In the final group match of the European Championship, Croatia versus Italy. Ahead of the game, Croatian forward Kramarić spoke to the media.
Kramarić said, “Now we know what we’re up against, and I don’t get it – why do we always have to take the difficult route? We’re always suffering until the last moment. If that’s how it must be, we truly hope to advance from the group stage in the end.”
“We’re playing Italy in the last round, and they might be the best team in this group. This current Italian side is different, and I just hope we can replicate our second-half performance against Albania. We have to win to progress from the group stage.”
Croatia’s other forward, Petković, insisted he has identified weaknesses in Italy’s play. He said, “The Italians showed some vulnerabilities in their matches, and we certainly spotted some tactics we can exploit to our advantage. We need to stick to our game plan and not listen to external noise. There are many reports about us, with criticism directed at me or other players, mentioning a negative atmosphere. This is professional sports; who the criticism is aimed at doesn’t matter.”
“We’re men, and we must keep moving forward. All of us aim for better results. Sometimes the opponent scores with their first shot. Sometimes we don’t play well, and sometimes we lose games where we played well. Believe me, we’re ready for this match.”
