October 15, 2020 - Croatia Coach Zlatko Dalic spoke to the press after the loss against France in the 4th-round Nations League match in Zagreb on Wednesday. 

Coach Zlatko Dalic was satisfied with most of what was shown against France, but he pointed out that Croatia again made mistakes that France always knows how to punish.

"Hats off to the team, especially for the second half, but we lost again, and we didn't deserve it; that's why we are upset," said the coach at the beginning of the press conference.

"We played well, but a mistake happened. We didn’t play against anyone but against world champions. They punish every mistake, and we must avoid mistakes. Against a team like this, which is worth a billion, you can't avoid it. But the second half was excellent. We started very badly, in the first 15 minutes we could have conceded another goal. We settled down afterward, and it tuned in," he added.

He denied that Pasalic played on the left-wing: "Pasalic was not a winger, but a midfielder. It may have seemed to you because he was a bit on the wing in defense, but he is a midfielder and should be in that position."

Dalic was also asked if he had made a mistake in choosing Vida instead of Caleta-Car.

"I wasn't wrong with Vida. He is our standard stopper. You have to look at the second goal again because Vida was not to blame for it. See who Mbappe was with and how he reacted. We have three more games where we can try some things. After that, I have to have a clear picture before the qualifications for the World Cup. We have to be objective. Croatia is putting together a new national team; there are no more Juventus and Bayern players here. I am satisfied with this, and my task is to put together a competitive team for March. Everything is important, and I am sorry that we did not win. Everyone should be given a chance. I am worried that we are receiving goals, and we need to work on that," believes Dalic.

He has a generally good opinion of this three-game mini-cycle.

"I can be satisfied with this mini-cycle. We got Switzerland who played 3:3 against Germany. With that match, we secured a top seed status in the World Cup qualifiers, and Sweden is our competitor to stay in the Nations League. We played a good second half against France, and I am glad that the fans applauded the players. I am very pleased, and I told that to the players in the dressing room. I am a great optimist because I see that we have players coming," the coach concluded.

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October 6, 2020 - After the Croatia national team gathered on Monday in St. Gallen, coach Zlatko Dalic revealed the plan for Switzerland and the upcoming Nations League campaign against Sweden and France.

The Croatia national football team gathered on Monday in St. Gallen before three crucial October exams - a friendly match against Switzerland on Wednesday, and the Nations League campaign in Zagreb against Sweden (October 11) and France (October 14).

Unfortunately, coach Zlatko Dalic is left without Sime Vrsaljko once again.

"Unfortunately, we are left without Vrsaljko again. This is new news; he was injured again in training a few days ago, so he will not be with us at this gathering. I'm sorry he's not here again because he's back; he was with us after a long time. As for the other players, we still don’t know the whole situation to the end. According to the latest information, Badelj will still come, and we are waiting for news about Brekalo. I hope that everyone will be together, except that we were already left without Rebic."

Analyzing the September matches, Dalic points to two completely different approaches against Portugal and France.

"We had two heavy defeats, but the approach was bad only against Portugal. We were not ourselves in that game; there was no aggression, running, duels. We encountered a much stronger opponent at the time; Portugal was better in all segments of the game. Against France, this was not the case, we were much better then. We played a good game that we did not deserve to lose, in the analysis we saw, for example, that we ran three kilometers more than France."

However, deconcentration in some situations, a drop in responsibility, and two interruptions contributed to the defeat. We were great until the 43rd minute, dominated, absolutely controlled the game. And then two unseen mistakes happened to us, so instead of going 1:0 at half time, we lose 1:2. In such a situation, it was not easy to enter the continuation of the match, but we got back into the game, equalized, and then come two interruptions that destroyed us. In Zagreb, however, I expect a different game. We are constantly on par with France and we always lose. I expect that we will be better this time, the players are a month deeper into training and competitive form, and they will certainly come to this gathering in a much better position."

For the first time, Croatia will play three matches in a gathering. What is Dalic's plan? Are the Nations League matches more important than the friendly match with Switzerland, and how does Dalic intend to share the playing time amongst players?

