Zlatko Dalic for FIFA: "We Want to Replicate Success in Russia at Euros"
January 30, 2020 - Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic features on the official website of the World Football Federation, FIFA.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, FIFA spoke with Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic about that magic 2018 summer in Russia, an impressive qualification period, and what's next for Modric & Co.
"It's always fulfilling to reach your goals. It wasn't easy - it never is in qualifying - but we were at our best at the crucial points and I believe we deserved to top the group. Whenever we really needed to show our quality and pick up points, we did it, and that shows the quality, character and spirit of this group. I’m very satisfied because we managed to bring some new blood into the team, while keeping a high level of performance. What makes me even happier is the fact that we kept our togetherness, and had great support from our fans.
That unity was the key for us at the World Cup, and it will be vital for us going forward too. We saw a number of important, big-game players retire from the national team, such as Mario Mandzukic, and it was normal that the rest of the team from Russia felt something of a comedown after such an amazing World Cup. However, we tackled those issues by bringing in a few younger players, who are hungry, ambitious, and very talented - players such as Josip Brekalo and Nikola Vlasic, who were very important during qualifying. We also found an excellent new forward in Bruno Petkovic, so we managed to refresh our team with some new faces, while maintaining quality with experienced world-class players such as Modric, [Ivan] Rakitic and [Ivan] Perisic," Dalic answered when asked about qualifying for the Euro.
“I often say that togetherness is the most important quality of this group and, yes, that was true again during the qualifiers. We had some unexpected setbacks, such as losing in Hungary and dropping points to Azerbaijan, but the reaction was always fantastic. For instance, after the defeat in Budapest, we won against Wales with a quality display, and then played a brilliant game in Slovakia, winning 4-0. The leadership of our captain (Modric) was also so important in dealing with tough times; along with other senior players, he gives confidence to the whole team,” Dalic added about how Croatia tackled any setbacks along the way.
"I love what our young players bring to the team and it will be great for them to experience the EURO with the likes of Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, and others, because the future belongs to them. Nikola Vlasic scored three very important goals for us during qualifying, while Josip Brekalo is a talented winger and played in nine matches out of ten in 2019, which shows the trust we have in him. We have a number of players who are about to enter the best years of their careers - such as Kovacic, Petkovic, Livakovic or Jedvaj, all of whom 25 or younger and played a major role during qualifying. Their quality and attitude tells me that Croatia will still be in excellent hands even after some of our senior players like Luka retire from the national team at some point."
Croatia, as a World Cup finalist, is a particular challenge for all rivals.
“For any opponent, playing Croatia is now seen as a huge game and they all play with a lot of energy, focus and desire to beat the World Cup finalists. We understand that and we prepare for it, but it still means we get everybody's best shot and that's not easy to deal with game after game. All the same, if you're a competitor, you enjoy that challenge, and you want to show everybody that you deserved your silver medals. And we have a team full of competitors who love to represent Croatia, and who understand the importance and privilege of playing for the national team,” said Dalic.
At the Euros, Croatia awaits England, the Czech Republic and the Nations League playoff winner.
“If you look at our World Cup Final starting XI, and then at our team at the end of EURO qualifying, you can see that we've changed quite a lot. We don't have as experienced a team as we did during the World Cup but, in some areas, we might be even better. If you look at our 4-0 win in Slovakia, that was as good a performance as we’ve had during my time as Croatia head coach – the World Cup included. That performance showed that Croatia will be formidable opponents for anybody, not only at the EURO, but for years to come,” Dalic said.
“It's a tough group, but there are no easy groups at major tournaments. The game against England will be an especially great challenge. They have the big advantage of playing at home, but that will also bring additional pressure to them, which is not always easy to cope with. We managed to beat England at Wembley once, in 2007, and hopefully we can do it again. But we also understand it's not the only game in the group - we need to be ready for a very solid Czech Republic, as well as a difficult third opponent, whoever that turns out to be. Our goal will be to qualify for the next round and then try to recapture the magic from Russia in the knockout stage.”
