The Croatian national team will gather for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, marking Slaven Bilić's first training camp since returning to coach the national team after a 12-year hiatus. With Zlatko Dalić stepping down after the World Cup, Bilić, who coached Croatia from 2006 to 2012, has once again taken the helm.

Bilić will hold his first training session on Monday at 7 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 face Spain in Seville, then host England in Rijeka on October 3, and play Spain again in Split on October 6.

Regarding the recent squad changes, Bilić stated: "Two players, Erlić and Juranović, withdrew due to injury. We called up Pongračić and Jakić, and then also Lovro Majer."

Explaining the additional call-up of Majer, Bilić said: "He is the best example of what I talked about earlier—that this national team is not a closed circle. We are always monitoring all players, and we knew them before. A lot can happen in 15 days, and his situation has significantly improved now."

"He had some 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 me.' He's playing very well now and is very committed. We have four matches in a national team cycle, so I called him up. Whether he plays or not, we'll see."

"Players shouldn't worry about being dropped from the national team immediately just because of one poor performance; similarly, they can earn their place back based on their form. Jakić is in a similar situation."

Discussing several national team players who changed clubs this summer, Bilić said: "It's good that Šutalo is in a new environment; things weren't ideal for him at Ajax. Everyone knows that in Italy, defense is truly emphasized. He will continue to improve. Although he's not at his best right now, I'm very satisfied because he is very important to Croatia."

Speaking about Luka Vušković, Bilić was full of praise: "I don't know what else to say besides continuing to praise him. You keep waiting to see when he'll make a mistake, but you just don't see it. Wisdom, courage, leadership—he has it all. I watched his match against Arsenal over the weekend, and his performance was consistent. Although he hasn't shown any problems himself, we still need to be careful to protect him."

Regarding the goalkeeper position, Bilić said: "I watched Pandur's last two games, and he's performing excellently at Rangers, continuing his good form from last season at Hull City. Several favorable things have happened that we couldn't control. Kotarski has returned to Dinamo Zagreb, a club that must win; Livaković has also played for Barcelona. These are all very positive developments."

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

Regarding the series of tough matches ahead, Bilić commented: "From one perspective, it's very good because we're facing strong opponents. The Czech Republic match is important for us, and we cannot take them lightly. We certainly want to perform at our level while also fully respecting them. But facing Spain and England three times in seven days is indeed very difficult."

When asked whether the team would 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. I personally prefer four defenders, but our players' characteristics allow us to change systems within the same match, and we will definitely do that."

Speaking about captain Luka Modrić continuing to play for the national team, Bilić said: "All of us are very happy that he is continuing. His desire and passion for the national team have never been questioned. The reason for so much discussion is that you keep asking if he will continue."

"Whether at the club or for the national team, he is the least likely person to just go through the motions. Milan plays completely differently with him and without him. As long as he remains important to Milan, he is equally important to us."

Referring to Budimir reaching 100 goals in La Liga, Bilić said: "We have six forwards on our roster, and one reason for that is that none of them truly became a fixed first-choice striker during Dalić's tenure. They all seemed to perform better coming off the bench."

"I want to congratulate Budimir on this achievement. I still remember when Suk reached 100 goals—it sounded incredible then, and it still does, except that Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have since changed how people perceive such statistics. Budimir can be a great help to us, and what style of play suits him best is another question. In our system, he can perform very well."

Regarding the arrangements for this training camp, Bilić said: "There are no rest days. Players who played yesterday will have lower-intensity training sessions. We don't have time for too many specialized training sessions. Everyone comes to the national team with different club form and situations. We've done a lot of work through communication before the training camp. There will certainly be one or two training sessions where everyone participates at full intensity."

Regarding Ivan Perišić's position, Bilić said: "He can play both as a full-back and a winger. He was one of the first players I spoke to. I told him he could even play on both wings, like he does at Eindhoven. If I had two Perišics, I'd play both—one as a full-back and one as a winger."

Speaking about returning to the Croatian national team coaching position after 12 years, Bilić said: "I'm excited. I'm older now and better prepared. That previous experience was a long time ago."

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

"They are both very young, playing at the highest level, and performing exceptionally well. Logically, they are the future center-back pairing for Croatia, but they still have to earn their place through competition."

Subsequently, Bilić again spoke about the importance of Modrić: "If you want a match to be stable and calm, then you need Modrić. That's his ability, especially now that his style of play has changed. He can suppress opponents and control the game."

"It's clear that when he's substituted, Milan's game loses vitality and stability. Luka has a huge impact on the tempo of the game. Don't mistakenly think this is boring football; with Modrić on the field, Milan actually plays more directly."

Finally, speaking about Martin Baturina and Luka Sučić, Bilić said: "They are both attacking midfielders with strong offensive attributes. Baturina is becoming a more well-rounded player, and Como won't be negatively affected in any way by his presence on the pitch. They are both a goal threat, and both have already scored three or four goals. I think their most suitable position in the national team is the same position they currently play at their clubs."

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