Luka Modric faced the cameras with a marked expression after Croatia’s 7-0 Nations League collapse against England on Saturday night, calling the result a source of shame for a side whose reputation has been built over many years.
The move
Croatia’s captain described the defeat as the heaviest in the history of the national team. Modric, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, did not try to soften his assessment after England’s seven-goal victory.
“I have been here for 20 years, but this is the first time I have felt ashamed after a match,” Modric said. “Losing can happen; that is not the problem. But losing in this way, damaging the reputation we have built with so much effort over the years, is completely unacceptable.”
The midfielder made his senior Croatia debut in 2006 and appeared deeply affected by a result that turned a difficult Nations League window into an historic low for his country.
The French season around it
There is no Ligue 1 involvement in Croatia’s latest international setback, but Modric’s experience underlines the scale of the pressure surrounding a leading national-team figure after two heavy defeats in five days.
Croatia had already lost 4-1 away to Spain in their second Nations League match. They will meet Spain again on Tuesday in the final fixture of the international camp, with the Roja hardly offering an easy route out of their current slump.