You can read the full interview in English on the FIFA website.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Croatian Telecom Investing 54 Million Kuna in 5G in Osijek and County
There has been a lot of talk about the introduction of 5G in Croatia, with the introduction of 5G in Osijek generating an even stronger response in both a negative sense. Now come the developments in infrastructure which are necessary to facilitate this important network transition.
As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of January, 2020, this regards a development of telecommunication infrastructure in the municipalities of Antunovac, Čepin, Erdut, Ernestinov, Šodolovac, Vladislavci and Vuka. The project has the intention of seeing the network reach almost 10,000 private business and public users.
As an important step towards the introduction of 5G in Osijek, a partnership agreement for the implementation of a project to build a broadband network in seven municipalities in Osijek-Baranja County, worth more than 54 million kuna in total, was signed recently by representatives of that county and Croatian Telecom/Hrvatska Telekom (HT).
Milan Meden, chief operating officer of HT's infrastructure services department, explained that all residents of the area will have the opportunity to get broadband with a minimum speed of 40 megabits and more, and a minimum of 90 percent of optical infrastructure will be built, which means that there will be a potential 10,000 users who will have a speed of 100 megabits or more made available to them.
"As the Government proclaimed Osijek the first 5G city in Croatia, HT is continuing its infrastructure investments in optical and mobile 5G networks, which means that the area will be covered by new broadband technologies. We will increase the user experience, increase current internet speeds, enable new services and open up new jobs,'' Medan noted.
County Prefect Ivan Anusic expects that this investment, as well as the very introduction of 5G in Osijek will bring with it further progress and improve the quality of life and work of citizens and businesses.
Follow our dedicated business page for much more on the introduction of 5G in Osijek.
VIDEOS: Mondays With Mate: Rimac Automobili Begins New YouTube Show
"We're doing our best to share our journey with you as transparently as possible,'' Mate Rimac states when explaining his new YouTube show - Mondays with Mate, which is sure to quickly gain popularity among car lovers from around the world.
As Goran Jungvirth/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of January, 2020, beloved Croatian entreprneur Mate Rimac, as well as the social networking administrator of the wildly successful Croatian company Rimac Automobili are active on the internet and often publish news about the development of their electric vehicles, with which the world has fallen in love.
In addition, they've been known to make jokes about trends and challenges that ''haunt'' various social networks from time to time, which speaks of a well oiled (no pun intended) international communication strategy.
Recently, the company headquartered in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb hired well-known Russian YouTuber and test driver Misha Charoudin, who will surely have some lessons to teach and tricks up his sleeve for Mate when ir comes to communicating with his followers and fans on a modern multimedia basis.
''Welcome to our new show 'Mondays with Mate', where our CEO and Founder Mate Rimac updates you on the latest developments within Rimac Automobili and our industry, but also shares his take on topics chosen by you.'' the video's description states.
"A little bit about 2019, some plans for 2020 and an opportunity to engage with our fans even more - where you can ask us anything, and we will answer the best questions every Monday," Mate wrote about the reasons and topics covered by the first three shows of Mondays with Mate which were posted on YouTube in January.
In addition to the ''challenges of building a hypercar,'' Mate talks about campus building plans, global company expansion, financial plans, and collaboration with big players in today's auto industry.
As an award, those who post some of the best comments on YouTube will also receive a company T-shirt featuring the extremely powerful electric car - the new ''Concept 2'' - with 1,914 horsepower and the most impressive acceleration in the world - up to 100 km/h in 1.97 seconds.
Follow our dedicated Made in Croatia and lifestyle pages for more.
Croatian Company Contracts Jobs Worth 32 Million Euros with Car Industry
As Jozo Vrdoljak/Privredni.hr/Novac writes on the 29th of January, 2020, the Croatian company AD Plastik Group has contracted new deals for the Russian and European markets worth an enormous 31.8 million euros in total.
Additional jobs for the Renault-Nissan-AvtoVAZ alliance worth 22.4 million euros have been contracted over on the Russian market, and cooperation with the PSA Group is continuing on the European market, with which new jobs with a total value of 9.4 million euros have been contracted.
