Oreščanin after the semi-final: “We achieved our main objective, and I’m proud of my players”

Despite seeing their European campaign come to an end in the semi-finals, the Croatia U-19 national team achieved a major success by finishing among the top four teams in Europe and securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Tomas Baković:

“It was a demanding match in every aspect of the game. Spain showed they have quality players in every position and that many of them are already playing serious senior football. We fought until the very last minute, but today luck wasn’t on our side.

We qualified for the World Cup, and we’ll keep working hard and prepare as well as possible for that tournament.

I’m truly very proud of my teammates. Everyone gave everything they had, as did the coaching staff. We all gave our maximum. Unfortunately, we fell short of reaching that historic final, but we’ll keep fighting, and I hope we can win a medal at the World Cup.”

Siniša Oreščanin:

“Congratulations to Spain on their victory, their excellent performance and their deserved place in the final.

We’ve had a very good and successful tournament, one we reached after a ten-year absence. We came through some excellent qualification campaigns and winning runs. We arrived here with high expectations because we wanted to be here, and we achieved it in a way that almost felt like something out of a movie.

My first impression is that there’s nothing you can really complain about regarding Spain’s superiority today. In our preparations we tried various adjustments and adaptations, but one of the key factors was certainly physical freshness. We tried to find extra energy, but Spain had every advantage, including an extra day of rest. I’m not looking for excuses.

It was noticeable in their aggression, their pressing, the way they stepped out and closed down the ball. Against Spain, you have to be perfect with your timing, your movements and every phase without possession.

I think the main thing that could have made things easier for us was our play with the ball. Alongside our defensive work, our main objective was to execute offensive transitions well, stretch them out and tire them, but their fresh legs and our poor decision-making ultimately made the difference.

This was a valuable experience. It was our fourth match in practically ten days. That’s something new, and it’s exactly what awaits us at the World Cup, where you play every third day.

We achieved everything we had quietly hoped for. We wanted to be here, to show what we had displayed throughout the qualifiers and to be competitive. Most importantly, we wanted to qualify for the World Cup, and we did.

This tournament was a reward for all of us. A huge thank you to the players—they gave absolutely everything. This is a wonderful group of young men who have already matured, and I’m truly delighted with everything they’ve shown.

My thanks also go to the coaching staff, our directors, the Croatian Football Federation, the president and everyone who supported us throughout this journey. This is a significant achievement for Croatian football.”

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