May 22, 2023 - Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić announced the players he is counting on for the UEFA Nations League finals which will be held from June 14 to 18 in the Netherlands.

By winning first place in the group with France, Denmark and Austria, Croatia won the Nations League final tournament for the first time in its history, together with Holland, Italy and Spain. Croatia will face the Netherlands in the semi-final on June 14 in Rotterdam, while the second semi-final between Italy and Spain will be played on June 15 in Enschede. The final is scheduled for June 18 in Rotterdam (8:45 pm), and the third-place match is on the same day at 3:00 pm in Enschede.

Coach Dalić invited 24 players with seven potential call-ups, and the final list of 23 players will be sent to UEFA by June 5 at 11:59 pm. Marcelo Brozović will play the Champions League final with Inter on June 10, so he will join the national team after that. The national team gathers on June 5 and will prepare in Rijeka. Then, on June 12, they will travel to Rotterdam.

"The list shows that we trust the proven staff - with minor corrections, it is a list of players who won the bronze medal at the World Cup, and they deserve our trust now. We are aware that at the end of the season, there is noticeable physical and mental fatigue, but ahead of us is a historic opportunity to win the first trophy in the history of our national team, and through this week of preparation, we will try to refresh and prepare the team as much as possible to play the final tournament at the highest possible level," coach Dalić stressed.

"We greatly respect all three national teams that advanced to the final tournament, but we believe in our quality and togetherness. As the host, the Netherlands will be very motivated, but we will also have great support from the stands, which will give us additional strength. We know that a tough job awaits, but we do not hide that when we have already managed to reach this stage of the competition, we want to take those two final steps and thus write history once again," said Dalić.

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Ivica Ivušić, Nediljko Labrović

Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Borna Barišić, Josip Juranović, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Martin Erlić

Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Lovro Majer, Luka Ivanušec

Attackers: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Marko Livaja, Petar Musa, Dion Drena Beljo

Call-ups: Josip Brekalo, Mislav Oršić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Filip Uremović, Ivo Grbić, Nikola Moro, Matija Frigan

Source:  HNS

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

May 20, 2023 - On the night from Thursday to Friday, after an exhausting fifteen-hour session, the Split City Council accepted a decision on public order and peace in the area of Split, according to which inappropriate actions in public places will be fined during the tourist season.

As Poslovni writes, fifteen councilors voted for such a decision, and one abstained - sixteen councilors present means that it was a quorum since the City Council has 31 councilors.
According to that decision, the following will be fined 300 euros: consumption of alcohol in public areas (areas less than 100 meters from schools and kindergartens, within zone A, which includes the city area within the baroque ramparts built in the 17th century; defecating on public areas, sleeping in parks and lawns, squares and other public areas, consuming food or drinking on public areas, staying in catering facilities after the end of working hours.

An amendment was accepted to fine 300 euros for climbing and sitting on monuments and memorial plaques, entering, climbing, and bathing in fountains, and offering and contracting a taxi service that is not prearranged.

A fine of 150 euros will be imposed for vomiting in public areas and construction and installation work from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to prevent noise.

As explained, this decision on fines considers the media articles in the last tourist season about the inappropriate behavior of tourists in public places in Split, which caused outrage among the city's inhabitants.

This decision, as stated in the explanation, defines offenses against public order and peace in the area of the city of Split, which in an impermissible manner disrupt public order and peace, the work or the order of life of the inhabitants, obstruct movement on the streets, offend morals and threaten the general safety of people and property.

It was also announced that a tender would soon be announced for hiring security guards to assist the police. "During the 90 days in the tourist season, every night from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., there will be a dozen security guards on hand to help the police," said Split's deputy mayor, Bojan Ivošević.

Funds for financing security guards, as it was stated, will be provided from the city budget.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 26, 2023 - One more milestone for Croatia, as its airports officially join the Schengen Zone. Internal flight to Paris, anyone?

There are many ways of looking at Croatia and its progress as a young democracy. Today was the latest milestone. 

One of them is in milestones. There have been quite a few over the last decade or so.

2009 - Croatia joins NATO.

2013 - Croatia joins the European Union.

2022 - Croatia gets visa-free travel to the United States.