The AD Plastik Togliatti plant in Russia will produce shock absorbers and exterior pillar trims for the new Lada Grant model and lower bumper grilles for the new Renault Logan iSandero models. These are additional jobs for new Alliance vehicle models that were initially contracted back in 2019.
The start of batch production of these vehicle models is planned for the second and third quarters of 2021, with an estimated duration of eight years. 15.2 million euros worth of new deals have been agreed for the Lada Grant vehicle and 7.2 million euros for the new Renault models, which is excellent news for this large Croatian company.
''The new jobs contracted with the PSA Group are a confirmation of the very successful status of the AD Plastik Group in the panel of suppliers of this reputable automaker. The AD Plastik Group factory in Mladenovac has contracted the production of glass guides for Opel Astra, the best-selling Opel vehicle, with a total value of 5.8 million euros. The start of batch production is planned for the fourth quarter of 2021, with an estimated project duration of eight years,'' the highly successful Croatian company AD Plastik stated.
The Solin-based factory will produce exterior parts, namely the upper grilles, which will be installed on the Fiat Ducato and Opel Vivaro, vehicles from the FCA and PSA group. This Croatian company will be producing parts for these commercial vehicles for the first time, with a contract value of 2.2 million euros in total.
The start of batch production is also planned for the fourth quarter of 2021 with a project duration of two years.
Air extractors for the Peugeot 308 and Opel Astra will also be produced at the Solin factory, with a project value of 1.4 million euros. The commencement of the batch production of this project is planned for the first quarter of 2021, with an expected duration of seven years.
Make sure to follow our dedicated business and Made in Croatia pages for more information on this Croatian company and much more.
Croatia Gay Couple Foster Care Applicants: Country Full of Hypocrisy
A Croatia gay couple, who want to become foster parents, have a message for haters: “We are a country full of hypocrisy,” they point out in yesterday's interview with RTL Direkt. Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić, who are in a life partnership, applied to become foster parents in 2017. After passing extensive background checks, screening tests and obtaining their foster care certification, their application was rejected by the Social Welfare Center in Zagreb.
In December 2019, the Croatian Administrative Court handed down a decision which ordered the center to consider the couple’s foster parent application based on its merit only. However, the center refused to comply with the court’s decision and rejected their application again. Tatjana Brozić Perić, director of the Zagreb Social Welfare Center, now faces charges for refusing to implement the Administrative Court decision. Her conduct has also been condemned by members of the Croatian parliament.
Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić applied to the Social Welfare Center to become foster parents three years ago. After rejecting their application, the center explained that the couple cannot foster children because the law does not allow them to do so as life partners. Last December, the Administrative Court handed down a historic verdict which stated that life partners could be foster parents. However, their request was rejected again by the Social Welfare Center in January.
Croatia Law: Gay Couple Could Be Foster Parents, But Not as Life Partners
Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić, life partners who hope to become the first Croatian gay foster parents, were guests of Mojmira Pastorčić/RTL Direkt on January 28, 2020. The craziest thing of all is that if they were single instead of life partners, they could have easily fostered a child.
"That is the biggest paradox. If I had applied alone, I would not be questioned and would be welcomed at the center, I am at an ideal age, live in an urban environment, am highly educated and financially comfortable. In other words, I am in an ideal category for foster care applicants," Ivo noted.
Ivo Šegota | RTL Direkt
At Christmas they were given a "gift" by the Administrative Court, but the couple began celebrating too soon.
Director Zagreb Social Welfare Center Won’t Implement Court Decision
A few days ago, a decision was made by the Social Welfare Center, in which the director, Brozić Perić, stated that she would refuse to acknowledge the court decision because she did not want to implement it. Both Mladen and Ivo will submit a complaint to the Ministry of Demography, and they are confident that it won't repeat the center’s absurd behavior and will hand down a valid legal decision.
"We have been waiting for a long time and hope that as soon as we file our complaint, the Ministry (of Demography) will react promptly in accordance with the laws and the decision of the Administrative Court," Ivo says.