"There is little time and a lot of games. Not all players will be able to withstand that, and that is why the list is a bit wider. My goal is to give the opportunity against Switzerland to players who have played less so far and who have not always been on the national team. We want to see them, which means we will play against Switzerland with a team that will be quite mixed. Of course, the Nations League is important to us, we want to stay in the elite group, and we must focus all our efforts on the matches against Sweden and France in Zagreb. These are two important matches, we will do our best to win at least one in order to stay in the elite group."

What answers would Dalic like to get against Switzerland?

"We want to see players who have not been in the national team circle and are playing well in their clubs. They all deserve a call and now have the opportunity to impose themselves and show that we can count on them in the near future. My rule is already known, it is difficult to get in and out of the national team, but given the circumstances in which frequent absences of players occur, we must find certain solutions. We said that we are preparing the team for the European Championship, and this is an opportunity to see some new faces."

Andrej Kramaric scored again and is still the leading scorer in the Bundesliga. What is his role in the team?

"The task of me as a coach is to find the best solutions for all players in the system in which Croatia plays. Kramaric played in several positions in the national team, and in the end, he took us to the World Cup in Russia with two goals when he played against Ukraine. So, there are no doubts on that issue. We will see the situation, and I will try to make Kramaric play in a position where he is the best for the Croatia national team. In any case, my task is to make the best use of its qualities."

Ivan Rakitic said goodbye to the national team, and Ante Rebic is out due to injury. How much does that change the concept of the Croatia national team's game, and is Kovacic or Vlasic closer to a staring 11 spot?

"We will see who will be in the starting lineup, everyone will get a chance, and I need to use Kovacic and Vlasic in the right way. They have already proven that they can do it. I am sorry that Rakitic is no longer with us, but younger players are coming who will have to replace him. It will not be easy for them at all, they will need time and experience, but Kramaric, Vlasic, and Kovacic can also jump into that position. In general, we have good solutions."

How important is the return of Luka Modric?

"Very important. Luka is the leader of our game and the leader on the pitch; he is very important to me as a coach, the staff, and players. With Luka, players feel safer on the pitch, and everyone is 15 percent better. I am looking forward to Luka's arrival; he is healthy and ready. We did the right thing when we released him from obligations in September; we gave him a chance to be better at both Real and the national team. Luka was never questioned, he always gave his best, the only thing that matters is that he is healthy," concluded Dalic.

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September 8, 2020 - Zlatko Dalic and Ivan Perisic addressed the press ahead of the Nations League rematch against France on Tuesday evening in Paris.

Ivan Perisic has fond memories of the Stade de France. Perisic played for the first time for the Croatia A national team at Saint-Denis on March 29, 2011, in a friendly match that ended without goals in front of seventy thousand spectators. Tonight, he and the Vatreni will replay the World Cup final in Russia, unfortunately without spectators. The Nations League meeting between France and Croatia begins at 8:45 pm.

Slobodan Kadic

"When you play for Croatia, it doesn't matter who is on the other side, this match is special because it is the first against France after the Moscow final during which we dominated in the first half, but we, unfortunately, received two goals. We tried to change things in the second half, but it didn’t work. There is no rematch; this is a new game for me. There are a lot of new players on both sides, France will play in the new system, so this is a completely different story. I hope that we will be ready; we have to give our best," says Ivan, who is just getting in the right shape after a hard but successful season and a few days off until the start of new obligations.

"After the Champions League final, I only had seven days off, in general, neither of us is one hundred percent, but that should not be a reason not to get something positive out of these two games. We didn't get into the game against Portugal well; we didn't stand well on the pitch, there wasn't enough aggression, we didn't even try to play, which is one of our best traits, we just kicked the ball… There are many things we need to fix and do better because it won't end well if we continue like that. We spoke, we know where we went wrong, tomorrow is a new day, a new game, and we will get something positive. Not even France is one hundred percent, because most of the players, almost no one has played games. However, we have to give the maximum be it 45, 60, or 90 minutes. We are playing for Croatia against the World Cup finalists, every game must be like the last one for us," points out Ivan and points out the strength of the next opponent.

