Baturina: “I’m proud to be here; the World Cup is every player’s dream”

Ahead of Croatia’s first match at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, his role is significantly different. He arrives at his second major tournament with the Vatreni carrying much greater responsibility, especially considering his excellent finish to the club season.

“I’m proud to be here, and it’s every player’s dream to be at a World Cup. I’m grateful for the minutes I got at the Euros, and I’ve worked very hard leading up to this World Cup. I don’t pay attention to what people write; I stay focused on myself. We’re all ready here, and we’ll see what happens after the first match.”

On Croatia being viewed as an underdog despite its success...

“Our strength is that we’re often underestimated. Croatians love proving people wrong.”

On his club season...

“The beginning wasn’t great, but I used that period to work on myself. The second half of the season opened up for me, and I took advantage of it. I improved tactically and became a better player. Argentina? Well, they won the World Cup. Nico Paz is there, and I’m happy for him. They’re among the favorites, and I wish them good luck.”

On his market value...

“I don’t pay attention to transfer values. The important thing is to play well, and everything else will follow.”

On his experiences against England with the U-21 national team...

“We played a friendly against them. I scored a nice free-kick goal, and we played really well in that match. Kotarski made some great saves, and Beljo scored from the penalty spot. Many of those English players are now in the senior national team, so we know each other.”

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