The coach of the Croatian national football team, Zlatko Dalić, reflected on the incredible success that his team recorded at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Croatia beat Morocco to win the bronze medal, the second time in their short history that they have managed to pick up the bronze.

“I am even, even happier than yesterday,” commented Dalić the day he returned to Croatia. “When I saw this today, Croatia lives and celebrates with the Croatian national team, I am really proud. It was not expected, it's winter, it's cold, and there are a lot of people, a lot of young people, now this bronze is really golden,” he added with a huge smile.

When asked about the state of the team and could they maybe go one step further at the next major football championship in Germany he replied “We have a great national team and young players, but they wouldn't do anything without the older ones, Modrić, Perišić, Kovačić... They are the strength, we have the right to hope, we have the right to dream, Croatia can do it.”

Dalić then commented on the state of national football and the Croatian league system. The vast majority of football stadiums up and down the country are in need of drastic overhauls. The success of the national team is not because of the infrastructure in Croatia, but despite off it. And Dalić was quick to mention what he believes needs to be done to improve the situation.

“I think that every city with a first division team should get a stadium, the Croatian national team deserves it, that Varaždin, Rijeka, Split, Osijek, all of them have it. When you look at what we do and what kind of infrastructure we have, it's a miracle."