They would be the first gay couple to foster a child, but there are already several same-sex couples who have children in Croatia.
Croatia Same Sex Couples with Children Doing Well
"We don't have official statistics, but we hang out with a lot of these families. Some have children who are already grown up, but recently we've had a little 'baby boom'. Such families have had much more positive experiences than one might expect. There are families from every part of Croatia, and everything is working out very well for them. Professionals, who deal with these children in kindergartens and schools, and neighbors, generally view everyone as human beings first. Especially when it comes to a child, few are willing to act to the detriment of a child," Mladen said.
Croatia Public Reactions Overwhelmingly Positive
By all accounts, they have taken on a difficult role. "When this all began, it was not our intention to make public appearances, but immediately we realized that the saying 'When, if not now and who, if not me' could easily apply to us as well. The narrative in Croatia will not go forward unless we make public appearances and fight for our rights because our institutions have been silent or have rejected us," Ivo revealed.
The reactions they receive are mostly positive, which is surprising. People approach them throughout the day, and they also have the support of family, employers and even strangers. The pair are convinced that it is time for same-sex couples in Croatia to be allowed to adopt children.
Croatia In Company with Moldova Regarding Same Sex Foster Parenting
"Croatia is currently in company with Belarus and Moldova on this issue. The question is whether we want to be in company with them or with Spain, Austria, Germany, Great Britain. We are currently heading the EU Presidency and are proud that we are the heart of Europe. So why don't we assume a European stance regarding this issue as well? I am somewhat convinced that we are ready. There has been a huge shift toward positive comments in just one year, which is why we are glad that we have decided to make our efforts public," said Mladen.
Mladen Kožić | RTL Direkt
Some are saying that it is not necessary to experiment, but Ivo has a counterproposal for them.
Over 1000 Children in Croatian Orphanages: Shortage of Foster Parents
"We are talking about a thousand or more children who are spending their childhood in orphanages. Let’s see our opponents foster two or three children, which is as many children as we would like to foster, and we could solve all our problems in Croatia. There would not be any children left for us to foster, and everyone would be happy, except for the two of us, perhaps. "We are a country full of hypocrisy, and we don't see those who voice the loudest opposition coming down to the (Social Welfare) Center (to become foster parents). And we have a chronic shortage of foster parents in Croatia," Ivo concluded.
Mojmira Pastorčić with Mladen Kožić and Ivo Šegota | RTL Direkt
Interview with Mladen Kožić | HRT
Information on the December 2019 court decision can be found here. Details about the Social Welfare Center’s rejection of the couple’s second foster care application can be found here.
A history of the couple's efforts to become foster parents and information on the LGBT rights movement in Croatia can be found here.
To learn more about the efforts of Rainbow Families (Dugine obitelji), check out their website and Facebook page.
Croatia and Bulgaria with Highest Increase of Organic Farming Area in EU
ZAGREB, January 29, 2020 - Croatia and Bulgaria recorded the highest increase of organic farming area in the European Union in the period from 2012 to 2018, says a report by the European statistical office - Eurostat.
The total organic area in the European Union (EU) was 13.4 million hectares in 2018, corresponding to 7.5% of the total utilised agricultural area, shows Eurostat's report released on Wednesday.
This represents an increase of 34% between 2012 and 2018.
Eurostat explains that organic area covers land fully converted to organic farming and areas under conversion. Organic farming is a way of agricultural production which uses organic production methods and places the highest emphasis on environmental and wildlife protection and, with regard to livestock production, on animal welfare considerations.
Among the EU Member States, the countries with the largest shares of organic area in 2018 were Austria (24.1% of total utilised agricultural area), Estonia (20.6%) and Sweden (20.3%), followed by Italy (15.2%), Czechia (14.8%), Latvia (14.5%), Finland (13.1%) and Slovenia (10.0%).
With a 6.9% share of organic area, Croatia is among countries like Germany (7.3%), France (7.0%) and Belgium (6.6%). In 2018 Croatia had 103,166 hectares of organic farming area, almost three times more than in 2012.