2022 - Croatia signs double taxation agreement with the United States.

2022 - The Peljesac Bridge opens, connecting Croatia into one contiguous country. 

2023 - January 1 - Croatia joins the Euro.

2023 - January 1 - Croatia joins the Schengen Zone. 

While land borders to neighbouring countries such as Hungary and Slovenia were abolished at the beginning of the year, passport control remained in place in Croatian airports for EU flights until today, March 26. 

Those controls have now been abolished, and Croatia has become the 27th full Schengen Zone member - the others are the 23 EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Only four EU countries are now outside the Schengen Zone - Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Ireland.

The power of the Croatian passport is certainly rising, and this post-Brexit Brit can only look on with envy. 

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Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

March the 3rd, 2023 - For Croatian winemakers, entering the American market represents a significant step forward in their business and gaining global recognition for wine. The Fakin Winery, one of the leading and multiple award-winning Croatian wineries from the village of Bataji at the foot of Motovun, gains a place on the wine map of the world.

The Fakin winery nurtures the typical Istrian grape varieties Malvazija, Teran and Muscat, currently has nine active wine labels, some of which it presented to the American market in February, at several organized tastings and wine presentations in New York.

Members of the Istria Sports Club in New York enjoyed tasting selected Fakin wines. They learned more about the production and family tradition of winemaking through a short presentation and gathering in Astoria, Queens.

“Members of the Istrian Club and guests are extremely honored and grateful that the Fakin family joined our community by presenting and tasting their wines and that they brought the love of Istria to New York. It was a pleasure meeting this family, which produces excellent autochthonous wines with such a great passion and dedication," said Susan Karlic, Head of the Istria Sports Club.

As part of the special Food and Wine Stories of Croatia event on February 21 in the Villa Berulia restaurant, Marko Fakin presented his Malvazija Istarska and Teran to experts, journalists and sommeliers, and all interested wine lovers, who had the opportunity to meet the Fakin family and taste Istrian wines with a dinner of four courses of carefully selected dishes that went perfectly with the selected wines. The evening was also attended by the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in New York, Mr. Nikica Kopačević: "The Croatian Consulate is proud of the arrival of Croatian winemakers on the American market."

Mrs. Leila Krešić-Jurić, Director for North America of the Croatian Tourist Board, also supported the Fakin family with her attendance, pointing out: "This is the first presentation called Food and Wines of Croatia that we are organizing with the Croatian Premium Wine Imports company in order to present Croatia as a destination with authentic food and autochthonous wine varieties. Namely, apart from the visual presentation, this is what we can best use to evoke the destination and attract American guests. This is because they highly appreciate the quality of food and drinks. The response of journalists and educators about Croatia as a wine destination was excellent, with more than 20 representatives of the profession and media from New York enjoying Fakin wines."

The owner of the restaurant Villa Berulia, Alexandra Ivanac, also expressed her satisfaction after the successful dinner: "It was a true pleasure for us to host Marko and his wonderful family and present their fantastic wines to our guests. We are always proud and grateful when we can support Croatians and their families. We really want many more successes like this."

Marko presented his fresh Malvazia, fresh Teran, aged Teran Il Primo and Muscat yellow, along with selected gastronomic specialties, at the konoba Vinoteka 46 in Huntington, Long Island, on February 25. Their host and owner of Vinoteka 46, Danijel Pedišić, emphasized on that occasion: "It was such an honor for us to host the Fakin family in our restaurant. Croatian wines are increasingly accepted in the USA, and always especially by the Croatian American community. I believe that the sale of Croatian wines will grow year by year in the USA and that we will have many more events like this with Croatian winemakers."

Marko Fakin concluded his trip to New York as a live guest at Croatian Radio New York on February 25. During the broadcast of the Voice of Free Croatia hosted by Petra Pesa, he talked about his winery, top wines and autochthonous varieties he grows, and shared history, stories and traditions of his family.

