15 July,2018 07:42 AM IST | Moscow | Kashinath Bhattacharjee
Luka Modric. Pic/AFP
It's been a topsy-turvy journey for Croatia while making it to their maiden World Cup final. They have already spent more minutes than any other teams in the World Cup with their last three knockout matches going into extra-time out of which two were decided in tie-breakers.
Croatia captain Luka Modric faced some backlash for his comments about England's arrogance motivating them further to beat them in the semi-final. On the personal front, he is facing a case for perjury and will have to appear before a court of law immediately after the World Cup final. However, on the eve of Croatia's maiden World Cup final appearance here, Modric stressed on the importance of being calm.
'No doubts at all'
"I never doubt myself and my abilities. All the stuff said to me will be extra motivation. There is no burden on me. I am really happy to be who I am and where I am. We are in the final of the World Cup and this is the moment to relax, to enjoy ourselves, to focus on the game and nothing else," he said. For Modric and Croatia's coach Zlatko Dalic, the first knockout match against Denmark was the hardest. "After that, there was no pressure really."
Ready for any sacrifices
Dalic said his players are ready to make any sacrifices for the biggest moment of their career. "God willing, if we win, there will be celebrations everywhere. But there is no pressure on us and even if we do not win, we will be dignified on the field. We will leave the field with our heads held high as I know we will give our everything on the pitch. Some of our players have played big games for their clubs, like the Champions League final, but this will be the biggest and they are ready to sacrifice their all," said the coach.
Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2018: Biggest success in Croatian history, says Luka Modric
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