Croatia Preview

Nation unlikely to be soft touch despite troubles

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Croatia have had a difficult time preparing for Euro 2004 and there seems little chance of a third-place finish to match their 1998 World Cup campaign.

They are not without their strengths, which got them to the finals in the first place, but many players have been out of form or injured and there is a gaping hole in midfield.

With one or two notable exceptions, there are few players able to live up to the standards set in the late 1990s by the likes of Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Davor Suker, Robert Jarni and Alen Boksic, the backbone of Croatia's best-ever side.

The current team, who qualified after a slender aggregate win in the playoffs against neighbours Slovenia, face tough opening-round opposition from defending champions France, potential challengers England, and Switzerland.

"We must beat Switzerland and then do our best against England," is the mantra from players, coaches and local pundits, who believe that with a decent result from their opening game against the Swiss, Croatia could still be in with a chance of progressing by the time of their final group match against England.

However, few are putting much money on Croatia getting out of the group although their unpredictability could give them an edge against defenders who might not know too much about the way they play.

Croatia's roller-coaster qualifying campaign ended on a high in November when Monaco striker Dado Prso's goal gave them a 1-0 win in Slovenia and a 2-1 aggregate playoff victory after it seemed they had blown their chance by drawing the home leg.

Prso, who made a name for himself when he scored four of Monaco's goals in their 8-3 Champions League victory over Deportivo Coruna in the same month, was one of 40 players used by coach Otto Baric as he struggled to find the right formula.

LOW CONFIDENCE

The playoff victory justified the Croatian FA's faith in Baric, who took over a team packed with veterans and low on confidence after an early exit from the 2002 World Cup finals when they failed to capitalise on a 2-1 win over Italy by losing 1-0 to both Mexico and Ecuador.

Baric set about replacing the old stalwarts and instilled discipline and a physical approach into Croatia's game. At the same time he travelled widely across Europe to unearth a reliable striker and a creative playmaker to boost his midfield.

The striker he found in Prso but the midfield still remains bereft of a gifted successor to Boban or Prosinecki, heroes of the 1998 World Cup side.

Baric's discovery of Prso, a relative unknown at home until he shot to prominence this year, has provided the answer up front. The 29-year-old was instrumental in group wins over Belgium and Bulgaria.

Croatia's defence, made up of a trio of experienced internationals -- Robert Kovac of Bayern Munich, AC Milan's Dario Simic and Igor Tudor of Juventus -- also more or less picks itself.

Baric must, however, decide whether he plays three or four at the back. If he opts for a flat back four, Josip Simunic of Hertha Berlin is likely to play on the left.

There are a number of other options open to Baric, who turns 71 mid-way through the tournament, but while he says his side could take on and beat almost anyone, he has admitted he is still looking for that "one creative genius to enrich our game."

Uncapped Dinamo Zagreb captain Niko Kranjcar is the name on everyone's lips but a groin injury prevented the 19-year-old from making his debut in friendlies against Germany in February and Turkey in March so the jury is still out.

Croatia might not be the force they were in 1998 but they will not be a soft touch either despite booking their place in the finals via the back door in the play-offs.

Their qualifying campaign gained momentum after a disappointing opening 0-0 draw with Estonia and a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria. They posted four straight wins over Belgium (4-0), Andorra (2-0), Estonia (1-0) and Andorra again (3-0) and then rose to the occasion to beat Bulgaria (1-0) to qualify for the play-offs.

So while Croatia are unlikely to match their exploits of six years ago, they could possibly reach the quarter-finals. France, Switzerland and England will underestimate them at their peril.

Baric's persistence pays dividends for Croatia

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Croatia coach Otto Baric's efforts to fashion a new-look national side were anything but smooth, undermined by local criticism and the erratic form of his key players.

Stubborn and dismissive of "newspaper ignoramuses," Baric disdained the critics and eventually steered Croatia into the Euro 2004 finals via a hard-fought play-off against Slovenia.

Even then, some soccer officials called for him to step down because of too many tactical changes -- while pleading for someone younger to take over.

The 70-year-old, who regularly dyes his hair maroon, shrugged them off saying he still felt and thought "like a 50-year-old."

In another media controversy, he told a local newspaper he would never allow homosexuals on his team because he considered them "unnatural." He later said he was considering leaving his post after the tournament.

If, or rather when he goes, Baric will take with him a world of experience. He started coaching 40 years ago with Lokomotiva Zagreb and has since held 21 different posts including with the Austrian national team from 1999 to 2001.

The highlights of a career spent mostly in Austria include guiding Rapid Vienna to the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1985 and SV Salzburg to the UEFA Cup final in 1994 -- as well as notching up eight Austrian titles, six Austrian Cups and Croatian league title and cup victories.

Since taking over Croatia in July 2002, he has improved the team's discipline, fitness and sense of team work.

'OLDIES' OUT

He took charge after Croatia's first-round exit from the 2002 World Cup and swiftly rid the team of the remaining "oldies." He went on to try out more than 40 players, prompting local journalists to ridicule his "directionless wandering."

Baric pleaded for more time after initial poor results, brought on talented Monaco striker Dado Prso and the patience paid off. Croatia posted four straight wins before losing 2-1 to Belgium in September.

"I started from scratch and it took a while but now we have a core of 18 players we can count on in the future. I am sure we will have a strong team again," Baric said, while admitting the side were vulnerable in midfield.

"We do not have one particular creative genius on the team. I therefore demand all my players to be disciplined and hard working," he said.

However well Croatia perform in the tournament, Baric will almost certainly be out of a job by the end of this year, if not before.

Croatia's FA board appear divided in their support and it seems a matter of when, not if, former national skipper Zvonimir Boban takes over -- unless Croatia actually win the tournament, although that does look like a step too far for all concerned.