"We are very happy that we had the opportunity to present our wines in New York, to media representatives, sommeliers, our Croats in the USA, and all the wine lovers who came to support us and enjoy socializing, a tasty bite and a delicious drop with us. For organizing wonderful evenings and gatherings, we would like to thank the Istrian Sports Club, the restaurant Villa Berulia, and the konoba Vinoteka 46 for the hospitality they provided. A special and very sincere thanks to the company Croatian Premium Wine Imports headed by Mrs. Mirena Bagur for the exceptional help and cooperation during our trip. "Thank you TZ Istra and Vinistri for your constant support," Marko Fakin commented after his very successful visit to New York.

"In order to be able to create a category of Croatian wines in shops and restaurants, we as importers, winemakers and all wine and tourist institutions, such as HTZ in New York, TZ Istria and Vinistra, with whom we cooperate, need to strategically educate the market about Croatian autochthonous varieties. For this, it is necessary not only top wines such as the different varieties of Malvasia and Terano of the Fakin Winery, but also the knowledge, will and hard work of how to present them, and this is where Marko and Bety Fakin excel with their professionalism and approach," said Mirena Bagur, co-founder of Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc., a company that imports and distributes Croatian autochthonous wines in the USA.

The culture of producing top quality Fakin wines is the result of specific Motovun soil, a favorable climate with lots of sun and lots of wind, along with a great knowledge of our own grapes, but also experience, dedication and long-standing family traditions that ensure the top quality of carefully cultivated varieties.

As a winery from Croatia that has won a gold medal at Decanter, the largest and most important world wine competition, for six years in a row, and in addition to being an unmissable place for complete eno-gastro enjoyment, the Fakin winery is surely and resolutely building its way to the top of the domestic and international wine scene.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February 5, 2023 - Croatia took a 2-0 lead against Austria on Saturday in the Davis Cup qualifier at Zamet Hall in Rijeka. Borna Ćorić played first and beat Dennis Novak as expected, before Borna Gojo surprised the favorite Dominic Thiem for Croatia's big 2-0 lead on day one.

On the first day of the Davis Cup qualifier in Rijeka, Borna Ćorić beat Denis Novak (144th on the ATP list) 6:3, 7:5, while Borno Gojo was better than Dominic Thiem, once the #3 player in the world - 6:3, 7:6(2).

"I am very satisfied with my performance, especially when serving, which has not been at the expected level in the last few months. However, the feeling is slowly coming back," said Ćorić after his victory. 

"I think we both played well. In the second set, he put a lot of pressure on me, but the break at 5:5 broke him," concluded the Zagreb native.

"A good match for me; mentally, it's always a little easier when you enter the match with a 1-0 lead. Thanks to Borna Ćorić for making it possible for me. However, even though we are up 2-0, nothing is over. I hope we can finish everything already in the doubles, but one ball often decides that. Regardless, Borna and I are ready to finish the job if necessary," assures Gojo.

Croatia's national team coach Vedran Martić praised Gojo but warned that the winner is still not resolved. 

"Borna did a fantastic job. He served exceptionally well. He was aggressive when needed and defended when required. His volleys were better and better throughout the match. In the tie-break, he played bravely, going to the net. Then, when it was the most difficult, he pulled out some moves that the best players in the world do, which is the quality of a champion. I am looking forward to the continuation of the Davis Cup," Vedran Martić said at the press conference.

Although Croatia has a significant advantage, they need to be cautious. 

"An ideal scenario for us after the first day. Both our players played great matches. Ćorić, as expected, defeated Novak, and Gojo surprised Thiem. A tough doubles match awaits us on Sunday. Nothing is over yet. It's not football when you lead 2-0 and wait for the referee to play the end. We have to win the third point. Everyone in the team is aware of this, and there is no relaxation," warned the coach.

Vedran Martić adds that they do their best when everyone comes to play in the Davis Cup.

"Borna Ćorić, Borna Gojo, and Marin Čilić give their all when they play. All matches are open; we can also lose just as we lead. We have had excellent results in recent years, and we should be grateful for that. We are leading, but we haven't won yet," he pointed out.

The first match on Sunday starts at 1 pm. Doubles team Ivan Dodig and Nikola Mektic will compete against Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler. 

After the doubles match, if necessary, Ćorić and Thiem should play, and then Gojo and Novak.

