Bilić: “The best players play for the national team - that is the only criterion”

After naming the players selected for the start of his second spell in charge, Bilić explained his choices.

“The summer is over, and so is the period I had for consideration. Now it is time to get together - this is what we have been waiting for, and we are ready. I spoke to the players, thought everything through and finalised the squad. This is a specific situation, with four matches in 12 days. We need a slightly larger group of players, and this is also my first camp, so I want to see all of them. I decided on 23 players plus three,” Bilić said before addressing the subject of captain Luka Modrić.

“We spoke at length, for two or three hours. We also spoke in the meantime, although not about that subject, and we finally addressed it three days ago. I can only repeat myself: he is extremely important both on and off the pitch. Modrić was Milan’s best player against Juventus. I did not have to persuade him—he is passionate about Croatia and the national team, so this is a win-win situation. His role? He will not play all four matches. He will play at a pace that suits both him and us, similar to his rhythm at Milan. We have to respect that, and it will be best for everyone. As for discussing his role off the pitch—that is unnecessary.”

On Dominik Livaković:

“We spoke, and he called me twice. He asked for my opinion, but I told him that he did not need to justify himself. No Croatian goalkeeper has ever joined such a big club. On the other hand, you have to play. As the second-choice goalkeeper, you still prepare for matches, you are there and constantly ready. He has earned a great deal of credit with the national team. He produced outstanding performances for Croatia even when he was not playing at Girona. But you have to play. Livaković is Livaković, but it would be good for him to be getting regular playing time.”

On the senior players and the younger generation:

“We will see. We were also good during my first spell. At the 2006 World Cup, we were one goal away from progressing from the group, so it was hardly rock bottom. At the time, we recognised that there were better players available, and they played. There is no need to force that process, and we will not force it, but it will happen in the future. The best players play for the national team - that is the only criterion. Croatia function best with a back four and already have a well-established system. Baturina is not an out-and-out winger; he will move inside, and that changes the system. There is no need to force revolutionary changes - they will happen naturally.”

On Josip Mišić:

“I called him a few days ago, although I had been thinking about him from day one. For me, he is exactly that type of player - I am certain of it. He can cover the position Modrić plays in. He provides balance, protects the defence, is aggressive, performs at a high level, is in the prime of his career, full of confidence and has the character and everything else I am looking for. He is not coming in as a saviour. He is joining an area in which we are already strong, but if we want to play with a number six, he fits that profile. I expect a great deal from him. He is here because I need him.”

On the forwards:

“I like having competition. I put the squad together with my staff, and we will not have much time for training. There are more forwards than would normally be necessary, but I want to see all of them. We have four matches, everyone will get an opportunity, and then the hierarchy will become clearer. Let us call up everyone who is currently in contention and see what they can do. None of them is Benzema, but they are all good players. I want to see them all.”

On Josip Juranović playing at left-back:

“That position has been an issue since Jarni. At different times, Ćorluka, Šimunić and Pranjić played there. Then Strinić came along, but since then we have had something of a shortage. Juranović has played around 25 per cent of his matches at left-back, so I called him. His response was very positive. There are also young players in the Under-21 team who will become key players for the senior national team. It is still a little early for them. I want to see the players we currently have, and I also agreed with Olić that I would leave those youngsters with him.”

On his conversation with Zlatko Dalić:

“We spoke at length and had an excellent conversation. He did not reveal anything spectacular, but it was a phenomenal discussion from my perspective. He confirmed some things I already knew, told me some new things, explained what he had done and shared his view of what needed to be improved and what he himself could have done better.”

On Luka Vušković:

“It seems strange to me. Jerkan moved from Oviedo to Nottingham Forest, and it was not the same for him. Some systems suit certain players, while others do not. Vušković is exceptional - not only in my view, but in everyone’s. His stability and composure stand out. At Brighton, he is already something of a leader, constantly turning around and telling his teammates what to do. We expect a great deal from him. Age is only a number on paper. If someone is very young or very old, you have to take that into consideration, but Vušković plays as if he were 29 rather than 19. Things can happen very quickly, and you cannot always influence them. The situation at centre-back is improving. Šutalo has found a new club, and I still need to speak to Pongračić. Duje Ćaleta-Car has not been called up, but I spoke to him. I rate him very highly and told him that he needed to find a club. He has now signed for Sassuolo, and nothing is set in stone. I expect him to play, and if he does, he will be with us.”

On Joško Gvardiol’s role:

“We have versatile players. With eight such players, it is almost as if you have 12. Stanišić can also play at centre-back. As for Gvardiol, I see him as a centre-back. Of course, he plays at full-back for City, although in an unusual way, as most of their players do. You could put him in midfield and he would play well. If he wants to become the best in the world, centre-back is the position for him. He will play some matches at full-back, but I see him as a centre-back and the leader of this team. There is much more responsibility on you when you play in the centre of defence.”

On Croatia’s Nations League opponents:

“We are focused on all three opponents, but especially on Czechia. They have appointed a new head coach, although it is difficult to change much in a short period. They were not poor at the World Cup; they were competitive but did not have much luck. In terms of quality, they are below us, but if we can beat Spain, they can beat us. They passed their ‘technical inspection’ and are not to be underestimated. They may not be the most attractive team, but they are strong, powerful and dangerous from set pieces. They also have several very good individuals.”

