Inter Milan midfielder Petar Sučić spoke after Croatia's 1-2 defeat to Spain, a match in which he played just 38 minutes. Croatia had previously suffered a devastating 0-7 loss to England. Despite the loss to Spain, the team showed improvement. After his international duties, Sučić will return to Milan to prepare for club competitions.

Discussing the Spain match, Sučić said: "We had chances early on to turn the game in our favor, but we didn't take some of them. After three consecutive defeats, nothing comes easy, but we need to regroup and find the strength to get back on our feet. If anyone can do it, it's us."

When asked if this match lifted the team out of the shadow of the previous two games, Sučić replied: "I think we need to be realistic; we can't run away from it. I don't even want to talk about the England match anymore—it was a catastrophe. We need to keep moving forward, because let's not forget, today our opponent was the world champion and European champion. We showed them that it's not easy to pick up points here, and they had to fight hard. I regret that we missed the chance to extend our lead to 2-0; maybe then we could have won the game. Then came the red card, and the match became very difficult."

Regarding his relationship with Croatia coach Slaven Bilić and whether Bilić still has the players' support, Sučić answered: "Everything is fine; it's just a natural development. When situations like this arise, all sorts of rumors circulate. But I'd like to see who would come to the national team and not want to give everything, regardless of who's in charge, whether it's someone else or our coach Slaven."

"Of course, he has our support. But the most important thing is that each of us is also fighting for ourselves and our families. When you play for the national team, you have to give 500% effort; you have to have something inside. If we can't do it through quality of play, then we have to rely on running and fighting spirit. I have to admit, Spain is genuinely stronger; it's a fact we can't escape."

Speaking about what happened in the 0-7 defeat to England, Sučić said: "We fought throughout the match, but in the end we suffered another defeat. However, what happened against England was truly unfathomable. Before the game we were ready, eager to play from the first minute."

"We gifted England the first goal, then we relaxed, and then the whole team collapsed. After the second goal conceded, it became very difficult. It was as if we went into autopilot—a feeling that's hard to explain to someone who doesn't truly understand football. I'm not making excuses or trying to justify ourselves; we definitely didn't underestimate the England match. But from the start of the game, everything just went that way, we fell into that state, and we never recovered."

On the atmosphere at the match, Sučić said: "The atmosphere at this match was truly fantastic, and I have to praise the fans in Rijeka; they were magnificent, and I feel for them. Against England, we didn't set a good example. Everyone wants to be in our position, but we didn't show how we should play."

"However, against Spain, we showed a different side, and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was the same when we played at the Poljud stadium; you always really feel that extra support from the stands. The fans are as passionate as we are on the pitch; they constantly push us forward. Unfortunately, this time the result still wasn't what we wanted."

When asked if Croatia will aim for third place in the group in the next two matches, Sučić said: "Now we have two games left, and of course everyone will return to their respective clubs. The current pace of matches is simply unbearable—league games, Champions League, cup matches—so we don't have much time to think about the national team right now."

"I hope the coaching staff can use this time for analysis, so that by the next national team gathering, they can tell us in just a few days what went wrong and what we need to improve. It's really tough right now because we have three consecutive defeats. When you lose a match, you always can't wait to play another one immediately to make up for it with a win, but unfortunately we'll have to wait another month."

Sučić was then asked about the Hajduk-Dinamo Zagreb match on Saturday. He said: "I hope Dinamo wins; it will be a very interesting game. I might watch that derby first and then play my game. Of course, I'll be rooting for Dinamo."

When the reporter asked the next question about Inter's next opponent, Sučić answered: "We'll play Parma at home."

Finally, when asked if he was satisfied with his current playing time, Sučić did not answer directly: "I'll talk about that another time. Right now what's most important is that we've answered questions about the national team's performance, and I think we've all explained things in great detail. After returning to the club, we'll fight for the club, and then we'll see how the situation looks in two or three months."

Переведено ИИ.

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