Luka Modrić: “It’s the first time I’ve felt ashamed after a match”

03.10.26 FT UEFA Nations League A

Croatia

0

:

England

7

Luka Modrić did not hide his anger after the heaviest defeat in Croatia’s history. On Saturday evening in Rijeka, Croatia were thrashed 7-0 by England in the Nations League. It was an especially difficult evening for the captain, who delivered an uncompromising assessment after the match.

Modrić condemns a total lack of commitment

The 40-year-old midfielder struggled to explain his team’s performance. In his view, Croatia lacked everything that normally makes them strong:

It is difficult to find an explanation for such a performance from us. No duels, no free kicks, no aggression, no unity.

The Croatia captain particularly focused on the attitude shown by his team during the 90 minutes. For Modrić, there is nothing shameful about losing to England in itself. It was above all the manner in which Croatia suffered this thrashing that affected him deeply:

We can lose; that is not the problem. At the moment, they are better than us. But to lose in this manner and throw away the reputation we have built with so much hard work over the years is unacceptable.

After two decades with the national team, the AC Milan player believes he has even experienced a first.

I have been here for 20 years, but this is the first time I have truly felt ashamed after a match. It is simply unacceptable to play like that.

“A disastrous evening”

Modrić spared none of his teammates. In his view, every player must accept their share of responsibility for this debacle. The captain even went so far as to compare Croatia’s performance to that of a team severely depleted in numbers.

From the first player to the last, no one is spared. You cannot play football like that. Even if you play with one player fewer or two players fewer, you cannot play like that. And we felt as though we had four or five fewer players on the pitch. It was truly a disastrous evening.

This 0-7 defeat to England will therefore go down as an especially dark moment in the history of the Croatian national team, and the captain’s comments reflect the scale of the disappointment.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

Related teams and leagues

Croatia

England

UEFA Nations League A