CROATIA — PREPARING FOR a first-ever World Cup final against France — punches above its weight in many sports, with talent, passion and patriotism making up for a lack of resources in the small nation.
The nation’s footballers, including Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic, are preparing for football’s biggest game in Moscow on Sunday knowing they have a guaranteed place in the Balkan country’s sporting folklore whatever the result.
But the list of sporting heroes churned out by the country of just over four million also includes former tennis player Goran Ivanisevic and current star Marin Cilic as well as high jump double world champion Blanka Vlasic.
Drazen Petrovic, killed in a car crash, and Toni Kukoc, were both NBA stars, helping to bounce Croatia into the sporting spotlight.
Former Croatia international footballer Niko Kovac, the new coach of German giants Bayern Munich, talked of his pride in wearing the red-and-white jersey.
“Sport is in our blood,” Berlin-born Kovac wrote in German newspaper FAZ. “Croatia loves competition and comparing itself against others and it wants to be the best.”
He said sport was a way to earn a living or a passport to work abroad at a time when the Croatian economy was struggling.
“That gives an example for young sportsmen and women and we already have many idols who they can emulate,” he said.
Kovac said while facilities in Croatia were not on the same level as those in Germany, school sport was still a priority.
“They might not have the most modern facilities but basketball rings hang in every school playground and mini-football pitches and handball courts are marked out everywhere.”
Croatia’s national handball team are former world champions and Olympic gold medallists while the water polo squad are reigning world champions.
Experts say sporting success comes mostly in ball sports because they are cheaper to play.
- Family sacrifice -
Achievements in individual sports such as athletics, swimming, skiing or gymnastics are rarer.
Siblings Janica and Ivica Kostelic became alpine skiing champions against all the odds in a country lacking high mountains.
Despite a lack of financial support, stories of the Kostelic family sleeping in tents and the family car while travelling between competitions and training venues are legendary in the sport
“There is no special secret for the success of Croatian sport, but simply a true, genuine love and passion for what one is doing,” said Janica Kostelic, the first woman to win four gold medals in Olympic alpine skiing history.
“Particularly persistence, because only one missed training cannot be substituted with anything,” the 36-year-old told AFP.
Gymnast Tin Srbic, who won Croatia’s first world title in the men’s horizontal bar, trains in a hall built more than 100 years ago while two-time women’s discus Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic has achieved success despite the lack of a structured system.
“This is the question of the incredible talent on Croatia’s territory. It’s not the fruit of the system,” Croatia’s men’s water polo coach Ivica Tucak told AFP.
Tucak also stressed that patriotism in a young nation, born in 1991 during a bitter independence war, is a motivating factor.
“There is no money, contracts, major individual sponsors, there is nothing. Only this state emblem, love for the homeland. It’s a phenomenon.”
“It’s a struggle for survival, that’s how I would explain it,” said Slavko Goluza, former handball player and coach, who won two Olympic golds as a player.
“We work in very poor conditions lacking sports infrastructure, from football to handball.
“We definitely have an enormous spirit, which combined with strong emotions creates incredibly beautiful things.”
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Their players from a young age have learned to keep the ball on the deck, that has not happened in this country in the past.
The FAI and schoolboy leagues in recent years have been producing more technical players but we are still far behind many countries. Obviously o’neill’s insistence on playing horrid football does not help but I think we will start producing players in the next few years, particularly with the LOI underage league system in place and the Irish youth teams doing reasonably well like the u17s with Irish born players(no disrespect to the granny rulers)
Last point, soccer is Croatia’s biggest sport, Ireland has a range of sports and soccer is not always first choice with young lads…
@Benny Millar: soccer is by far and a way the first choice for male children in Ireland… By a long shot
There’s two ways football teams develop… The favela style of poor kids playing on the street all day, and the German style of technocratic academies from a young age
Ireland does neither, just like Scotland. Both countries consistently underachieve at our primary sport
@Chucky Arlaw: Do you have figures on that statement? IMO rugby and GAA rule the roast in Ireland. That’s the excuse I tell myself anyway. I hope I’m right.