Slobodan Kadic

"France is a football force and, regardless of the character of the match, they have a player staff of about forty or fifty top players. Simply, whoever they put you don't know where the greater danger will come from, and they also have a great coach, and we will really have to be at a high level if we want to get a positive result."

Coach Zlatko Dalic spoke in selected words about Perisic's contribution to Croatia's game.

"Ivan is one of our most important players, the holder of the game, this year he had a great season with Bayern, which he crowned by winning the Champions League. When there are not a few main players, Modric, Rakitic, and Vrsaljko, he is the one who, as captain, will be the main one on the pitch on our side. He said that he is not very well prepared, which is normal considering that he recently played in the Champions League final. Still, I expect him to be the team leader, get a new impetus with him, and raise the level of our game compared to the game against Portugal," says Zlatko Dalic, who is aware of the fact that the team failed in Porto.

Slobodan Kadic

"We suffered a very difficult and painful defeat that we absolutely deserved. There were many bad things, it was not a game at the level of the Croatia national team, but we must understand that it is the beginning of the season, that there are a lot of new players in the national team. After all, our goal is the European Championship; we have to make a selection of players through these matches and try to find what is best. This is not the same team that played in the World Cup in Russia, which is normal; we had to make a slight change of generations. I repeat, we were not good in Porto. The players' physical condition is not at the level; there was not enough energy and aggression, we simply overslept in the game. We will make some team changes because some players who played first cannot run in another strong game in three days. We will have to change the way we play and approach; we have to be much more responsible; there has to be a lot more discipline in our game. Anyway, I expect a better match than in Portugal. I have tremendous respect for the French world champions who have great players. We have to set ourselves up much better, helping each other in the defense phase. Against Portugal, we lacked that compactness and homogeneity; we were not together; we were not close; there was no support. We stayed in situations where the opponent had a surplus; it looked like Portugal was playing with 15, and we with 10 players. Even harder work awaits us against France."

Of course, everyone misses the fans.

"We all miss the fans, and football doesn't make sense without them. We are all handicapped, but, given the overall situation, we need to adapt to the new measures. It is not easy for us; football is played because of the fans. I hope they will return to the stands soon," concluded Dalic.

Source: HNS

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September 4, 2020 - The Croatia national football team has arrived in Porto, where they will play their first match in the second edition of the Nations League against Portugal on Saturday. After ten months, the Vatreni are back together at the start of a new competition season. Zlatko Dalic addressed the press ahead of the Nations League clash against Portugal. 

HNS reports:

"When the national team gathers, there is always a good atmosphere; it's cheerful, the guys are in the mood, and we all missed it. After ten months, we are back together; we use this time to prepare, work, and get back together as before. The boys are eager to work and train; they came to the national team full of will and motivation," says Zlatko Dalic, who is very aware of the demanding back-to-back games against Portugal and France.

Slobodan Kadic

"It couldn't have been harder right at the beginning, we are playing against the two strongest opponents, against the European and world champions on their pitches, and we are not in an ideal condition for such matches at the moment. Of course, this is no one's fault; the situation is as it is. Most of the players came to the gathering from holidays, a few of them started preparations, and a smaller part of the championship started. Therefore, in this regard, we have a very colorful situation, and it will be very difficult for us. We have demanding matches ahead of us, and we will have to be at a very high level if we want to achieve a good result. I expect that, but, I repeat, it will not be easy. Especially because we are not physically ready, and we can only use three subs at a time. Therefore, we will have to be very careful in that direction as well."

Especially because the team is handicapped by the absence of two important players, captain and vice-captain, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, whose roles will be taken over by some new, younger players.

"We will miss a lot of players who are not there, especially two captains, and that is a handicap for us, but in the near future, Croatia will be without Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Lovren, Vida, and the time will come for some other players to take over their roles. Therefore, this is an ideal chance for them to prepare for it to get a chance to play matches. It will be difficult for us without Luka and Ivan; you know how sensitive I am to the players who have been with me in the national team since the first day and how much I respect them, but that is the situation. I think this is an ideal time for young players who play great in their clubs to get a chance to play for the national team because soon they will be the holders of the game and replace the older players. That is inevitable."

