00:02For such a small country, Croatia's ability to produce world-class footballers is almost unrivalled.
00:13Goalkeepers Daniel Subasic and Dominic Livakovic share World Cup records for saving spot kicks in penalty shootouts.
00:21While Vladimir Behrer was regarded by none other than Lev Yashin as the best goalkeeper in the world.
00:29Behrer starred in gold for Yugoslavia during the 1950s, earning plaudits for a memorable display of shot-stopping against England
00:37in 1950,
00:39winning an Olympic silver medal in 1952 and earning selection for a FIFA All-Stars team in 1953.
00:50Robert Yarny was the quintessential reigning full-back of the 1990s, Dario Serna of the decades that followed.
01:01But before them, Branko Zabec was the most exciting left-sided footballer of the 1950s, capable of playing on the
01:09wing, in midfield or in defence.
01:13He later went on to become a successful coach, especially in Germany, where he won the Bundesliga with both Bayern
01:20Munich and Hamburg.
01:23Another great defender of the 1950s to excel in Germany was Ivica Horvath.
01:29As a player, he won the first Bundesliga in Eintracht Frankfurt's history.
01:34And as a coach, he won only the second DFB-Pokal in Schalke's existence.
01:41His modern heir was Dario Simic, the first Croatian to reach over 100 caps.
01:50Midfield is where Croatia has excelled the most.
01:56Zlatko Tchaikovsky dominated the middle of the park in the 1950s.
02:01Robert Prozinecki and Zvonimir Boban beguiled all-comers during the 1990s.
02:07Then, more recently, Ivan Rakitic provided the ideal foil for Luka Modric to become the greatest footballer in the world.
02:16Out wide, Ivan Perisic made a habit of finding the back of the net at major tournaments, including the 2018
02:23World Cup final.
02:27He inherited the mantle of Bernard Vukas, the left winger voted as the best Croatian player of all time by
02:35the Croatian Football Federation in the year 2000.
02:40Stjepan Bobek was the star forward of the 1950s.
02:47While Josip Skotla became a legend of Marseille in the 1970s.
02:54Alan Boksic won the inaugural UEFA Champions League with the same club in 1993.
03:00Then went on to dominate Serie A.
03:06During that same period, strike partner Davos Shukea was lighting up La Liga.
03:11In 1998, Shukea won the World Cup Golden Boot and finished runner-up behind Ronaldo for the Golden Ball and
03:18Zinedine Zidane for the Ballon d'Or.
03:20His lob over Peter Schmeichel at Euro 96, Croatia's first major tournament as an independent nation, is remembered as the
03:29moment that announced the country's arrival as a major force on the international scene.
03:37Thirty years on, Croatia have gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the most consistent sides in international football
03:45and a feared football nation.
03:49In the city of the United States, Russia's first major tournament, the first major tournament, the first major tournament, the
03:52first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament,
03:52the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first
03:52tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the
03:52first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament,
03:52the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first
03:52tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the
03:52first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament, the first tournament,
03:52the first tournament, the first tournament, the
Comments