Modric 'ashamed' after Croatia's 'catastrophic night' against England
Croatia captain Luka Modric expressed deep disappointment following his team's 7-0 defeat, describing the performance as the worst of his two-decade international career.
Croatia captain Luka Modric stated he was "ashamed" of his team's performance during their 7-0 Nations League defeat against England, calling it a "catastrophic night."
Modric, 41, made his 205th appearance for Croatia, extending his international career under returning manager Slaven Bilic. He described the loss as the first time in his 20 years as an international player that he had felt such emotion. "You can't play football like that... we looked like we had four or five players less," Modric said. He attributed the performance to a lack of duels, fouls, aggressiveness, and togetherness.
"I've been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a game," he added.
Croatia had begun Bilic's second tenure with a 2-1 Nations League win away to the Czech Republic, placing them above England in Group A3. This was followed by a 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain. Prior to Saturday's match in Rijeka, Croatia was level on points with England.
The defeat meant Croatia missed an opportunity to position themselves for qualification to the latter stages of the tournament. By the time Modric was substituted in the 57th minute, the home side was already trailing 5-0. England's goals came from Harry Kane (two), Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka. Saka and Morgan Rogers scored further goals before the final whistle.
"You can lose, or play against an opponent who is better - and they are right now," Modric commented. He felt that losing in such a manner and squandering the reputation built over the years was unacceptable.
Croatia faces further challenges, with upcoming matches against Spain in Split on Tuesday, followed by away games against England on November 12 and a home fixture against the Czech Republic on November 15. Currently third in their Nations League group, Croatia faces a struggle to maintain its position in the top tier of the competition.
"We need to pull ourselves together, stay together because a new difficult game awaits us," Modric stated. He emphasized the need for the team to demonstrate defiance, pride, desire, willingness, and togetherness, qualities he believes cannot be lost overnight.