News From The Front

It’s been a pretty busy week here in Croatia, so here’s a look back on the events which stole the headlines.

Modric Aftermath
It seems like a good choice doesn’t it? Who’d dare to say no to a good squad, a highly respected manager, a marvelous city, a chance to play in Europe, and of course a big, big pile of cash. Did I mention a big pile of cash in there? Seriously, who’d say no these kind of terms? I reckon the ambitions Spurs have are just the thing Luka’s career needs to flourish even further. There will be some sky high expectations mind you, but I’m certain LM will do much more than just live up to those expectations. Premiership beware, killer passes incoming.

Bilic Set To Prolong
It’s been a pleasure so far, and it seems we’ll keep on rolling for at least another two years. Now there were some minor “glitches” in the talks that Bilic has had with HNS (Croatian FA), but it seems his commitment and love for the thing he does is enough to overweight the sheer stubbornness the HNS has displayed during these negotiations. As things stand, Bilic should officially sign a new contract tomorrow, along with presenting a list of 23 players who’ll make their trip to Austria & Switzerland for this summer’s EURO.

Who The F… Is Alice?
With all the fuss Zenit has caused in this year’s UEFA cup, there’s a name in their roster that raised a couple of eyebrows here in Croatia. Who is Ivica Krizanac? Long story short, he’s a player who’s made his name through leagues of Croatia, Czech Republic and Poland, before eventually settling in St. Petersburg. What’s interesting is that, with only a few interviews he’s had with Croatian press since making the headlines with Zenit, he’s managed to get himself into a feud with Slaven Bilic. Not a good thing to do if you’re interested in your NT. Let’s hope these two resolve their differences and do the right thing for the NT. Seeing as we’ve had quite a few issues with our defenders failing to play regularly in their clubs, someone who’s a regular and playing a continental cup final surely deserves a chance, petty differences aside.

Eternal Derby Kicks Off
With two of our biggest clubs facing each other 3 times in two weeks, it’s bound to be an interesting period for Dinamo and Hajduk fans across the country. The first of three matches was played yesterday in Split, and while it was a fairly interesting affair, you couldn’t quite feel the tension that usually follows these matches. It ended with a 1:1 draw, which kept Dinamo “firmly” in the first place and dropped their arch rivals all the way to fourth. That “firmly” part comes due to Dinamo’s 26 point advantage over the rest of the league, something which is very impressive but also actually sad in a way. But I’ll stick to the impressive anyway, looking at it from a Dinamo’s fan perspective of course. Next up is the cup final, a two leg tie which will surely bring around more passion and tension than this Saturday’s derby did.