Source:  HTS

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

January 25, 2023 - Croatia found out its opponent in the UEFA Nations League semi-final after the draw was held in Nyon on Wednesday.  

Croatia will thus play against the Netherlands on June 14 in Rotterdam. Spain and Italy will meet in the second semi-final on June 15 in Enschede.

The winners of the semi-final matches will play in the final in Rotterdam on June 18, while the losers will play for third place also on June 18 in Enschede.

In the third season of the Nations League, Croatia reached the final tournament and was the only debutant in this mini-tournament. Croatia went to the final four after finishing first in a group against defending champions France, Denmark, and Austria.

Croatia was impressive in the third edition of the Nations League after poor results in the first two editions. After opening against Austria with a shock 3:0 defeat in Osijek, Croatia still had to face the national teams of France and Denmark. Dalić had to apologize to the fans, and there was little belief in this Croatia after the debacle against Austria.

The show at Poljud in front of 30,000 fans started Croatia'ss revival in the Nations League. A draw against the then-current World Champions, France, was a sign that Croatia could turn everything around. In the end, Croatia defeated Denmark twice, one of the best European teams then. For the first time in history, Croatia also beat France at Stade de France in front of more than 70,000 fans and confirmed their spot in the final tournament with a victory against Austria in Vienna.

Dalić commented on Croatia's semi-final opponent:

"We will play against the most difficult opponent, the hosts, who will play in front of a full stadium and led by a new coach. The Netherlands is a truly great team. However, whichever team we draw, we would be playing against a strong opponent, as all four teams are in the top ten in the world. We know what our goal is, a place in the final, and we will try to achieve it. The Netherlands has a new coach, and is very good, especially in defense. They have young, powerful players, and they will play in front of their audience, but I also expect great support from our fans in Rotterdam. A big match awaits us, it will be a big challenge for us, but we will be ready, and I expect our victory," said Zlatko Dalić.

The first semi-final match will be played on June 14 in Rotterdam at 20:45, and the second in Enschede on June 15 at 20:45. The game for third place will be played on June 18 in Enschede at 15:00, and the final is the same day in Rotterdam at 20:45. It was decided in advance that the Netherlands would play its semi-final match in Rotterdam.

The Croatian Football Federation delegation in Nyon included assistant coach of Croatia Vedran Ćorluka, team manager of the national team Iva Olivari, and official spokesperson Tomislav Pacak.

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

December 19, 2022 - The heroes are home, with some 80,000 cheering the returning Vatreni to Zagreb with their third World Cup medal in just 6 tournaments.

There can be few places better during the World Cup than Croatia. The tiny country which dared to dream is transformed into a sea of red and white squares, as seemingly every member of the population possesses their own version of the national football shirt. A tiny nation of just 4 million people, and yet one which consistently delivers on the international stage at the big tournaments when it matters. Third place in 1998, the first World Cup of a newly-independent nation. Runners-up last time in Moscow, and one more bronze this time round, as Croatia overcame Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoff, having succumbed to Argentina 3-0 in the semi-final. 

You will find plenty of people telling you how the referee was against Croatia against Argentina, much less of them who will reflect on Croatia's biggest friend in the tournament, a Belgian striker called Lukaku in the group stages. Did that unfair penalty change the game? Perhaps. Had Lukaka scored one of the many open goals from one metre out, there would not have been a discussion about Argentina. At the end of the day, what matters are results.

(Photo: Slobodan Kadic)

And when it comes to results, few can compare to the success of the tiny country which dared to dream. Three medals in 6 World Cups in 24 years is a phenomenal achievement for any country, even more so for one so small, with a shrinking population of less than 3.9 million. What is additionally impressive, to me at least, is just how much of this is as a result of home-grown talent, which has been nurtured back in the Homeland. Livakovic was unquestionably the goalkeeper of the tournament, whatever the official decision, and in Gvadiol, Croatia and one of Europe's biggest clubs, have one of the centre-backs of the world for many years to come. 

And there is plenty of home-grown talent that went on to shine on the international stage elsewhere, none more so than talisman captain Luka Modric, who started his journey at Dinamo Zagreb. I read somewhere that in the days of former Yugoslavia, players were not allowed to play abroad until they were 28. This no doubt strengthened the Yugoslav league at the time. Such a rule does not apply in Croatia, and the Croatian National League is fairly weak as a result, but the sheer number of talented stars that emerge from such a tiny country is breathtaking indeed. 

