Croatia's exit from the FIFA World Cup shouldn't have been so dramatic. In the 13th minute of stoppage time, everyone thought Gvardiol had scored the equalizer to make it 2-2 against Portugal, but then the goal was disallowed, and Bayern star Stanisic was also heartbroken. Now he reveals how he shared this turmoil with his Bayern teammates. This is because four days earlier, several players from Munich had just accepted the result of being eliminated by Paraguay with the German national team.

Stanisic told "Kicker": "After the German team's match, I didn't contact anyone, just had a brief chat with Manu (Neuer). Now I think everyone has gone on vacation. This isn't the first defeat we've experienced. One has to learn to deal with it, do things better, and then move on."

Regarding whether the poor performance of Bayern stars in the FIFA World Cup will affect the new season, Stanisic said: "I don't think we will carry these into the new season. Of course, for all of us, things could have gone more smoothly."

FIFA World Cup exit causes Stanisic so much pain

However, the right-footed player admitted that he is currently in a very bad state. When asked if this was the most painful defeat of his career, the 26-year-old only replied: "Yes, absolutely."

The Munich-born player also explained why he was so depressed. He said: "Fortunately, so far, I haven't lost many truly meaningful games in my career, especially with the national team. Now we can only go home with a feeling of emptiness. Each of us gave our all."

Modric? "I hope he continues to play"

Now, Stanisic may face another blow: the legendary player Modric, the core of the Croatian national team, may retire at the age of 40.

Stanisic said: "He hasn't said anything in the locker room yet. But I hope he continues to play. To be honest, in the last two games, I couldn't tell at all that he was 40 years old. His performance was incredible. For our team, he is extremely important." The Munich native still holds out hope.

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