Pletikosa blossoms into Croatia's number one

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Stipe Pletikosa started his international career before his 21st birthday but it took a long time before he was able to cement his position as Croatia's undisputed number one goalkeeper.

Born and raised in the coastal city of Split and now playing his club football for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, Pletikosa made his Croatia debut as a 20-year-old against Denmark in 1999, winning plaudits for his cat-like reflexes and shot-stopping.

But insecurity over the handling of high balls took a heavy toll at the 2000 European under-21 championship in Slovakia, where Croatia finished last in their group after Pletikosa conceded some soft goals.

Pletikosa worked hard on improving the weaknesses in his game and, under former Croatia coach Mirko Jozic, became his country's first-choice keeper, minding the goal in all three matches at the 2002 World Cup finals.

That campaign in South Korea and Japan was another disappointment for Croatia, who went out after 1-0 defeats to Mexico and Ecuador and despite a 2-1 win over Italy.

Now 25 and approaching his half-century of caps, the once nervous though talented Pletikosa has blossomed, making full use of every centimetre of his 1.92-metre frame and possessing a far greater assurance when dealing with difficult high balls.

Gone are the days when Croatia fans clenched their fists and shook in fear every time their team conceded a corner.

Even before he was fully established in the national team, Pletikosa had attracted the attention of top European clubs, but a planned transfer to Olympique Marseille in 2000 fell through.

Easily identifiable with his grey and yellow jersey and unruly hair, Pletikosa won Croatia's Player of the Year award in 2001 and 2002 and moved to Shakhtar in 2003 on a five-year contract.

The move kept him out of the spotlight in Croatia but his position in the national team was never in doubt, despite coach Otto Baric's pledge to try out promising 21-year-old Australian-born goalkeeper Joe Didulica.

Prso goes from zero to hero for Croatia

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Croatia coach Otto Baric has his critics but he made at least one excellent decision last year when he gave Monaco's experienced but internationally untried front man Dado Prso a chance to make his mark.

Last November it was payback time for the 29-year-old Prso who had been knocking around Europe for some time, when he secured Croatia's place in the Euro 2004 finals with goals in both legs of their 2-1 aggregate playoff victory over Slovenia.

Prso also got on the score sheet four times for Monaco as he celebrated his birthday by helping them to set a record for the number of goals scored in a Champions League game during the 8-3 thrashing of Spain's Deportivo Coruna the same month.

His scoring feats against Slovenia and Depor cemented his growing reputation as a man for the big occasion but he quickly learned that fame had its ups and downs.

He missed a penalty against Lokomotiv Moscow in the first knockout stage of the Champions League in March but, much to his relief, scored in the second half to earn Monaco a place in the last eight on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw on aggregate.

"I will never take a penalty kick again in my life. The goal I scored later saved me from a nightmare," Prso said.

GOAL KNACK

That vow hardly made Baric's life any easier as he still lacks an experienced and self-confident penalty taker. But at least he has discovered a player with the knack of scoring.

When Baric called up Prso a year ago, the player was uncapped and still relatively unknown in his homeland.

Baric, desperate to add a sharp edge to Croatia's attack and under fire for calling up more than 40 players in his first eight months in charge, handed Prso his chance in the Euro 2004 qualifier against Belgium in Group Eight.

The pony-tailed forward justified Baric's faith, scoring in the 4-0 win that kept alive Croatia's hopes of reaching the finals.

There was nothing in Prso's early career to suggest he would rise to prominence in such devastating fashion.

His performances in Croatia at club sides Zadar, Hajduk Split and Pazinka went largely unnoticed and he soon moved to France where he played for Rouen, Saint-Raphael and Monaco.

He was loaned to AC Ajaccio, then in the second division, for the 1998-99 season before returning to the principality.

In 2000 he won the title with Monaco but in the 2001-02 season a severe knee injury raised fears he might never play again. In the event, he was sidelined for eight months.

"I never lost hope I would come back," said Prso, who this month signed a pre-contract agreement to join Rangers of Scotland.

As he looks forward to the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal he can reflect that it was well worth the wait.

Kovac is the rock at the centre of Croatia's defence

ZAGREB (Reuters) -- Bayern Munich defender Robert Kovac's experience, strong physique and swift tackling are at the heart of Croatia's Euro 2004 challenge.

The Berlin-born Kovac, who turned 30 in April, and his older brother Niko are among a handful of players on the national team with Bosnian Croat origins and the pair have brought some of the stamina necessary to play in the Bundesliga to Croatia's game.

Kovac started his career in lower league clubs Rapid Wedding and Hertha Zehlendorf before making his Bundesliga debut with FC Nuremburg in 1995.

He signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 1996 but, eager to win a major trophy, moved to Bayern in 2001.

The following season he made a big contribution to Bayern's triumph in Bundesliga and the German Cup and was a major factor behind Oliver Kahn's league record of 803 minutes without conceding a goal.

Armed with a good sense of timing, sophistication rather than raw power, strength and speed, Kovac is the incarnation of the modern defender who can venture forward and supply defence-splitting passes with ease.

Despite a string of less than inspired performances this year, Kovac remains the very heart of Croatia's defence, especially with the increasing absences of injury-prone Juventus defender Igor Tudor.

"I was thinking a lot about mistakes at the start of this season which made me insecure," he said recently.

"Still, I managed to focus and now I can again display my best qualities -- keeping an eye firmly on an attacker and moving quickly forward to help my team mates whenever possible."

He married a former Croatian beauty queen in 2002 but other than that his private life has never made the headlines.

Unlike some of his team mates at Bayern's "Club Hollywood," Kovac lets his football do the talking.

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