Croatia’s World Cup run must bring end to game’s neglect back home | Aleksandar Holiga

Pride at their final efforts could lead to a new national stadium but lack of grassroots investment is a more pressing concern

The defeat was hard to accept, as was missing a chance that is not likely to come again in the lifetime of these players or fans. Everyone thought Croatia deserved more but the nation still celebrated, rather than mourning. Crowds that flooded the streets of Zagreb and other cities to watch the final – among them, many foreign tourists and football fans who came just to be a part of it – stayed long into the night. The party, of course, was muted but it was still a party, not a wake.

“You made us proud,” Jutarnji list proclaimed on the front cover; “Thank you, heroes! You gave us everything,” said Sportske novosti. But it wasn’t just that – there was a genuine feeling of pride and gratitude among people.

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