Dalic paid a lot of attention to opponents who require the maximum engagement of the whole team.

"I have already said, we are not in such a physical condition that we could play high pressure throughout the game and chase opponents on the pitch. In this segment of the game, we will have to mix, be in the block for a while and try to open quickly, and, when possible, decide on high pressure. During the game, we have to know how to rest, to have possession of the ball, because it will not be good if we are constantly chasing; we are not ready for that at this moment. However, we have the quality to save the ball, especially in the midfield, to develop the game through quality passing. We will have to be compact and homogeneous; if we succeed in that, we can expect a good game and result. I hope that the team will meet all the requirements."

Of course, at the mention of Portugal, everyone highlights Cristiano Ronaldo, which is, to some extent, unfair to a team that is too strong to be talked about exclusively in the context of one of the best players in the world.

“Of course Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, a scorer who always gives his best, always physically flawlessly ready, a player who can take advantage and score a goal from any situation. We have to be very careful with him, but, on the other hand, Portugal is the current European champion and winner of the Nations League and has a number of quality players who can create problems. It will not be good if we focus only on Cristiano Ronaldo; the Portuguese have a good style of play. They are well-coordinated, have a rotation in the midfield, and throw a lot forward, especially backline players… We have to prevent that, Ronaldo is the most dangerous player, but he is not the only danger for Portugal."

The Nations League also allowed players the chance to prove themselves. 

"We always play for the result, and that must always be the case when it comes to the Croatia national team. Croatia must always look for a victory no matter who they play with, but the Nations League will also serve as good preparation for the European Championship. We will try to check and get some players through these matches, and in that sense, we are completely ready to welcome the European competition. That is our main goal, but we do not have much time to play some new variants. We are only together a few days, and there will be time to try some things when the friendly matches come. We have to look to achieve a good result and come back from Portugal and France with good results. I repeat, it will be extremely difficult and demanding, the opponents are the most dangerous at the moment, but we are also second in the world," concluded Dalic.

Slobodan Kadic

On late Friday evening, Portugal coach Fernando Santos confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo would miss the match against Croatia.

"He trained very well on Monday and Tuesday, but he had leg problems on Wednesday, so we sent him to the gym then. During lunch, we found out he had swelling in his leg, like a wasp sting, so he's on antibiotic treatment," Santos said after Friday's training, which was open to the media for 15 minutes.

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August 27, 2020 -  Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic will miss the opening of the Nations League, which awaits the Croatia national team in early September. Coach Zlatko Dalic has invited Antonio Colak, Ante Budimir and Milo Skoric in their place.

HNS announced that in agreement with coach Dalic, the September gathering of the Croatia national team will be missed by captain Luka Modric and vice-captain Ivan Rakitic, while Wolfsburg stopper Marin Pongracic dropped out of the lineup due to illness.

Coach Dalic will replace these three players by activating three call-ups - attackers Antonio Colak and Ante Budimir and stopper Milo Skoric.

Osijek captain and stopper Skoric (29) has already made three appearances for Croatia. He made his debut on May 28, 2017, in a 2-1 win over Mexico in a friendly match. He made his last appearance on November 19 last year against Georgia, also in a friendly match when Croatia celebrated 2-1. Rijeka striker Colak (26) and Mallorca striker Budimir (29) have not yet made their debut for the strongest Croatia squad.

In addition, coach Dalic gave two additional days off to Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic, who played in the finals of the Champions League and Europa League, respectively. They will join the national team on Wednesday, September 2.

Recall that the national team gathers on August 31 in Zagreb, which is followed by two initial exams in the new edition of the Nations League. Namely, on September 5, Croatia will play in Porto against Portugal, and three days later, the World Cup finalists will play in St. Denis in a rematch against the 2018 World Champions, France. 

The first home game in this competition will be played on October 11 against Sweden, and that game should, for now, be played at Maksimir. Three days later, France should play at the same stadium.

Croatia will play against Sweden away on November 14, three days before Portugal visits Croatia, potentially at Poljud Stadium in Split.

