Luka Modric urges Croatia fans to respond positively after England thrashing

Croatia captain Luka Modric has called on supporters to back the team as they attempt to recover from Saturday’s 7-0 Nations League defeat by England against world champions Spain.

Croatia host Spain in Split on Tuesday in Group A3, with the visitors aiming to secure their place in the quarter-finals after winning all three of their matches so far.

Modric, who won his 205th cap against England, said the manner of the defeat had caused more pain than the result itself.

“Losing isn’t the problem, but the way we lost is,” the 41-year-old AC Milan midfielder and former Real Madrid player 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.

“That’s what we need, so we’re hoping for a positive reaction because what happened hurts us more than anyone.”

The atmosphere in Split is expected to differ from the match against England at Stadion HNK Rijeka. Croatia were serving a one-match punishment for fan racism, meaning the game was played in front of 6,000 local children aged 14 and under, who were exempt from the ban, as well as a small number of England supporters.

Spain, who won the World Cup for the second time in July and are unbeaten in 41 matches, beat Croatia 4-1 in Seville earlier in the international break.

“Spain is the best team in the world. They’re the champions,” said Modric.

“I don’t know how Spain is going to interpret our defeat… (but) what happened isn’t typical for our team, we all know that.

“Against the best team in the world, we have to fix everything, be aggressive, and not give them too much space to find solutions.”

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic, in his second spell in charge of the national side, said the match offered an immediate opportunity to respond.

“It (the England thrashing) was incredibly tough. We’ll never forget it, but when there’s a fire, you have to react,” Bilic said.

“On one hand we have a very difficult opponent, but it’s the best opportunity for us.”

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said Croatia’s heavy loss should not be taken as a reflection of the gap between the two teams.

“What happened the other day was just an accident in football,” he said. “It doesn’t reflect the difference in footballing ability between Croatia and England. This result can motivate them.”

Teenage winger Lamine Yamal has scored in each of Spain’s first three group matches, including twice against Croatia. De la Fuente said he was fit to play in Split, describing him as “a role model and a born competitor”.

Dani Olmo, who plays for Spain and Barcelona, developed at Dinamo Zagreb after leaving Barcelona as a teenager. He returned to the Catalan club from RB Leipzig in 2024.

“I took this decision, one of the hardest of my career to date, because of the interest of Dinamo and how much they wanted to help me grow,” Olmo said.

“I trusted in that. I think it was one of the best steps I took in my career, leaving at 16, with my mother, to a new country, using a new language. It was difficult but beautiful.”

Modric added that he had not decided when he would stop playing for Croatia.

“We’re taking it one game at a time. We’ll see if I leave the national team in a year or a month,” he said. “The important thing for me is to be in a place that makes me happy. I’m willing to help at any time, both on and off the field.”