The Portugal he is unstoppable in the standings in League A, Group 1, of the Nations League. Yet this evening the Croatia will try to put a spoke in the wheels of Cristiano Ronaldo and his companions, also because with a victory for Scotland over Poland and a defeat by Dalic’s crew, Robertson and his companions would fly to the quarter-finals.
To present the challenge against A Seleção das Quinas a living symbol of the Croatian national team presented himself, as well as the 2018 Golden Ball winner, Luka Modric spoke thus in the press conference: “I always say that playing for the national team is a great honor and something special. Every match I enter on the pitch is something great for me and I always give 100%. Sometimes it goes better, sometimes worse, but you have to give your best. This has always been my principle when I play for the national team. There is no greater honor than wearing the Croatian shirt.”
Set an example for young people: “I always try to lead by example. I want young players to have someone to look up to. Every player gives their all and it cannot be said that someone gives more than another. If I can give my best at this age, it cannot be missed by the others, by the younger ones.”
On the numerous trophies and prizes obtained, even at an individual level: “(Laughs, ed.) There is room for everyone. Did the match against Scotland leave any mark on our freshness? The match was tiring because we played the entire second half with one man less. We will find the energy for Portugal, we will play in front of a full stadium and this will be one more reason to motivate us. In the Nations League we are playing very well, even if some results went against us. We didn’t deserve to lose against Scotland, but in football it can happen. There is no room for excuses or other things, we have to concentrate on the pitch and play at our best. It will be a tough game, even if some of the biggest stars aren’t playing. It could be even more difficult, because Portugal also has excellent players on the bench.”
The secret to beating Portugal: “Every match has its own story, but we have to enter the field in the right way, with a lot of energy. We have to play our game as we have done throughout the Nations League cycle. We played the first match against Portugal well, regardless of the result. Tomorrow we have to repeat that performance.”
Portugal without Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto: “Like I said, it won’t get any easier. We have great respect for Portugal, regardless of the team they bring. They have a large group of players and whoever comes on the pitch is still a top-level player playing for a big club. They have players who want to prove something to the coach, and this can be a problem for us. But we have to focus on ourselves and try to play our best. We don’t want to think about the games against Poland and Scotland.”
Decisive national team matches: “All these historic and decisive matches have shaped us and helped us improve as a team. In matches like these you can see what we’re made of, and we’ve always played them well. They built us as a team and for this we are recognized worldwide. We have always been ready at key moments. Obviously, we would like to solve everything sooner, but that’s how our lot is.”
On the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo: “As for Cristiano, I’m sorry he’s not here, because it’s always a pleasure to play against him, but this is the decision that was made. I believe we will meet again in the future on the pitch.”