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August 17, 2020 - The coach of the Croatia national team, Zlatko Dalic, has published a list of 23 players he is counting on for the upcoming Croatia matches against Portugal and France.

HNS announced that after a break of almost 10 months caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Croatia national football team would gather in Zagreb again on August 31, with two appearances at the opening of the new edition of the Nations League in September.

The 2018 World Cup runners-up will play in Porto on September 5, where the European champions Portugal await them, and three days later in Paris (St. Denis), at the Stade de France, they will once again face France in the rematch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

Dalic invited 23 players for this international round, with six reserves and two new names on the list - goalkeeper Ivo Grbic and defender Marin Pongracic.

"Although the circumstances are not great given the coronavirus epidemic, it is certain that we are all very much looking forward to reuniting after such a long break. The term is not ideal because many players will practically come from their breaks to reunite, but we are all in the same situation on that issue. It is important for the players to rest as well as possible, because they have a tough competition season ahead of them, at the end of which the EURO is waiting for us, and that is our primary goal," said coach Dalic.

"Our opponents can't be harder - suffice it to say that in three days we will play away against European and world champions. We respect Portugal and France to the maximum, but we have a lot of trump cards and we will certainly try to break the negative tradition we have against both teams. We will see in what condition the players will come to the gathering and we will act accordingly, because although the result in the Nations League is important to us, our priority is the health of players and preparation for World Cup qualifiers and then EURO 2020," concludes coach Dalic.

You can see the full list of players below.

?⬇️ The Croatia squad list for the September UNL matches is out now

Just 2️⃣ weeks left until the Vatreni are finally back in action and we are EXCITED ??? pic.twitter.com/ymnlNaRlao

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) August 17, 2020

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July 24, 2020 - As expected, the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) at its session on Thursday confirmed that Zlatko Dalic had extended his contract until the 2022 World Cup.

His existing contract expired this summer, but HNS president Davor Suker and Dalic officially agreed on a new contract for two years and five months.

Their agreement was confirmed by the HNS Executive Board, but it was only a formality.

The Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation confirmed the agreement between HNS President Davor Suker and Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic on extending cooperation until the end of the FIFA World Cup, which will be held at the end of 2022.

"For us, at no time was it questionable that Zlatko will lead the team at the Euros next summer, and I am very glad that we immediately agreed to cooperate until the 2022 World Cup. Zlatko is a straightforward and genuine person to talk to, and we easily agreed on all details about continuing the collaboration. His results speak for themselves; we are proud of everything he has achieved so far as a coach and the Federation will provide him and the national team with maximum working conditions, as it has been so far," said HNS President Davor Suker.

"I thank Davor as the president of the Federation, the leadership of HNS, and the Executive Board for the expressed trust. As the situation with the epidemic and the postponement of the Euros to next summer unfolded, we agreed that it makes sense to round out the whole story until the 2022 World Cup. I have always said that there is no greater honor than leading the national team of my country and that is why I had no dilemma about continuing the cooperation. I have a lot of motivation, energy and ambition, and as long as I feel that way, I will lead the Croatia national team with a lot of pride," said the coach of the 2018 World Cup finalists, Zlatko Dalic.

Dalic took over the helm of the "Vatreni" in October 2017 after Ante Cacic was fired. Under his leadership, the Croatia national team won the playoff qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup and then achieved its greatest success in Russia, winning second place at the World Cup.

With Dalic, Croatia also qualified for the 2020 European Championships, which was postponed to next summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Along with Miroslav Blazevic, Dalic will become the only Croatia coach who will play with the national team at the World and European Championships.

Blazevic is also a record holder in the number of matches on the bench of the Croatia national team. Ciro led the national team 72 times, Slaven Bilic is second with 65 appearances, and Dalic is currently in third place with 30.

The Croatia national team is expecting a busy autumn program. From September to November, they will have as many as eight appearances - six in the Nations League, and two friendly matches.

The World Cup finalists are in the Nations League in a group with the world champions France, the European champions Portugal, and Sweden. The first place from this group will win a place in the Final Four, while the last place will fall to a lower rank.

