January 10, 2021 – Still only 15-years-old, Pula's Rocco Zikovic is following in the footsteps of football megastars Sadio Mané and Erling Haaland with his record teenage transfer to Red Bull Salzburg

Although inside the country Croatians enjoy a wide variety of sports, to outsiders there is only one sport for which Croatia has become known around the world. Football.

The glittering international careers of Luka Modrić, Ivan Rakitić, Ivan Perišić, Mario Mandžukić and others have in recent years advertised Croatia as a factory of top-flight footballing talent. Their combined efforts in reaching the final of the most recent World Cup sent that reputation into the stratosphere.

Croatian footballing talent has become so well known that the scouting of Croatia's young players is beginning earlier and earlier. However, Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg's recent purchase of promising Pula talent Rocco Zikovic breaks several records. The transfer fee - rumoured to be in the region of an initial €2 million – is the highest ever made to Zikovic's former team, Istra 1961. It is also the highest ever paid for a Croatian player of Rocco Zikovic's age; he is still only 15-years-old.


Rocco Zikovic © NK Istra 1961

But, by all accounts, Red Bull Salzburg have here done a particularly shrewd piece of business in their acquisition of the player. Rocco Zikovic captained Istra 1961 cadets to the top of the national league last year. He has also played for the Croatian National Football Team in the U-15, U-16 and U-17 age categories. Playing in midfield, he was the captain of the Croatian National youth team that recently won the international Vlatko Marković tournament in Osijek, where Rocco Zikovic was judged player of the tournament. It is during his performances there that Red Bull Salzburg are rumoured to have finally decided on making their move.

Rocco Zikovic is following a long line of youth talent to have been picked up by Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg have a strong reputation for scouting international youth talent and picking them up at the right time. They bought Senegalese player Sadio Mané for €4 million while he was only a teenager before selling him on into the UK Premier League for €13.5 million after just two years. Red Bull Salzburg bought Norwegian international Erling Haaland, one of Europe's most exciting young players, before selling him to Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for a fee reported to be in the region of €20 million. Haaland completed the move having become the first teenager ever to score in five consecutive UEFA Champions League matches

Erling Haaland playing for Red Bull Salzburg in 2019. The club sold him to Borussia Dortmund later that year for a fee reported to be in the region of €20 million © Werner100359

Rocco Zikovic's move to Red Bull Salzburg is all but a done deal. He still has to undergo a final medical and wait until 21 January before he can be announced – that's his 16th birthday. Additional fees earned by his former club Istra 1961 could bring their total from the sale to as much as €3.5 million. It may be too early to place too much expectation on the young player's shoulders just yet, but something tells us that we'll be closely watching this young Croatian footballing talent for many more years to come.

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November 16, 2020 - Excitement for tomorrow's Croatia Portugal game is building as one of the world's greatest footballers is again pictured in Croatia - Cristiano Ronaldo in Split

Tomorrow night will see the last chance for the Croatian National Football Team to remain in League A in the UEFA Nations League when they take on Portugal at Poljud stadium. Excitement for the game is building as one of the world's greatest footballers has again been photographed in the host town. Cristiano Ronaldo in Split is not a sight you get to see every day.

Cristiano Ronaldo in Split, as seen on the sports pages of Jutarnji List © screenshot Jutarnji List

Croatian football fans were first notified of Cristiano Ronaldo in Split when the Portugal team were pictured arriving together in the city on Sunday. Ronaldo was the last man to leave the team bus. Today, a new photograph has emerged of Cristiano Ronaldo in Split. Published on the sports pages of Jutarnji List, the Portuguese captain was photographed looking out from the balcony of the Amphora Hotel in Žnjan to the east of the city. If the hotel balcony Cristiano Ronaldo in Split was pictured in is his, the Juventus forward will have a glorious, unobstructed view of Brac island from his room.

Playing under manager Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian National Football Team will be desperate to avoid relegation to League B in the UEFA Nations League with the result against Portugal tomorrow. Meanwhile, Portugal have little to play for - their hopes of finishing at the top of League A's Group 3 were ended by their defeat to France in their last match.

Cristiano Ronaldo in Split, as seen on the sports pages of Jutarnji List © screenshot Jutarnji List

The Croatian National Football Team have been drawn in one of the most difficult groups within this year's UEFA Nations League. Portugal are the defending champions of the league and France are the current World Cup holders. Croatia have lost four of their last five matches in the competition, their only win so far being against Sweden. Sweden are currently at the bottom of Group 3 with only three points, the same as Croatia. Croatia are placed third, above Sweden, having scored more goals. The final standing of the teams will also depend on the result of the Sweden France game which will be played simultaneously.

