and how much patriotism our people raise their children with abroad. It's up to Robert to impress the coach with his games, and I welcome him to the Croatian football family," said HNS president Marijan Kustić.
"It was not easy to make such a decision considering that I grew up in Austria, where I also developed in football, for which Austria, my coaches, and clubs have my utmost gratitude and respect. However, Croatia is in my blood, it is my family, and I felt a strong desire to represent Croatia as my homeland. I thank HNS and Dinamo for supporting my family and me during this process, and I will continue to work hard to earn a call-up to one of the best national teams in the world, which would fulfill my football dream," said Robert Ljubičić.
"First of all, thank you to Robert and his family for the pleasant communication. Robert proved to be a very serious and intelligent young man who made a decision that made us happy - that he wanted to play for Croatia. I'm glad we formally made it possible and thus got a quality candidate for the national team. Now it is up to Robert to earn coach Dalić's trust with his games. Of course, we in the Federation believe that he can contribute to the national team with his football skills," said the technical director of the Croatia A and U-21 national teams, Stipe Pletikosa.
Source: HNS
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