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March 23, 2020 - The Croatia national team members and coach Zlatko Dalic recorded a video with instructions on how Croatian citizens should behave during the coronavirus pandemic, with a final message that is as important as it is simple - stay home!

Captain Luka Modric, vice-captain Ivan Rakitic and the rest of the Croatia national team were supposed to travel to Doha today for a friendly tournament, but instead, they're spending time at home with their loved ones because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Considering the gravity of the situation, the 2018 World Cup finalists made a video, and in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of Public Health, sent instructions on how you should protect yourself during this pandemic. The video ends with a clear message, in the end, sent by the captain of the national team and the best player in the world in 2018, Luka Modric: "Stay home!"

HNS has already shown an understanding of the gravity of the situation by reacting early and postponing the Croatian football competitions. The Federation delegation led by president Davor Suker and coach Zlatko Dalic opted for voluntary self-isolation after attending the same event with the coronavirus-positive Serbian football federation president in Amsterdam. 

The Croatian Football Federation calls on all citizens and organizations to take the maximum responsibility, seriousness and compliance with all measures prescribed by the competent state institutions in order to overcome this crisis together as soon as possible.

For live updates, follow our COVID-19 dedicated page. 

March 15, 2020 - There are already several Croatian athletes and sports professionals who, due to various contacts, have been forced to spend two weeks at home because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Croatian sailors Sime and Mihovil Fantela arrived back in Zadar from Palma de Mallorca where the Princess Sofia Trophy was to be held. The World Champion sailors are safe, but self-isolating. 

Sime told HRT more:

“I must be with my wife and kid for two weeks at home. We will be careful; we will be careful not to go outside and simply wait for the news ahead. It is a little difficult, we are preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, which is our most important goal, and now we are practically without training for 15 days. It's not easy, but we will try to be patient and simply respond to the current situation.” You can see the video on HRT here.

The coronavirus also calmed down tennis for six weeks. Marin Cilic, like most of his colleagues, will enjoy an atypical March at home with family, reports Gol.hr.

"We are aware of the situation and it is certainly better to beware than to take the possible risks so here - now I have more time at home. It was the perfect time for me to be with my family, enjoy and have a little more time to rest, and hang out."

A month and a half ago, Cilic welcomed his first child, Baldo.

“I will definitely be more awake overnight, which will make Kristina’s life much easier.“

However, family rewards are the reason why the world's 37th best tennis player in the world takes the prevention of coronavirus as seriously as possible.

"Of course I'm afraid most of all because of Baldo, because he's still very small. I am even avoiding going to the gym, where there are bigger gatherings, and maybe I'll even do more outdoor workouts."

A few days ago, Cilic met with the Sinkovic brothers on Jarun Lake for an outdoor training session. He said he is in contact with other Croatian athletes, too.

"I heard from the NBA guys; they told me that this is unique and everything is under alarm. They do not know what is going to happen, or if they will return home or stay there, so we are still on the edge of our seats, waiting for what will develop, but most importantly, we are all healthy and this is under control. "

But Cilic does not doubt that the world of sports will certainly feel the consequences.

"Who knows what the Olympics will be like, but luckily for tennis, the positive is that our season is so long, it lasts until the end of November. The problem is that the points will be affected, with other tournaments being canceled - but these are less of a concern."

Several prominent HNS members, including President Davor Suker and coach Zlatko Dalic, are also in self-isolation, reports T.portal.

They all attended the UEFA Congress and the Nations League draw in  Amsterdam on March 2, which included the president of the Serbian Football Association Slavisa Kokeza, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The Croatian delegation was not in close contact with Kokeza, but out of precaution, they are in self-isolation, and so far, no one is showing any symptoms.

“They were in the same place he was 12 days ago. We checked, none of them had close contact with him, if any. However, because of the precautionary measures and because they are responsible people, they are behaving responsibly in this situation, so we agreed to reduce contacts for 14 days, that is, if you want to call it that, they will be in self-isolation,” Croatian Football Federation doctor Zoran Bahtijarevic told RTL.

“Of everyone who was there, no one has symptoms. The likelihood of being infected is extremely low, but it is not good enough for us. We act responsibly and, as a last resort, send everyone a message to act responsibly,” said Bahtijarević.