To get the most up-to-date news about tomorrow's game and the Croatian National Football Team, plus all international Croatia sports and domestic leagues, be sure to follow Total Croatia News dedicated Sports pages

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September 25, 2020 - Eight years ago, Manchester United were rumoured to be in for Luka Modrić, but he famously ended up going to Real Madrid. Although the Manchester legends have since featured Serbians Nemanja Matić and Nemanja Vidić, they failed to attract a Croatian to Old Trafford. Until, finally, now... Manchester United sign Croatian star!

Manchester United is one of the most historically famous teams in football. Every transfer season, rumours of who they will bring to their ground, Old Trafford, cause a flurry of clicks on the internet from fans all around the world. Most of these rumours turn out to be false, just like when they were linked to signing Luka Modrić from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2012. As we all now know, Modrić went to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Luka Modrić was linked to move to Old Trafford back in 2012. In 2020, when Old Trafford finally gets a Croatian star, is it him? Ne. © Svetlana Beketova - soccer.ru

Since then, although the Manchester legends have featured several players from the Balkan region, including Serbian aces Nemanja Matić and Nemanja Vidić, Belgian Adnan Januzaj, who is of Kosovar Albanian descent and Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović, who is of Bosnian descent, they have failed to attract a single Croatian star to Old Trafford. This despite a golden generation of Croatian players coming to fruition during the period. But, now, the wait is finally over. Manchester United sign Croatian star!

Manchester United sign Croatian star, but just who is the chosen one from Croatia who will soon appear at the Theatre Of Dreams? Manchester United's home, Old Trafford hosts almost 75, 000 spectators and reaches full capacity at every first team match. Like United, many other Premier League clubs are located in the northwest of England, such as Liverpool FC (Anfield capacity under 54, 000) and Manchester City (Etihad stadium capacity 55, 000) © Parrot of Doom

However, the star that looks set to appear at Old Trafford over forthcoming seasons isn't a replacement for their woeful rank of current defenders, nor a fall back for the seemingly unobtainable Jadon Sancho. The Red Devils will not have an Ivan Perišić racing down the wing, nor an Ante Rebić hovering dangerously close to the box. No, for this Croatian star will be located in the concession stands.



In a Facebook post from earlier today, Kvarner-based businessman Andrija Colak announced the entry of his Surf'n'Fries food stands into the grounds of elite European football. “Stade de France, Old Trafford and many more... Here we come!!!” he wrote.

His Surf’n’Fries French fry company has been dishing out their savoury golden delights at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany for several years now and had planned to be at the Stade de France at the end of the Tour de France, but a precautionary move in response to the ongoing pandemic means that will now not go ahead. A Croatian company, Surf’n’Fries has franchises in four continents and earlier this year opened the world's first French fry vending machine on a dog beach in Crikvenica.

The potential access to football grounds as prestigious as these comes as a result of a new contract with English company Rapid Food & Beverage, who have signed to take the franchise to stadiums in the United Kingdom and France. Their parent company is Rapid Retail, the UK’s leading supplier of pop up shops and kiosks (kučiće).

Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Red Army have recently made a dreadful start to the new campaign, losing in a pre-season friendly to Aston Villa and again losing in the opening match of the Premier League to Crystal Palace. It's understandable that United fans who watched Croatia's brilliant progress in the last World Cup may have wished for a more famous revelation when reading 'Manchester United sign Croatian star'.

Old Trafford, where Manchester United play, is one of the most beautiful football grounds in the world. The same cannot be said about the team's football since the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in 2013 © Steve Collis

Well, Manchester United have won more trophies than any other club in English football and hold a record number of 20 league titles in the world's current-best domestic football league. Sometimes, you can't have your cake and eat it. Although, when fans return to the stands at Old Trafford, they might well be able to do so with Croatian Surf’n’Fries.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For all of the real news about football, Croats in the Premier League, and all other sports, we advise you ignore this particularly foolish writer and instead focus your attention on the rather amazing Daniela Rogulj on TCN's dedicated sports pages 

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Friday 11 September 2020 - “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” as Liverpool FC take Croatian National Football Shirt design for the next Premier League

You might have thought that the UK Premier League champions were all but finished with Croatian football. This summer they let go Dejan Lovren from their ranks, shipping the Croat off to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for a price widely thought to be €12 million. However, your thoughts may well have been wrong.

