Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic has been singing the praises of star man Luka Modric ahead of their crunch World Cup semi-final against England. Zlatko Dalić is a Croatian football manager and former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He currently manages the Croatia national team.
Dalic’s Croatia side come up against the Three Lions on Wednesday night at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, looking to book their place in the final against France. Modric has played a starring role in Russia so far and has been named Man of the Match in three of Croatia’s five wins at the World Cup, with his performance against Argentina a particular highlight.
And heading into the encounter with England, Dalic believes the 32-year-old Real Madrid midfielder is in the form of his life. ‘It’s his quality that he’s been showing for many years. When you see him sprinting after 115 minutes to retrieve a ball, it shows his desire, which is present in other team-mates, to do something,’ Dalic told a news conference on Tuesday. Luka has achieved everything possible at club level but hasn’t done so for the national team.
Since this is his last World Cup, given his age, I’m very glad he’s among the last four at the World Cup, but all the other players are putting in that effort. ‘We achieved success as a compact team who do not give in, who work for one another and this is maybe one of the best periods for Luka. He is playing the best football of his life.’