Although the initial information was that Kokeza contracted the coronavirus in Amsterdam at the UEFA Congress, he had contracted it in Milan.

“Slavisa Kokeza is holding up well, feeling good. Everything happened in Milan, there are a lot of viruses from that city,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a press conference.

After the anticipated Doha friendly tournament was canceled due to the global pandemic, where Croatia was to play against Switzerland and Portugal, the Federation’s leadership and coach Dalic agreed that there would be no national team meeting this month. HNS informed the clubs of all the invited national team about this decision.

The decision was made keeping in mind the current situation in Croatia and Europe, that is, the global pandemic of the new coronavirus, to protect the health of the national team.

"It is the position of the Federation and the professional staff, headed by coach Dalic, that it is safest for national team members to stay in the cities where they reside, in quarantines or under other measures in force in certain countries," HNS said.

“Something that has never happened in the history of sports has happened. We need to be concerned about the health of athletes, fans and all other actors in football, but also in sports in general. This is an emergency that no one could have foreseen, but we have to deal with it. We have approached this problem with maximum responsibility, and it is not easy. This is a disaster for sports and the economy, but all human lives must come first,” Suker said in an interview, noting that his stance on Tuesday's UEFA video conference would be that the EURO does not take place this year.

"In any case, we will know more after Tuesday, human lives are paramount," Suker concluded.

The European Football Federation (UEFA) announced a major video conference next Tuesday with the leaderships of all 55 Member States and representatives of ECA, FIFPro and European leagues to discuss further steps European football will take in the context of a pandemic the coronavirus, with regard to both domestic and European club competitions, as well as EURO 2020.

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March 12, 2020 - Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the international Qatar Airways tournament in Doha, featuring Croatia, Portugal, Switzerland and Belgium, will not be played this month, the Croatian Football Federation announced.

HNS reports that the Croatian football team was due to play in a friendly tournament in Qatar's capital Doha at the end of March and measure its strength against the national teams of Switzerland and Portugal as part of preparations for the 2020 European Championships.

However, given the emerging health circumstances around the world, the tournament was canceled. In addition to Croatia, Switzerland and Portugal, the current top-ranked national team by FIFA was due to perform - Belgium.

The Croatian Football Federation will subsequently inform the public of the plans of the first team during the national team break.

A few days ago, Qatar authorities imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving or staying in Italy for the past two weeks, after which they closed schools and universities, so a tournament delay was expected.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic hoped to have two quality matches in Doha, and planned to give all players a chance and try out some systems.

“The plan is to give everyone a chance and to see the condition of all players, especially those who have been injured. The most important thing for me is to have seven days of  being together because there won't be much time later,”  the coach said Monday after releasing the player list for Doha.

This news comes after the Croatian Football Federation announced that all Croatian league games in the country would be played without fans until March 31. 

“Taking into account the emerging circumstances regarding the epidemic of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, today the leading people of the HNS and the relevant bodies of the Federation have re-analyzed the current situation and decided that all matches in competitions under the jurisdiction of the HNS will be played without spectators until March 31.

The new measure applies to the HT First League, Croatian Cup, 2. HNL, 3. HNL, 1. HNLŽ, 2. HNLŽ, 1. HMNL, 2. HMNL and all youth leagues under the auspices of HNS, as well as the upcoming UEFA qualifying matches that take place in Croatia.

In these competitions, only teams with their staff, senior management and officials of clubs and HNS, technical staff and a certain number of media representatives will be able to attend the matches until further notice, with all the usual measures for organizing matches.

The HNS also recommends that all county associations take the same measure in competitions under their jurisdiction.

As before, the HNS will closely monitor the development of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic and, if necessary, determine other measures to which the football family and the public will be informed in due time. The decision shall enter into force immediately and shall be valid until March 31 or the end of the representative break. The Federation will make a timely decision to continue or discontinue this measure, taking into account developments, recommendations from public health institutions, and considering, above all, the health of spectators, football players and all other actors in football.

You can find the Croatia Football Federation's statement in Croatian here.

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