Bilić's Croatia Faces Major Changes
New head coach Slaven Bilić has confirmed his staff, and the public awaits his first squad list for the Nations League. Luka Modrić's status remains unknown.
New head coach Slaven Bilić has confirmed his staff, and the public awaits his first squad list for the Nations League. Luka Modrić's status remains unknown.
The Croatian national football team is entering a new era. After their performance at the World Cup in the USA and Canada, the Vatreni are set for the Nations League, and the first challenge for new head coach Slaven Bilić will be an away match against the Czech Republic in Prague on September 26, 2026. Three days later, they face world champions Spain in Seville.
Bilić has succeeded Zlatko Dalić as the national team's head coach, and since then, the Croatian sports public has been speculating about what changes he will make to the squad. Bilić must announce his first squad list by the end of August, and until then, the question of who will be on it remains open.
So far, it is known that Bilić has confirmed Nikola Jurčević, Danilo Butorović, Dean Računica, and Vatroslav Mihačić as his assistants, and he will further expand this circle. However, what is not known is who will be on the list for the matches against the Czechs, Spaniards, and English.
The home Nations League matches are scheduled for October 3 against England at Rujevica and October 6 against Spain at Poljud. It is realistic to expect that Bilić, in his second tenure, will retain the core of the team that Dalić led to the World Cup, namely the 26 players from that list.
Refreshments could be sought among the players who were in the 'pre-call-up' category under Dalić. These include Letica, Smolčić, Majer, Stojković, Ivanović, Beljo, and Ivanović. Dinamo's captain Josip Mišić, who was not included in that group, is certainly close to a call-up to the national team.
Under Dalić, the 32-year-old Mišić never got a chance. His only two appearances for the Vatreni came during Ante Čačić's tenure, back in 2017 against Chile and China. It is expected that Bilić will include the Dinamo player in his plans.
The biggest enigma remains Luka Modrić's status. Bilić has clearly stated that he wants Modrić to remain part of the Croatian national team during his tenure, and the captain has meanwhile extended his contract with Milan. His international career began in 2006, precisely during Bilić's first tenure, and it seems that Slaven's return to this role could be an important factor in Modrić's decision-making.
By the end of the month, Bilić must decide on the final list, and the Croatian maestro should also decide whether to continue or stop wearing the Vatreni jersey.
While the national team prepares for a new era, Croatian clubs continue their European adventures. According to the announcement by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) on their official Twitter profile, Rijeka players are visiting Ilves in Finland with a 1:0 advantage, and the match starts at 6:00 PM. Hajduk, with a 5:2 advantage, hosts Žalgiris from Vilnius in Split, and the match starts at 9:00 PM. The winner advances to the Conference League play-offs.
Meanwhile, Croatian international Martin Baturina scored a brilliant goal for Como 1907 in a friendly match against Arsenal. HNS posted the goal video on Twitter with the comment: "Baturina. What a finish."
