Modric admits feeling disgraced after historic defeat

Croatian national team captain Luka Modric expressed deep dissatisfaction and shock over the disastrous performance delivered by his squad in a match that ended in a heavy seven-goal defeat against the English team in Rijeka on Saturday. This result marks the heaviest defeat in Croatian football history, surpassing the previous setback against Spain in 2018. The most capped player in the national team stressed that the approach the team showed on the pitch is completely unacceptable and bears no relation to sportsmanship. In press statements, he pointed out the difficulty of finding any convincing justifications for this disappointing level, which completely lacked challenges, competitiveness, fierceness, and the usual teamwork. He confirmed that he has been wearing the national team shirt for two decades, yet this is the first time he has experienced a sense of disgrace and shame after the final whistle. He added that accepting defeat against an opponent of superior technical ability is a normal occurrence in football, but collapsing in such a humiliating manner and wasting a long-standing football heritage seems unforgivable, especially since the team looked as if they were playing a man down on the pitch during a night he described as terrifying. The Croatian squad is preparing to host the Spanish national team in the city of Split next Tuesday within the European Nations League competitions, at a time when the opponent holds a perfect record and previous encounters that ended in their favor. The player concluded by emphasizing the necessity of reuniting the team and swiftly regaining mental stability before entering this difficult test, alongside the inevitable display of determination, persistence, and fighting spirit to restore pride, stressing that these values cannot simply vanish overnight. The Croatian national team currently occupies third place in its group within the top tier of the continental tournament.