New Straits Times

The Blazers out to better 1998 performanc­e

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ZAGREB: Croatia’s first World Cup semi-final for two decades has revived the memories of the country’s football highpoint and raised hopes that Luka Modric’s side can go one better than their legendary predecesso­rs.

After a dramatic win on penalties against Russia, Vatreni (The Blazers) will play England today in front of 80,000 people in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium for a place in the World Cup final.

In 1998, Croatia, which had emerged from a bitter independen­ce war only three years earlier, made their debut at a World Cup finals.

With a team featuring Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki wearing blues shirts with a distinctiv­e red and white chequerboa­rd pattern, they beat World Cup giants Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals in France, sparking delirium at home.

Although Croatia went on to suffer an agonising 2-1 defeat to host nation France in the semifinals, they beat the Netherland­s 2-1 in the third-place playoff.

Nicknamed “the Fiery Ones”, that team has stood as an example to their successors ever since. Now, finally, there is a team ready to join them in Croatian football’s pantheon of heroes.

Robert Prosinecki, a member of the 1998 squad, said: “I would so much like that they be better than us.

“1998 will never be forgotten and should not be, but I would love it if eventually the 1998 ‘Fiery Ones’ can be moved aside so that

 ??  ?? England midfielder Dele Alli
England midfielder Dele Alli

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