Dalić and Modrić speak on remarkable Croatia success

Zlatko Dalić

"I congratulate both my players, and the Russia team who fought bravely, staying true to their tireless, aggressive style of play. They were playing above their capabilities, presenting their quality. Luck was on our side, and the tears in the end were the proof of how relieved I am. I don't cry very often, but now I have a good reason to cry. We have made ourselves happy, as well as everyone in Croatia. During the penalties, we all supported each other to stay mentally strong. Fortune favours the brave"

"The idea was to focus on attack, but it didn't look good in the first half. There were too many long balls, alongside Russian pressure. We have turned the tables by introducing an extra midfielder, took control, and I believe our victory was deserved. Now we need to rest, maybe change something before the England encounter in order to stay fresh. We will give our best in this tough match. England outplayed Sweden, since their manager is offensive-minded, but there are no favourites in the semifinals. It's 50-50, since only the compact, organized teams have stayed in the tournament"

Luka Modrić

"Russia performed well - they are a powerful, organized team - preventing us from doing what we wanted in the first half. However, in the second half it was Croatia who dominated, and we should have won before the shootout. I guess it was destiny to have more drama. It was a tough match, we struggled - even with injuries -  and fatigue played its part. We were once again mentally strong in the shootout, especially after Subašić's first save. I hope we will perform better against England, and both teams will be under a lot of pressure. Croatia is proud to repeat the 1998 success, and perhaps we can take that extra step and reach the World Cup final"

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