@Alan Murphy: you’re definitely right. Some fantastic soccer players down here in Kerry don’t develop because they prioritize football over it
@Alan Murphy: Rugby? Rugby participation in Ireland is miniscule compared to soccer and gaa. Don’t let the successful probinicals and national team fool you.
@Gareth Keenan: He’s right in fairness Alan. Rugby is distant 4th choice if you look at the readily available statistics. Doesn’t get within an ass’ roar of football, hurling or soccer.
@Cathal: Which just proves the point. Rugby success proves It’s not the population size, it’s how you work with and develop it. The FAI have far more players to work with and need to take a long hard look at themselves.
The FAI are poor key holders for the future of soccer in this country!
That’s right…I forgot that Croatia are also a massive rugby nation and 2 flavours of national sports only the Croatians play.
@Fergal Moore: once again, the majority of children in Ireland play soccer by far and a way
A combination of an association modelled on a third world dictatorship and a culture of must win at u8s means we develop no world class players
@Fergal Moore: You don’t have to be confined to one sport. Just because GAA is huge in Ireland doesn’t mean we can’t be better at other sports. Players can cross over between other sports in other countries. It can happen in Ireland too. Last Olympics. Croatia: 5 gold 3 silver 2 bronze. Ireland. 0 gold 2 silver 0 bronze.
@Chucky Arlaw: where are you getting your facts from? A top gaa player can earn more through sponsorship deals then a professional in LOI
@Chucky Arlaw: Sure my friends and I all played soccer until we were in our mid teens, then GAA took over and we might play the odd 5 aside during the winter now. Depends on where you’re living I suppose.
@Chucky Arlaw: “Once again the majority of children in Ireland play soccer”? “Once again”? Well Dr. Google, could you please prove your point with stats. Saying “once again” is like saying the word fact at the end of your statement. It means f€Uk all unless you can back it up.
@Fergal Moore: 2 flavors ? ;-)
basketball …olimpic finale against the one and only USA DREAM TEAM EVER.. in Barcelona
handball and waterpollo world champions
skying world champions
tennis wimbledon winner ivanisevic ..with a bunch od tennis player
from ivanisevic and monika seles till today cilic, coric donna vekic
blanka vlasic athlet… multi world champion etc etc
we suck in economy .. but sport is different league ;-)
Disappointed by the article having read the headline – there is really no discussion about the systems Croatia have in place to produce such fine footballers. I would have hoped it might allude to a cohesive structure from youth levels in terms of instructing coaches, and in turn, scouting young talent and nurturing them through intensive skills training and competition.
@Juniper: when you have under 11′s playing 11 aside their is something wrong. 5 aside should be played til kids are in their late teens. Strength will always be chosen over skill in our system.
Anyone have a rough idea of the breakdown for players of soccer, football, hurling and rugby? I would have thought there would be more registered as playing GAA
@Jimmy Timm: Take a look at Ken Fitzgerald (@cionnait): https://twitter.com/cionnait?s=09
2013 figures but reasonably representative.
Pretty straight forward answer really. It’s because they dont have a flute like John Delaney as the head of their football association.
No excuses for Ireland!
@Magnum: How good are Croatia’s hurling and football teams? Their rugby team? Their jockeys?
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Ireland still has a gigantic soccer playing population that far surpasses that of any of the other sports…
Kerry GAA year after year, for seventy years, have produced athletes with ball skills that would make Brazilians blush
Since 2004, using the model developed by the German FA, Dublin GAA and Leinster rugby have produced sports people who are undoubtedly world class
It’s the FAI’s fault, coupled with a truly anti developmental policy throughout the game… In Leinster rugby schools players play two years of fixtures with out one competitive game, usually forty/fifty friendlies instead… This is because it’s about developing future talent not winning an u12 league
Irish soccer should be matching what Irish society has managed to produce in so many other fields
@Magnum: i think what you mean is , no excuses for the FAI.
