Luka Modric has accused English journalists and pundits of showing a lack of respect to Croatia’s players and admitted his teammates had used criticism to motivate them to get a victory against England in their FIFA World Cup semi‑final this morning.

Modric impressed as Croatia came from behind to win 2-1 after extra time in Moscow but the Real Madrid midfielder was scathing in his reaction towards sections of the English media, some of whom had predicted an easy win for Gareth Southgate’s side.

Modric says people were talking, English journalists, pundits from television underestimated Croatia and that was a huge mistake.

He says they showed again that they were not tired and dominated the game mentally and physically.

Modric says they should have killed the game even before extra time and this is an amazing achievement for them – it’s a dream come true after such a long time.

He says they are in the final and that is the biggest success in Croatia’s history.

Now the rest of the world will have to work out what makes this country of four million people such a sporting powerhouse but to the crowds celebrating in the streets of Zagreb it was never a mystery.

Interesting stories are coming out as how a number of players of Croatia and their families suffered in the conflict that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

It is not an uncommon story in a part of Europe still very traumatised by violence.

The players in Moscow were not spared.

Serbian militiamen killed Luka Modri_’s grandfather.

As a child Mario Mandzuki_ was a refugee in Germany.

Hours before kick‑off a hundred thousand red and white chequered shirts had converged from all directions on the central square, like a giant rippling tablecloth.

A big screen was set up in the middle of the square named after a 19th‑century rebel nobleman, Ban Jelacic, who sat atop a bronze horse with a sideways view of the main screen as a folk band shouted out an anthem boiling over with defiance.

Croatia will face France at 3am next Monday in the FIFA World Cup final.

[Source: The Guardian]

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