Only two countries recorded a decrease in organic area - Great Britain and Poland.
Spain has the largest organic farming area expanding over 2.2 million hectares and accounts for 16.7% of total utilised farming land.
More agriculture news can be found in the Business section.
APN Head Fired Due to Controversial Purchase of Property
ZAGREB, January 29, 2020 - Construction Minister Predrag Štromar on Wednesday said that he would dismiss the State Real Estate Agency (APN)'s acting director Krešimir Žunić (Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ), after media outlets discovered that he had purchased a state-subsidised flat under the so-called POS scheme provided by that agency.
Štromar told reporters that he had submitted all the relevant documents in relation to Žunić to the prosecutorial authorities, who bought a flat in Zadar last year under the APN scheme which enabled him and his son to purchase the flat for a discount price of €975 per square metre. The scandal was uncovered by the commercial RTL broadcaster on Tuesday evening.
Last year, when he was deputy director of the APN, Žunić bought the property together with his son.
The so-called POS scheme for Socially Subsidised Housing Construction (POS) is intended to help young families and first-home buyers to purchase their own home in an affordable way.
Reporters also asked Štromar of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), whether he had reported his party colleague Slavko Čukelj, to the prosecutorial authorities, since Čukelj was the director of the APN agency at the time when Žunić signed the controversial contract and Čukelj signed the document on behalf of APN. Štromar however said that everything needs to be checked and that the procedure is being checked so as to see whether some other people from APN exploited the POS scheme to buy properties for themselves.
Later in the day Štromar said that the appointment of the new AN director could be expected on Thursday.
Commenting on the case concerning Žunić, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the whole situation "is unusual as well as his (Žunić's) statements."
He also said that he would discuss the matter with Minister Štromar.
Earlier in the day, Transport Minister Oleg Butković of the HDZ said that he had experienced many things in politics, however, something like Žunić's case and his explanations was "a precedent." Butković said that he felt embarrassed for him and Žunić being members of the same party.
In a bid to justify himself and the purchase of the property under the government subsidised scheme by the agency he headed, Žunić said that he was embarrassed that he virtually did not own anything.
"What can the prime minister say about me, for God's sake. I'm useless if I can't help myself," Žunić told the RTL last night.
Several members of the national parliament on Wednesday described Žunić's behaviour as scandalous.
More news about corruption can be found in the Politics section.
Flix & Art: Connecting Culture, Arts, and Travel in Zagreb and Split
January 29, 2020 - Dozens of Zagreb and Split museums, in collaboration with FlixBus, have created new added value and synergy through encouraging travel and elevating culture by providing unique benefits for travelers and visitors to museums.
Namely, HRTurizam reports that the rich offer of 160 Croatian general, artistic, technical, archeological, historical, ethnographic, natural, and other types of museums were visited by more than 5.5 million foreign and local lovers of museum exhibitions in 2018, according to the Museum Documentation Center.
To make the most of Croatian cultural heritage, FlixBus and a dozen museums in Zagreb and Split have presented the Flix & Art project with exclusive benefits on tickets or souvenir shops and discounts on their next FlixBus trip. Therefore, if you're visiting for a one-day or weekend visit to Zagreb or Split, lovers of travel and exploration can enjoy unique and different experiences of permanent exhibitions and other exhibitions of selected museums and galleries.
FlixBus discounts are 10% to 50% off when you purchase a ticket on a museum to museum basis, and a Flix & Art booklet will be created with a listing of all museum amenities and instructions.
The following museums are included in the Flix & Art project: Nikola Tesla Technical Museum, Croatian Museum of Naive Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Mimara Museum, Museum of Hangovers, Museum of Arts and Crafts, Croatian Museum of School, the Ivan Mestrovic Museums in Zagreb and Split, Museum of Senses in Split, and the Croatian Maritime Museum Split.
Don’t forget, Museum Night will be held across Croatia on Friday, January 31, 2020. This year will be the fifteenth edition of the event that began in 2005 with several Zagreb museums. Over the past few years, it has become the most significant event in Croatian museums.
