Perišić: “I’ll play wherever the coach needs me”

He was first asked what needed to improve in the team’s play to achieve a better result.

“The focus has been on recovery, and we haven’t had much time for training. We still have an analysis session tonight. Tomorrow we’ll go out and give everything we’ve got. We know what is required of us, but we have to be better than we were in the first two matches.”

On his experiences against African national teams...

“We were actually just talking about that. So far, the results have all been positive. I hope they stay that way, just as they have against other African teams throughout our history.”

On his impressive statistics and important role in the national team...

“I’ve said it before, Luka and I push each other all the time. We can see in other sports that the limits have shifted. With hard work, sacrifice, and the hunger that still drives us, it’s possible to reach certain milestones. The hunger is still there, and I’m working at full capacity. I do two training sessions every day. As long as that continues, I’ll be here. As long as I can make a difference on the pitch and compete with the younger players, I’ll keep going. I’ve been here for years, and I’ll play wherever the coach needs me.”

On the young players in the Croatian squad...

“There are a lot of young players and a great deal of quality in this team. In a way, those guys are fortunate that we older players have stayed with the national team for so long, because they can see how we treat this sacred jersey and how we represent Croatia in the best possible way. One day, when we’re no longer here, it will be their responsibility to lead the national team and preserve that culture.”

On Ghana’s wingers...

“We’ve watched as much as we could of their two matches, and we still have another analysis session ahead of us. They’re a good team, very compact, and they played with a low defensive block in both games. They’ve already advanced from the group, so maybe they’ll change a few things now. We have to be ready for anything. Most importantly, we need to prepare well and perform much better than we did in the first two matches.”

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