Recent images reveal that their ties with Croatia are not so nearly over, as Liverpool FC take Croatian National Football Shirt design for the next season.

Could it be an acknowledging nod of respect? Could they be trying to steal some luck in order to keep the most-cherished title in English football? Could it be a coincidence?

The latter is less likely when you consider that the sponsor for each shirt is one and the same - Nike. Whatever the reason, Croatian football fans – and, indeed, some Liverpool FC fans – were quick to spot the similarity. Comments were soon made by both on Liverpool FC's social media.

“We might as well have played with a Croatian away kit.” wrote one Liverpool fan, early in the comments. At the time of writing, his observation was 'liked' by almost 200 Liverpool FC supporters. Football fans from all over the world are familiar with the Croatian away shirt, having seen it repeatedly at the last World Cup.

“So we've got the same goalkeepers top as England and now we've also got Croatia's away shirt.” wrote another fan. Others also made a link between the departed Lovren and the fact that Nike sponsors and manufactures the shirts for both teams teams.

Further new acquisitions for Liverpool FC this summer include Greek left back Konstantinos Tsimikas, bought for a similar price for which they allowed Lovren to go. The team also has no less than seven young players arriving back at the club, following loan spells which were considered key to their development. Liverpool Under 23 players Curtis Jones is also expected to take the leap into the first team in the approaching season. Will this be enough to fend off the super-spending Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United for yet another year?

At least one Croatian fan spotted the similarity too. Dino, who commented on Liverpool FC's Facebook post, was not in the mood for poetry or jokes.

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July 23, 2020 – Croatia's greatest football coach, Slaven Bilić, secures a return to the UK Premier League for West Bromwich Albion after only one season in charge

Slaven Bilić has secured promotion for West Bromwich Albion from the UK Championship back into the Premier League. From next season, Bilić's side will compete in the world's most competitive national football league and play against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

The former Hajduk Split, West Ham United and Everton player is widely regarded as the current best football coach from Croatia and has previously managed the Croatian National Football team and West Ham United. It is no small feat to have returned West Bromwich Albion to the Premier League during his first season with the club.

The 'Baggies' have enjoyed a terrific run of form under Slaven Bilić's guidance and he was recognised as Manager of the Month in the English Championship League in March 2020, having taken over at the club in only summer 2019. That appointment was the Croat's first return to English football since being sacked by West Ham United in 2017.

Slaven Bilić's first season at West Ham in 2016 was their most successful in living memory. Slaven guided them to their first win over Liverpool in 52 years and earning their second-highest ever finish in the Premier League (7th). They also broke several club records of the Premier League era, including highest number of points in a season (62), highest number of goals in a season (65), the fewest number of games lost in a season (8) and the lowest number of away defeats.


Slaven Bilić pictured during his time as manager of West Ham United © joshjdss

His departure from West Ham can partially be attributed to the club selling star players against the manager's wishes, with a failure to adequately replace them. Since Slaven Bilić left West Ham, they have appointed new managers no less than three times. They were able to narrowly secure their place in the Premier League next season by scoring one point against Manchester United yesterday, but have dwindled at the bottom end of the league all season.

After eight continuous seasons in the Premier League, West Bromwich Albion were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2017–18 season. Bilić has returned them to form in a surprisingly short time and it would come as no surprise to see his contract as manager extended within the next few weeks (he was taken on for an initial two years).

In 1888, West Bromwich Albion were one of the founding members of the English Football League. They have played at their home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900. The club itself is some 22 years older still. Based in the area of England known as the Midlands, their greatest rivals are local clubs Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City. West Bromwich return to the Premier League alongside Leeds United.

ZAGREB, June 19, 2020 - Six people were injured in clashes between supporters of the Dinamo Zagreb football club and Partizan Belgrade in Vukovar on Thursday, and they were given treatment in the local hospital.

Local police spokesman Dragoslav Zivkovic said the police had arrested several people and we're looking for other participants in the conflict which occurred in the neighborhood of Borovo Naselje.

According to eyewitnesses, about 20 people participated in the fight between Dinamo's Bad Blue Boys and Partizan's Global (Grave-diggers), using flares, clubs, and other objects.

Games will be played on it in 2021.

Croats are turning more and more towards craft beer, and this summer many craft beer bars had TV's showing the World Cup, contributing to beer sales.

Croatia's Vatreni did much more for the country than just bring a silver home.