This year, Museum Night is commemorating two major anniversaries: the 200th anniversary of the Split Archeological Museum, founded in 1820, and the 140th anniversary of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, founded in 1880.
Thus, the theme of Museum Night 2020 will be an opportunity for Croatian museums to once again remind the general public about the importance of 'museum history, present and future'. Communicating various content to the public - from museum collections, professional, scientific, educational and entertaining content to virtual tours of museum exhibits, historical buildings and protected heritage sites, and digital technologies have opened up unprecedented possibilities for presenting the museums.
You can find the program in your city here.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Plenković: First Month of Croatia's EU Presidency Intensive, Successful
ZAGREB, January 29, 2020 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Zagreb on Wednesday that the first month of Croatia's EU presidency had been intensive and successful, and that the first major goal had been accomplished with the completion of the procedure for Great Britain's exit from the EU.
In an interview in Europe House, held as part of the Croatian Radio Europanel programme, Plenković said that Brexit was the worst decision the UK could have made and recalled that it would not bring any dramatic changes for EU citizens and companies, notably those from Croatia.
In the next 11 months Great Britain and the EU should regulate their future relations, Plenković said, noting that it was necessary to focus on key issues such as trade, fisheries and security.
As for the further enlargement of the EU to Southeast Europe, Plenković said that he expected the EU-Western Balkans summit, to be held in Zagreb in May, to send a clear message "as to what our neighbours can expect".
"People in the EU live much better than in any other part of the world, our neighbours have no other place to go but Europe," Plenković said.
He did not agree with the interviewer's remark that the EU is getting weaker but warned that it should be more resolute.
"Each of those countries is open to communication with other stakeholders as well. If the EU is slow and hesitant, others will position themselves."
The other goals of Croatia's EU presidency are the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Plenković said that it was necessary to understand "the political core of the problems in the EU, which is inequality and insufficient inclusion."
Commenting on irregularities in the work of border police, he said that "if there are any irregularities, they are investigated."
He said that putting up fencing on the border was out of the question. "We will not put up fences or barriers on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. As long as we are in power, that will not happen."
More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.
Future Health Minister to Change Data in His Declaration of Assets
ZAGREB, January 29, 2020 - Assistant Health Minister Vili Beroš, nominated by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to succeed the just-dismissed Minister Milan Kujundžić, said on Wednesday morning that later in the day he would enter some changes in his Declaration of Assets, which happened in the last two years.
Beroš told the N1 commercial broadcaster that those changes had happened since he became the assistant minister, explaining that he had refinanced two loans taken in 2008 and 2016 and was now paying them at a more favourable interest rate arranged by the Croatian Medical Chamber for its members.
In 2016, he and his wife borrowed 50,000 euro from Erste Bank and in 2008 they took a loan of 75,550 in euro Addiko Bank.
Beroš also explained that since he became assistant minister, he reduced his activities as a court expert in neurosurgery and some other additional jobs, which had impacted his annual income.
Beroš will therefore meet the Commission's chairwoman, Nataša Novaković, to add those changes to his Declaration of Assets.
The current declaration shows that Beroš and his wife own a property appraised at 1.5 million kuna in the Zagreb suburb of Rudeš, as well as a 50-square-metre flat in the suburb of Vrapče.
He also reports that he has inherited a part of a property in Jelsa on the island of Hvar.
He and his wife possess two cars, one appraised at 75,000 kuna and the other at 120,000 kuna, and he is a co-owner of a speedboat.
The declaration of assets shows that Beroš and his wife, who works in a kindergarten, have managed to save 25,000 euro.
According to Beroš's CV, he was born in Split in 1964, is a university professor and has been employed at the department of neurosurgery of the University Hospital Centre "Sestre Milosrdnice" in Zagreb.
He is a member of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies Center of Excellence for Neurosurgical Training.
In 1989, he graduated from the University of Zagreb Medical School summa cum laude.
Beroš, a member of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), is the Vice President and founder of the Croatian Society for Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery.
More news about the Ministry of Health can be found in the Politics section.
