The Croatian national team will gather for the first time after the 2026 World Cup, and this will be the first training camp under Slaven Bilić's leadership following his return as head coach of the national team after 12 years. After Zlatko Dalić's departure following the World Cup, Bilić, who previously coached Croatia from 2006 to 2012, has taken over the team once again.

Bilić will hold his first training session as head coach on Monday at 7:00 PM in Rijeka. The team will train there until Friday, then travel to Prague on Saturday to face the Czech Republic. On September 29, Croatia will play Spain in Seville, then host England in Rijeka on October 3, and face Spain again in Split on October 6.

Regarding recent squad changes, Bilić said: "Two players, Erlić and Juranović, are out due to injuries. We called up Pongračić and Jakić, and then Lovro Majer as well."

Explaining the additional call-up of Majer, Bilić stated: "He's the best example of what I was talking about: this squad is not a closed circle. We're always monitoring all players, and we knew them before. A lot can happen in 15 days, and his situation has improved significantly."

"He had problems at Wolfsburg and was in a difficult situation. After changing clubs, he called me and said: 'Coach, I'm happy now, I've found myself again, don't forget about me.' He's playing very well and very responsibly right now. We have four matches in one international window, so I called him up. We'll see if he plays."

"Players shouldn't worry about being immediately dropped from the squad if they have one bad game; similarly, they can earn their place through their performances. Jakić is in a similar situation."

Commenting on several squad players who changed clubs this summer, Bilić said: "It's good that Šutalo has moved to a new environment. Things weren't ideal for him at Ajax. Everyone knows Italy is a place where defense is truly prioritized. He will only continue to grow. Although he's not in his best form yet, I'm very pleased because he's very important for Croatia."

Speaking about Luka Vušković, Bilić was lavish with praise: "I don't know what else to say except keep praising him. You're all waiting for him to make a mistake, but you just won't see one. Intelligence, courage, leadership — he has it all. I watched him play against Arsenal last weekend, and his performance was consistently high. Although he himself isn't showing any signs of problems, we still need to be careful to protect him."

Regarding the goalkeeper position, Bilić said: "I've watched Pandur's last two games; he's playing exceptionally well at Rangers, continuing his good form from last season at Hull City. Several things have happened that are very beneficial for us, and these were things we couldn't control. Dominik Kotarski has returned to Dinamo Zagreb, a club that needs to win; Livaković also played for Barcelona. All of this is very positive."

Speaking about Ivanović, Bilić said: "He's had a very good start and is playing in the Champions League. He can offer us something at this position that other players don't have. I have no doubts about him."

Regarding consecutive matches against strong opponents after taking charge, Bilić stated: "On one hand, it's great because we're facing strong opponents. The match against the Czech Republic is very important for us, and we can't underestimate them. Of course, we want to play at our level while fully respecting them. But facing Spain and England three times in seven days is really very challenging."

Regarding whether the team will play with three or four defenders, Bilić said: "First, I want to emphasize the match against the Czech Republic. Just as we hope to get something from England or Spain, the Czech Republic certainly has the right to expect something from us. Personally, I prefer four defenders, but the characteristics of our players allow us to change the system during the match, and we will certainly do that."

Speaking about captain L. Modrić continuing to play for the national team, Bilić said: "We're all very pleased that he's continuing. His desire and passion for the national team have never been questioned. The reason there's so much discussion is that you keep asking whether he'll continue playing."

"Whether it's at his club or with the national team, he's the last person who would just go through the motions. Milan plays completely differently with him than without him. As long as he remains important to Milan, he's just as important to us."

Regarding A. Budimír scoring 100 goals in La Liga, Bilić said: "We have six forwards in the squad, partly because none of them really became a fixed first-choice striker during Dalić's time in charge. It seemed like they all played better coming off the bench."

"I want to congratulate Budimír on this achievement. I still remember when Šuker scored 100 goals; it seemed incredible then, and it still is, except that later Ronaldo and Messi changed everyone's perception of such statistics. Budimír can certainly help us a lot; what playing style suits him best is another question. In our system, he can play very well."

On the current training camp schedule, Bilić said: "There are no days off. Players who played yesterday will have a lighter training session. We don't have time for too many specialized drills. Everyone arrives at the camp in different club fitness and situations. We did a lot of communication work before the camp. There will definitely be one or two training sessions where everyone participates with full intensity."

Regarding I. Perišić's position, Bilić said: "He can play as a left-back or as a winger. He was one of the first players I spoke to. I told him he could play on both flanks, as he does at Eindhoven. If I had two Perišićs, I would play both of them — one as a left-back and the other as a winger."

Speaking about his return as head coach of the Croatian national team after 12 years, Bilić said: "I'm enthusiastic. I'm older and better prepared. That previous experience was a long time ago."

Regarding the possibility of Vušković and Joško Gvardiol forming the center-back partnership, Bilić said: "We'll see. Currently, there are no injury or fatigue problems. Joško Gvardiol doesn't play as a center-back at Manchester City, but he's versatile. I personally see him as a center-back, but that doesn't mean he won't occasionally play as a left-back."

"They're both very young, playing at the highest level, and performing exceptionally well. It's logical that they're the future center-back partnership for Croatia, but they still need to earn their place through competition."

Subsequently, Bilić again emphasized L. Modrić's importance: "If you want the game to be stable and controlled, you need L. Modrić. That's his ability, especially now that his playing style has changed. He can suppress opponents and control the game."

"Obviously, when he's substituted, Milan's game loses vitality and stability. Luka has a huge influence on the tempo of play. Don't confuse this with boring football; with L. Modrić on the pitch, Milan actually plays more direct."

Finally, speaking about Martin Baturina and Luka Sučić, Bilić said: "They're both attacking midfielders. Baturina is becoming a more versatile player, and Como won't suffer from his presence on the pitch. They're both very dangerous in front of goal, and both have already scored three or four goals. I think their best position for the national team is the same position they're playing in for their clubs right now."

Переведено ИИ.

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