Dalić, Modrić: "We can keep our heads high"

Zlatko Dalić

"I congratulate France for winning the world title. We have performed well, had control of the game, created chances, and then the own goal happened. We equalized, and then the penalty happened. Not something I would give in a World Cup final, but French victory remains deserved.  I respect the referees, and I consider VAR a good solution for football. In the previous matches we sometimes got lucky, and now we didn't - there's always a balance. This was probably Croatia's best performance, but we couldn't afford any mistakes. We are sad, but also proud of what we've done. Credit to the players"

"It was difficult to come when France scored the fourth goal, but I've told the players to keep their heads high. If someone offered us silver at the beginning, we would accept it and called it a fantastic achievement. Now there's some regret, yet this confirms how much the players believed in success. We have to stay gracious in defeat. We didn't win the trophy, but we're glad that Modrić's performances were recognized, he is the deserved winner of the Golden Ball. That's a praise for the entire team"

Luka Modrić

"We are proud of our performance, and sad because of the loss. It just didn't work out. This is the biggest achievement of Croatian football, and probably sports in general. It's not easy to fall behind all the time, but we can leave with our heads held high. Sometimes, a better team doesn't win. The second French goal was the key, we conceded we were at the top. Talking about referees will change nothing, even though France got the opportunity to defend and wait for counterattacks. Of course, I'm happy to receive the Golden Ball award, but I would be happier with the World Cup trophy. Thanks to my teammates, without them I wouldn't be awarded"

Copyright by Croatian Football Federation. Quoting text from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to HNS as a source and providing direct link to the original content at hns.family. Re-use of the photographs is not permitted.