And many of those stars were on show on Zagreb's main square of Ban Jelacic lat night, as the Vatreni returned home to a waiting crowd of 80,000 fans who had braved the December cold weather to welcome back their heroes. The timing was somewhat ironic, coming around the same time as the actual World Cup Final back in Qatar. But for many in Zagreb, the true champions of the tournament were the Croatian team on the main square. It was quite a party, not quite as crazy as the 550,000 who turned up in the summer of 2018 to welcome back the sliver-medal winning team from Moscow, but understandable given the time of year. Croats do celebration so well. 

Congratulations to Croatia and all my friends here on another great success. It has once more been very impressive to watch. 

Now, if only we could channel this passion, positivity, and success into changing things in this country... 

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What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

November 16, 2022 - Andrej Kramarić scores in Croatia's only friendly match ahead of the World Cup. Croatia beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Riyadh on Wednesday. 

In the only preparatory match before the World Cup in Qatar, the Croatia national team won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia. Andrej Kramarić brought the victory to Croatia with a great goal in the 82nd minute.

Coach Zlatko Dalić started this match with Croatia's reserves. As announced, Dalić chose a mixed lineup, mostly with players who will not start against Morocco next week. 

Croatia Lineup

Livaković, Stanišić, Lovren, Erlić, Barišić, Sučić, Brozović, Majer, Pašalić, Vlašić, Petković

Croatia looked rough in the first half and only had one shot on goal. Saudi Arabia proved to be a formidable opponent until the very end. Saudi Arabia had several attempts and even hit the post. On the other hand, Croatia was mainly invisible. At halftime, Dalić subbed off Vlašić and Sučić for Kovačić and Oršić. In the 58th minute, Lovren and Petković were subbed off for Vida and Kramarić. 

Kramarić scored in the 73rd minute, but it was called offside. Luka Modrić and Ivan Perišić entered the match only in the 65th minute. 

Croatia finally secured the victory in the final 10 minutes of the match. A great ball by Luka Modrić found Kramarić in the 82nd minute. He shot from about ten meters and hit the near post of the goal for the Croatia lead and ultimate win. Croatia had another goal disallowed after Ivan Perišić scored in the 87th minute. 

This was Croatia's fifth win in a row, coming off a successful Nations League campaign. 

Croatia's first World Cup match in Group F is against Morocco on Wednesday, November 23, at 11 am Croatia time. Croatia travels from Riyadh to Qatar tomorrow. 

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

October 10, 2022 - Croatia will open the 2024 Euro qualifiers against Wales next year, as their schedule in group D is known. 

Croatia's road to the Euros in Germany will begin with a home match against Wales on March 25 next year. Three days later (March 28), Croatia will visit Turkey.

Given that Croatia is expected to play in the Nations League Final Four in June, they will continue the Euro qualifications in Germany with two matches in September, against Latvia (September 8) at home and Armenia (September 11) away.

In October, Croatia welcomes Turkey (October 12) and visits Wales (October 15). In November, they visit Latvia (November 18), and at the end of the qualification cycle, they welcome Armenia (November 21).

Euro 2024 qualification group D schedule

1st round (March 25, 2023, Saturday)

Armenia - Turkey (18:00)

Croatia - Wales (20:45)

2nd round (March 28, 2023, Tuesday)

Turkey - Croatia (20:45)

Wales - Latvia (20:45)

3rd round (June 16, 2023, Friday)

Latvia - Turkey (20:45)

Wales - Armenia (20:45)

4th round (June 19, 2023, Monday)

Armenia - Latvia (18:00)

Turkey - Wales (20:45)

5th round (September 8, 2023, Friday)

Croatia - Latvia (20:45)

Turkey - Armenia (20:45)

5th round (September 11, 2023, Monday)

Armenia - Croatia (18:00)

Latvia - Wales (20:45)

7th round (October 12, 2023, Thursday)

Croatia - Turkey (20:45)

Latvia - Armenia (20:45)

8th round (October 15, 2023, Sunday)

Turkey - Latvia (20:45)

Wales - Croatia (20:45)

Round 9 (November 18, 2023, Saturday)

Armenia - Wales (15:00)

Latvia - Croatia (18:00)

10th round (21 November 2023, Tuesday)

Croatia - Armenia (20:45)

Wales - Turkey (20:45)

53 national teams will participate in the qualifiers and try to grab 23 spots for the Euro. Germany, as the organizer of the final tournament, automatically qualified and therefore does not participate in the draw. Due to the suspension, Russia will not participate in the qualifiers either.

