Impressions after winning bronze: ‘Shock, satisfaction, joy, emotions times a hundred!

Captain Franco Jelovčić tried to summarize his first impressions after this historic success.

“Shock, satisfaction, joy, emotions times a hundred… it’s hard to say anything sensible. My first goal - I don’t even know where I was, but I somehow managed to calm myself down. We took penalties excellently…” 

He described the match as an outstanding showcase for Croatian futsal.

“The match was excellent for futsal in general. They took the lead, we had a slow start, then we took over the game, and went two goals ahead. They scored a volley, and then that last goal… what can you say - futsal is a sport where everything can happen until the last second. The emotions are truly incredible. You win bronze for Croatia, the first in history, after 14 years of a career, and you see your people in the stands - indescribable.” 

When supporters in the stands held up a banner reading “Captain, stay!”, Jelovčić responded with a smile:

“I promise I’ll think about it!” 

One of the key players of the tournament, Luka Perić, emphasized what this medal means to him.

“After so many years with the national team, this means something big to me. Thanks to all the people who came to support us even after the semifinal. Big thanks to them and our boys. I think this isn’t luck - this third place is deserved.” 

About the nature of the game and the strength of the opponent:

“I agree, they are a top team with players who play for Barcelona and other serious clubs. A small mistake was punished. But we gathered our heads, and we simply knew, wanted, and had to get that third place.” 

Perić highlighted the mental toughness of the team under intense atmosphere.

“Hats off to the guys. In front of these people, because it wasn’t just hard for us - it was hard thinking about the people who came. They came from afar - Dalmatia, Slavonia, from everywhere. This was for them and for us.” 

Head coach Marinko Mavrović was also deeply moved after such a dramatic conclusion.

“Shocks - what can I say! I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t won today. Conceding a goal seven seconds before the end was really a shock. We achieved a historic result for Croatian futsal in front of packed stands in Slovenia. We filled the stands with Croatian fans for two days - from Dubrovnik to Vukovar - amazing, it’s an indescribable feeling. They gave us the strength to calm down and concentrate. At one point the captain calmed us, and Sekulić said ‘Let’s stay calm for the people.’ Phenomenal - hats off to the players, they deserved it.” 

He emphasized that unity was the foundation of their success.

“We built that unity and belief the whole time, and that’s what allowed us to do big things. That’s what we announced when we saw the draw. I’m glad the players knew from the first two games that they had to be ready to sacrifice. They took it calmly and composed. For example, Jurlina was maybe the best player after that, Hrstić played phenomenally in both the semifinal and final. In the end, everyone contributed to this success - from the first to the last — and I congratulate them; they showed what it means to fight for Croatia.” 

In closing, he revealed the plans for celebrating their achievement.

“We’re not going to save time now - we return to Croatia tomorrow. We’ll give them a little time to celebrate, and that’s it. People were stuck in hotels in Riga and Ljubljana for a month, they honored everything, and they deserved to celebrate together with the staff.”

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