The Croatian national team has won awards at the last two world championships – they won silver in 2018 and dropped one spot four and a half years later.

This is a great result for a country whose population is on the verge of 4 million, and in the national championship there are 12 teams that can not boast of level and financial capabilities.

What is the secret of the success of Croatian football?

Dinamo Zagreb. The flagship of Croatian football actively works not only for himself, but also for the interests of the national team. Of the 26 football players who applied for the Croatian national team in Qatar, 13 passed the Dinamo Zagreb school. Livaya, Erlic and Barışiç can also be added here, but they did not stay in Zagreb long and opened in other clubs. The indicators of Hajduk’s main rival are much more modest – Perisic, Pasalic, Vlahovic and, possibly, Livaya.

It’s no big secret that Dinamo Zagreb lives off selling players. That’s why the junior football system works well there. Hailing from the Croatian capital, the club takes 80-90 percent of Croatian talent. “New Modric” Nikola Moro was born near Split, was in a team close to Hajduk. After a children’s tournament, Moro had already set off in the opposite direction on the Dynamo bus. His family was assisted with housing and work in Zagreb. Nicola scored very highly. While Shakhtar saw him as a replacement for Fred, Dynamo showed interest after Lucescu’s arrival. It once cost around 20 million euros, but a serious knee injury and character did not allow him to show his talent fully.

In the summer of 2022, he signed with Hajduk’s lead talent, Dynamo, which British journalists included in their list of the greatest face talents of the future. Marko Brklach was persuaded not to sign a new contract with Hajduk. He remained without official matches for six months, but as a free agent, he moved to Dynamo as he understood the club’s possibilities and prospects very well. What can we say about other clubs if Zagreb does it with Hajduk.

The election focused on Croatia. There are hardly any foreigners anymore. Although earlier there were talents from Arsenal, Roma, Argentines, two Koreans, two Belarusians (one of them Lisakovich), Spaniards. Now there is only one foreigner – Italian Tonon. A 17-year-old defensive midfielder from the Milan system who plays for the 19-year-olds’ team. U-17 has a Swede but has Croatian roots. Now they are actively working in the Bosnian market. For local players, this is not only a chance for a career, but also for an EU passport. The Kosovo and Albanian markets were not forgotten either. However, players in these countries were nationalized.

The club studies not only the potential of the players, but also their personal qualities, their parents. If necessary, the club helps in everyday life. In recent years, Dynamo has not lost a single serious talent. The exception was the goalkeeper of the youth national team of Croatia Kotarski. But nothing went right for him at Ajax, and Zagreb received 2 million euros for the then 19-year-old player.

The result is not in the first place. Hajduk has won the 19-year championship two years in a row. This is a ticket to the UEFA Youth League. None of this makes a tragedy. There is no Dynamo hegemony in youth football. On the contrary, a second team was formed in the First League, which gave a chance to those who could not realize themselves.

Search for players of Croatian descent in Europe. Croatia is a poor country. People also leave in search of a better destiny and more gain. They and their children do not cease to be Croatian. Therefore, we need to work in this direction.

Rakitic was born in Basel. He played for Switzerland’s youth and junior national team. However, he decided to play for the Croatian national team. They managed to convince him that he should play for his family’s homeland.

Modric’s successor in the national team should be another Luka – Susic. He was born in Linz, Austria and plays in Salzburg. He had every opportunity to play in Austria but even played in Croatia at junior level.

Stanisic was born in Munich. Now he is already a player in the rotation of Bayern’s first team. Right-back also chose Croatia as the national team. He did not play for Croatian youth teams.

Olmo’s mother has Croatian roots. At one time, this was a major factor in inviting Dani to Zagreb from the Barcelona Academy, where they had problems with his brother Carlos. Olmo also had the opportunity to play for Croatia, but chose the more ambitious Spain.

Now Ljubičić is Dinamo Zagreb’s main left-back. Although his nationality is Croatian, he was born in Vienna. Austria has a match for the youth team. The question of naturalization is only a matter of time.

There are also such players at the youth and junior level: Marko Pasalic from Borussia Dortmund (not to be confused with Atalanta), Simic from Salzburg (born in Milan), Matanovich from Eintracht and others.

Anti-Dynamo Kyiv. Now if they gather all the students of Dinamo Zagreb from the current players in one team, they can count on the quarter-finals in the Champions League or victory in the Europa League. But in reality nothing would happen.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Yoshko Guardiol

It is necessary to say goodbye to the players in time so that they do not lose their progress. For example, Dynamo sold Guardiola to Leipzig for around €19m in 2021 and today Real and Chelsea are ready to pay 70-90 for him. Joshko is only 20 years old, already a national team player and plays in the Bundesliga. In Zagreb, no one is biting their elbow, not only because of the percentage of resales, but everyone understands that in Croatia it cannot go that way. The club can fire a player and then you have to say goodbye to him. He will not be able to reach the Croatian league. There is an example of the same Moro, which was not sold on time, and then abandoned in order to get at least something. Every summer, one from Zagreb leaves for the leading championships. This is not only financially beneficial for the club, but also gives the young players a chance. They also say goodbye to players who interfere with young people. The same Goyak was sold to Ferencvaros.

Other clubs are not stopping either. Hajduk, Osijek, Rijeka are also trying to sell. Only this process is not staged very well and is still more isolated. It outsells very young players who are not yet involved in adult football.

veteran war Croatia went through a difficult period in the 1990s. The country fought for its territorial integrity. Football has now become a consolation for people. Football players play to bring joy and pride to ordinary people.

At the 2018 World Cup, Croatia was unaffected by the game. But he made it to the final. Now a little did not have enough strength for Argentina. But still the team fought, showed character throughout the tournament. They have no indifference and there is maximum return when you wear the national team jersey.

How many times has Croatia been predicted by problems and generational change. But Modric, 37, continues to find motivation to play for the national team and has no intention of leaving. He plays and fights for his people, for his country, not for titles. Because he understands how important all this is for his small homeland.

These were qualities we didn’t quite have in our last game against Wales in June.

Another important factor is the team’s coach, Zlatko Dalic. It does not invent anything, but uses the strengths of existing players. He is a very good motivator and creates an atmosphere within the team that allows you to unite the players under one idea and create a good atmosphere in the locker room.