Dalić, Rakitić: "A special feeling, no excuses"

Zlatko Dalić

"We can not choose our opponents, and it doesn't really matter who's on the other side. We need no excuses, but to play our game. Russian home support should not be a problem - our players are used to such an atmosphere. Russia did not reach the quarterfinals by accident, and our plan includes quality organization, quality defence, aggression, and unity, and we need to offer more in attack. We respect Russia, and it will be another tough match. The entire Croatia lives in euphoria, it's almost a holiday when the national team is playing. We want to repeat the success of France '98, we have the same objective. Now it is required of us to find strength, energy, and motivation to be at our best and defeat Russia. This has to be our finest hour"

Ivan Rakitić

"It is a special feeling to play the hosts, and we need to enjoy every moment - including attack, defence, and a lot of effort. A top performance is needed. We have analyzed the Russian team, they are a tough opponent who deserved to be here, and now everything is up to us. We can hardly wait the kick-off, and we are full of desire to show the world how good and strong we are. We are playing for our fans throughout the world - and many international fans who also support us, which confirms we are on the right path. We understand each other, like a family. Croatia internationals from 1998 are our heroes and we want to continue where they left off"

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