Croatia captain Luka Modrić has called on supporters to rally behind the national team ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League encounter with world champions Spain, following the country’s heaviest international defeat. Croatia lost 7–0 to England in Rijeka on Saturday, leaving the players under pressure to produce a response.
“Losing isn’t the problem, but the way we lost is,” the 41-year-old midfielder told reporters on Monday. “I hope the fans will cheer us on as always and that, after the match, they can judge how we played.”
Modrić, who had described himself as “ashamed” after the England match, said the squad needed a positive reaction from the stands. “That’s what we need, so we’re hoping for a positive reaction because what happened hurts us more than anyone,” he added.
England’s victory exposed Croatia’s difficulties in emphatic fashion. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored twice each, while Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers completed the scoring. The defeat followed a 4–1 loss away to Spain, giving coach Slaven Bilić another difficult assignment against the same opponents.
Croatia had opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory away to Czechia, with Modrić scoring before Marco Pašalić supplied the decisive goal. That positive start has since been overshadowed by consecutive heavy defeats.
Spain, meanwhile, began the group stage by beating England 3–2 at Wembley. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner in the 74th minute, repeating his decisive contribution against England in the Euro 2024 final. His performance belonged to Spain’s comeback—not to England’s showing, as the original draft’s wording suggests.
The return of Croatia’s regular supporters adds significance to Modrić’s appeal. The England match was played under a one-match punishment for racist behaviour by fans, with approximately 6,000 local children aged 14 and under exempted from the ban, alongside a small contingent of England supporters. Tuesday’s fixture offers the team an opportunity to reconnect with its home crowd and demonstrate a response on the pitch
