© EuroFootball.com
Croatia national team coach Zlatko Kranjčar announced on Friday the lineup of 24 players for the World Cup in Germany next month. There were no surprises in the lineup, and the coach himself said that he hopes to at least reach the second stage in the tournament.
"I have said before that I will choose players who participated in the qualifying matches, so I have had a clear picture of who to choose for some time now. I feel a good spirit in the team and I believe that we are capable of reaching the second stage," said Z. Kranjčar at a press conference.
However, since the official FIFA player list may include 23 players, the Croatian national team coach will not include defender Marijan Buljat, who represents Zagreb's "Dinamo," in the lineup. Nevertheless, Buljat will travel to Germany and will be a reserve player in case of injuries necessitating the replacement of any footballer.
Before the World Cup, the Croatians will play friendly matches against Austria, Iran, Poland, and Spain. In Group F of the championship, Croatia's opponents will be world champion Brazil, as well as the national teams of Australia and Japan.
Croatia national team:
Goalkeepers:
Tomislav Butina (Brugge),
Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk),
Joe Didulica (Austria)
Defenders:
Robert Kovac (Juventus),
Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray),
Dario Simic (Milan),
Mario Tokic (Austria),
Josip Simunic (Hertha),
Igor Tudor (Siena)
Midfielders:
Jerko Leko (Dinamo Kiev),
Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk),
Niko Kovac (Hertha),
Marko Babic (Bayer),
Darijo Srna (Shakhtar),
Ivan Leko (Brugge),
Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb),
Jurica Vranjes (Werder),
Anthony Seric (Panathinaikos)
Forwards:
Dado Prso (Rangers),
Ivan Klasnic (Werder),
Bosko Balaban (Brugge),
Ivica Olic (CSKA Moskva),
Ivan Bosnjak (Dinamo Zagreb).