On the different profiles among Croatia’s forwards:

“Ivanović can play on the wing, although he is not a winger. Kramarić is Kramarić - he can play anywhere in attack. The others are similar in some ways and different in others. It would be difficult to play all four of them together, and I primarily see them as individual options. Perhaps they could play together towards the end of a match, when you are putting crosses into the box. There will not be six forwards in future squads. I want to see them all now, and then we will decide. I want to achieve a major result at the European Championship, and the Nations League will help us prepare for that. These matches are important, especially because of the draw. Considering the group, progressing is achievable, but it will be difficult. We have to finish at least third. Fourth place would leave us unseeded for the European qualifiers, which would automatically make things more difficult. Ideally, there would not be six forwards, but I want to see all of them now. Will there be six in the future? No, but the hierarchy will become clearer. How they continue their careers at club level will also be important. Šego could still emerge, as could someone from the Under-21 team. Šotiček has character and is a very good player. He has returned and is playing well. Segečić and Jagušić are also there, and it is excellent that Majer is now playing well. This squad is important for these matches and will give us a clearer picture for the future. However, their performances during the remainder of the season will determine future squad selections.”

On the Croatia team he wants to see:

“We want to continue achieving strong results, and Dalić’s results motivate me. He showed me that it can be done. If we think positively and believe, we will be closer to achieving that goal. We have to dominate possession because that is when we feel most comfortable. We play in our own distinctive way, which confuses opponents. We need to improve our transition play, but we cannot and will not base our entire game on it. We want to be closer to the team we saw in the second half against Portugal than the one from the first half. The aim is to extend that second-half performance across 89 minutes and be the better team throughout the match. These are all tangible things, and there is no reason why we cannot achieve them. Everyone remembers that second half. We need to create the right atmosphere, and hopefully, we will also have a little luck on our side.”

On Sergej Jakirović:

“I congratulated him when they earned promotion; it was fantastic. He is now operating at an elite, top-level standard. It is fantastic for him and for all Croatian coaches. The Dutch were once the best example, followed by the Italians, the Portuguese and now the Spaniards. His success is proof for everyone, but especially for coaches. He was often underestimated, just as all of us have been. That can sometimes cause a coach to begin doubting himself. I simply hope he continues in the same way.”

On his coaching staff:

“The coaches are Danilo Butorović, Dean Računica, Nikola Jurčević and Vatroslav Mihačić. I have worked with Nikola everywhere for many years. He later pursued his own career as a head coach, but I am delighted to be working with him again. These are people I work and live with every day. Mihačić is much more than a goalkeeping coach. Both fitness coaches left together with Dalić, while Nick Davies worked with me at West Bromwich Albion. We both wanted to continue working together after West Brom, but he was unable to join me elsewhere at the time. He works at Everton and was also with Wales when we drew 1-1 in Split. He has experience, and when this opportunity arose, I told him to check with the Everton manager whether he could combine the two roles. He was given the green light, and that was it. I did not simply find him on Google. You all know Jasmin Osmanović - he is a top expert. I did not know him personally before; we have only just met. The other fitness coach is Fedor Kulušić, who worked with me in Saudi Arabia and was also part of Rijeka’s academy. The video analysts are Alen Terzić, Edin Terzić’s brother, whom I have known since 2012. I wanted him, and he wanted to work with me. Ive Bilić is my nephew, and this opportunity will benefit both him and me. He has completed all the necessary qualifications and knows exactly what I need. Gianni Vio will be responsible for set pieces, which are extremely important. You constantly wrote that Croatia were poor in the air while our opponents were strong, so now we have brought him in. We met in Rijeka and agreed everything within a few days. He worked with Conte at Tottenham, where they had never scored more Premier League goals from set pieces. He has also worked in the United States and at Atlético Madrid. In my view, he is an outstanding appointment. Set pieces must not become our main focus, but he will be given his own area of responsibility. He is full of enthusiasm, energy and desire, and in theory, it is an excellent addition.”

On pressure:

“It is not pressure - it is motivation. Dalić’s results are our guide. We are aware that not everything depends on us and that, on paper, some national teams are better than Croatia. We have been consistent over the past decade, and calculations would probably place us among the world’s top three national teams - and that is where we belong. That is not exaggeration. It should be our guide, but it is also our reality and our objective. Optimism is a prerequisite for success in anything. The key is not allowing it to carry you away. Be optimistic, but understand what you need to do. Our goal is to win the European Championship, just as it is for every other team.”

On the Croatian league:

“All of these players have come through the Croatian league, apart from a few members of the diaspora. A large number of them began their careers in our league. The Croatian league produces enough players to keep the national team performing at the highest level. With some players, you could immediately see that they were capable of playing the same way against Slaven Belupo as they would against England. Modrić and Ćorluka demonstrated that. It is not the same for everyone. Baturina is not the same player today as he was two years ago, before moving to Como.”

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