Stanišić: “Luka has always been the same, success has never changed him”

The first topic was naturally his conversation with Bayern Munich teammate Harry Kane following Croatia’s match against England in Dallas.

“I spoke to him, but not for too long. He had plenty of media duties after the match as well. I told him I knew where he was going to place the second penalty and said it had been a good game, exactly the kind of match I expected. We didn’t talk much beyond that, but I congratulated him on a great performance.

The second penalty? Yes, I immediately told him we had already been in that situation this season at Bayern and that he would probably go the same way again. Of course, the final decision was entirely his. If he had dived that way and Kane had gone to the other side, it would have been my fault. A goalkeeper has instincts and has to trust them. Unfortunately, he saved the first one but not the second. That’s just how it turned out.”

On preparing for a match knowing he will be in the starting line-up:

“It doesn’t really make things any easier. I’ve always given my maximum whenever I’ve played. In terms of preparation, nothing changes for me.”

On England:

“We already knew before the match what kind of players England have – very quick and very dangerous. We saw how clinical they are in front of goal; they don’t need many chances to score. Livaković made a lot of saves, but that was more down to him than to the quality of their finishing. I wouldn’t say it was anything unexpected.”

On the pace of Panama winger José Luis Rodríguez:

“Luckily, he’s not the only fast player on the pitch, ha, ha, ha... We know what we need to watch out for. We never take any opponent lightly and we always give our maximum. That’s how we’ll approach this game as well. It doesn’t matter whether the opponent is a big name or a smaller one – our mindset remains the same. We’ll give everything we have and, of course, go for the win.”

On Luka Modrić’s 200th appearance for Croatia:

“What more can be said about Luka? We all know what kind of player he is. Reaching 200 caps is simply unreal. Since the first day I arrived in the national team, whether he was the most important player in the squad or not, he has treated everyone exactly the same. Despite all the success he has had – and will continue to have – he has remained completely down to earth. People outside football don’t always know or see that. For me, that matters just as much as what he does on the pitch.”

On Ivan Perišić:

“We missed him in this kind of form two years ago. His numbers speak for themselves. He lives for football and for the national team. He gives everything on the pitch and is always looking to give even more. In my opinion, he has delivered some of his biggest contributions in the most important moments for Croatia.”

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