I agree totally with you
@Chucky Arlaw: there’s no comparison, outside of Soccer, Basketball and Olympic Handball Croatia as a sporting nation doesn’t exist at International level. Ireland’s sporting talent is way more multilayered and personally I prefer that. In Croatia kids grow up focused on Football primarily & Basketball they are the be all and end all and they dictate the countries mood. In Ireland our focus swiftly changes after a bad campaign to Autumn Internationals, the September Road lately Irish Cricket, our Hockey lads are off to a World Cup soon, there’s so many other things going on in our sporting Culture that Soccer will never mean the same to the majority of Irish people the way it does to all Croats (the same as the other Balkan/FYR nations)….
When you have national schools banning ball sports at break times. Not every child is a intellect. Exercise is great for body and mind.
Name any mainstream sport and we punch above our weight
@John McCabe: except soccer
@John McCabe: What’s your definition of a mainstream sport? Major world team sports played across a variety of countries. Soccer, rugby union, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey. What’s your definition of punching above our weight? Ireland’s Olympic medal record is also low.
@grandslamkbo: You can hardly call rugby a major world team sport? Only played at a high level in about 10 countries and only ranked 4th in participation levels in this country
@grandslamkbo: Yes, Athletics, Rugby, Cycling, Soccer, Cricket, Boxing, Golf as opposed to sports that we do not compete in like perhaps NASCAR, surfing, sumo wrestling..etc
As for my definition of punching above our weight we have or have had fantastic athletes/competitors over the years up against countries with vastly superior populations and acquitted ourselves very well.
@Ruairi O’Bric: Maybe not at the moment but certainly in the 80s and 90s
@John McCabe: remind me what irish soccer won in the 80’s and 90’s….
@Ruairi O’Bric: the hearts of the nation but seriously qualification for euro 88 italia 90 usa 94 was an achievement in itself
@John McCabe: I’d say if you tried to put the hearts of a nation in a trophy cabinet the UN would be on our backs. We need a better attitude towards football in this country if we are to really want to qualify regularly along with investment and a system in place. I’m sick of the “small country” mentality year after year.
@Paul: Totally agree.
Unfortunately we still have some archaic coaches and mindsets who want instant results. Together with the Dubs dominance and Rugby on a high it will be difficult for home soccer to compete and for investors to invest. As for small country mentality its in our psyche, hard luck stories, gallant losers etc it will take time.
Anyway have a great day
@John McCabe: And boxing
Great website on best sporting nations per capita
http://www.greatestsportingnation.com/per-capita-cup-2017
I don’t know what its like in Croatia but i know in some parts of rural ireland it’s nearly impossible to find a youth soccer club that will nurture young talent to mold them into quality players that don’t mind holding onto the ball instead of hoofing long balls. The fai needs to understand this and start investing in youth teams around the country to bring the best out of young players because I genuinely believe there could be the likes of a modric or an mbappe in ireland it’s just about finding them and bringing that out.
In Ireland we could be brave, ban heading the ball in U12 soccer apart from the box and encourage kids to play the ball on the ground… In addition we could tear up the FAI league and create 4 teams ala rugby and play in a Celtic league. wait 10years and hey presto we might have footballers
Most countries have a home league that is well supported League of Ireland football is quite good but very poorly supported by the fans and the F a i
@Michael Graham: I hear what you are saying, managers like Stephen Kenny and Alan Reynolds are showing the way on how we could, and should, be playing ball, out from the back, controlling the play. If these teams can start to get on well in Europe, we could be in for a brighter future.
Sorry should have added there is alot of people who go our of their to coach/train young teams but with no reward or financial gain. Just do it for the love of the game
@Cathal: Then how many major world team sports exist ? Football ? Cricket ? Basketball ? Ice Hockey? And cricket and ice hockey fall into similar bracket as rugby in terms of a limited pool of countries playing, and basketball is dominated by 1 professional league rather than international competition
@Ciaran Ó Tuama: the ranking is done on quite good criteria, worth a read. Not perfect, but could never be.