Due to political reasons, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Belarus and Ukraine, Gibraltar and Spain, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo and Serbia could not be included in the same group.

Until now, Croatia has played in six European competitions. The 2000 European Championship in Belgium and the Netherlands was the only one they missed. Croatia played in the quarter-finals twice (England 1996, Austria and Switzerland 2008), reached the round of 16 twice (Euro 2020, France 2016), and finished the competition in the group twice (Portugal 2004, Poland, and Ukraine 2012). 

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

September the 9th, 2022 - One Croatian-Slovenian foodtech startup has attracted an impressive investment and is likely to have its image boosted beyond what the creators ever though possible.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, a winning combination of incredible youthful energy, a tried-and-tested product that quickly conquers the health food market with "know-how" and a financial injection from a venture capital fund - that's the story of Juicefast, a new investment of the Feelsgood fund worth half a million euros.

The Juicefast brand, which will be launched at the beginning of October, is a newly founded Croatian-Slovenian foodtech startup that will unite the current Detox.hr brand and the Healthy Meals pilot project of young entrepreneurs David and Marko Dravinec.

This Croatian-Slovenian foodtech startup and its accompanying entrepreneurial story started back in 2018 from the confines of the small neighbourhood fruit shop Mali vrt (Little garden) where the idea of ​​freshly squeezed 100 percent natural apple juice for detoxification and fasting was first born, 22-year-old David explained.

On the wings of conquering the lucrative (and very rapidly growing) healthy food market, which was also affected by the coronavirus pandemic, given that the spread of the virus emphasised the importance of a good diet and general healthcare, their income growth was rapid: in 2020 it amounted to 1.5 million kuna, then it grew to 2.8 million kuna, and the last figure they reported reached a massive 6.5 million kuna. Juicefast is a neat play on words which alludes to the speed and simplicity of the process.

"We were amazed at how much people liked simple juice. Now we understand that there's a reason in this simplicity. Each of our juices is made with 1.5 kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables. We all know we should eat it, we know it's good for us, we know we'll feel better, but...sometimes we just don't feel like it," he says with a giggle.

"And then, if you can be bothered, you've got to prepare your juices.... Buy the groceries, prepare them, then you've got to clean the juicer after using it, all of which takes time. It's easier to jump down to the bakery and buy it all already done for you. The hectic pace of modern life imposes some other priorities on us, and we often put our health on the back burner. These are problems that we've manage to solve, and we've provided both simplicity and practicality,'' he added.

The range of detox juices offered by this Croatian-Slovenian foodtech startup is made exclusively from fruits and vegetables from domestic family farms, except for exotic species for which Croatia is simply not a natural climate.

The juicing is carried out in a 500-square-metre hall in Laduc using slow-juicing devices that retain nutritional the fruit's values, especially vitamins. Detoxification has become extremely popular in the last few years with a combination of intermittent fasting that gives the body a "break" from constant food intake. The entrepreneurial duo has as such successfully found their niche with a range of juices that are not pasteurised, have no preservatives or additives, but are processed with high hydrostatic pressure.

Feelsgood, the only Croatian venture capital fund that requires a positive social impact from its investments in both Croatia and Slovenia, has invested 500,000 euros in the project, recognising the synergistic effect of the production of juices and healthy meals, sustainable agriculture and cooperation with local producers.

The investment injection, on top of the 250,000 euros from other investors, will be used for the growth and development of the company here in Croatia, as well as to provide the spring in the startup's step for their move to the markets of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Italy and Hungary. The glittering USA is also on their radar.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.