Lovren: We have Kop spirit

DEJAN LOVREN has likened the mood in the Croatia camp to that at Liverpool as they headed for the Champions League final. Centre back Lovren, a stalwart of the Liverpool team who lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in the final, said: ‘It’s not the same players, not the same tactics but I felt from the beginning that we could achieve a lot. ‘I believe in it. Like I did with Liverpool, I believe it with Croatia. ‘In the past, I didn’t feel we believed in each other. This time we are in peak form and I think it’s our time.’ Croatia, who meet Russia in the quarterfinals on Saturday, reached the last four in 1998 where they lost to France. Despite the defeat, their displays helped promote the spirit and identity of the newly-independent nation. Lovren, 29 today, said: ‘It was a big impact. That moment, two or three years after the war, is something people will remember. ‘We are proud to be able to say we were third in the world. Maybe it’s time for us to show the world we can do better.’