Internazionale midfielder Petar Sučić was interviewed after Croatia's 2-1 defeat to Spain. Sučić played only 38 minutes in the match. Croatia had previously suffered a devastating 7-0 loss to England, and despite another defeat, the team's performance showed improvement. After his international duties, Sučić will return to Milan to prepare for club matches.

Speaking about the match against Spain, Sučić said: "We had early opportunities to take control of the game, but we failed to convert some of those chances. After three consecutive defeats, nothing is easy, but we must pick ourselves up and find the strength to bounce back. If anyone can do that, it's us."
When asked if this match somewhat dispelled the shadows of the previous two games, Sučić responded: "I think we need to be realistic; no one can escape the situation. I don't even want to talk about the match against England anymore; it was a disaster. We must continue on this path, because let's not forget, today we faced the world and European champions. We made them realize that getting points here wouldn't be easy, and they had to fight hard. I regret that we missed the chance to extend our lead to 2-0; perhaps we could have won the game then. After that, there was a 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 replied: "Everything is normal; it's just the natural progression of things. When such situations arise, all sorts of rumors circulate. But I'd like to see anyone who comes to the national team unwilling to give their all, regardless of who is in charge, whether it's someone else or our coach Slaven."
"Of course, he has our support. But most importantly, each of us is also fighting for ourselves, for our families. When you play for the national team, you have to give 110%, and you must have something inside you. If we can't achieve that with game quality, then we must rely on running and fighting spirit. I have to admit that Spain was indeed stronger; that's a fact we cannot avoid."
Discussing what happened in the 7-0 loss to England, Sučić stated: "We competed in this game but were eventually defeated again. However, what happened against England was truly inexplicable. We were prepared before the match and eager to play from the first minute."
"We gave England the first goal, then relaxed, and the whole team collapsed. It became very difficult after the second goal. We seemed to enter an automatic mode, a feeling hard to explain to those who don't truly understand football. I'm not making excuses or trying to absolve myself; we definitely did not underestimate the match against England. But from the start of the game, things just unfolded that way, we got into that state, and we never recovered."
Speaking about the atmosphere at the match, Sučić said: "The atmosphere at this match was truly fantastic, and I must commend the Rijeka fans; they were outstanding, and I feel sorry for them. Against England, we didn't set a good example. Everyone wants to be in our position, but we didn't show how to play."
"However, against Spain, we showed a different side, and the atmosphere was superb. It's the same when we play at Poljud; we always genuinely feel the extra push from the stands. The fans are as passionate as we are on the pitch, and they constantly push us forward. Unfortunately, this time the result still wasn't what we wanted."
Regarding whether Croatia will aim for third place in the group in the next two matches, Sučić commented: "We have two matches left, and of course, everyone will return to their respective clubs. The current match schedule is simply unbearable, with league, Champions League, and cup games, so we don't have much time to focus on the national team right now."
"I hope the coaching staff uses this time for analysis so that when the next national team training camp comes, they can tell us in just a few days exactly what went wrong and where we need to improve. It's really tough now because we've suffered three consecutive defeats. When you lose a game, you always want to play another one immediately to make up for the loss with a win, but unfortunately, we have to wait another month."
Sučić was then asked about the upcoming match between Hajduk and Dinamo Zagreb on Saturday. He said: "I hope Dinamo wins; it will be a very interesting match. I can watch this derby first, and then play my own game. Of course, I will support Dinamo."
When reporters pressed him about Internazionale's next opponent, Sučić replied: "We will play Parma at home."
Finally, when asked if he was satisfied with his current playing time, Sučić did not answer directly: "I will talk about these things another time. For now, the most important thing is that we have responded to the national team's performance, and I think we have explained everything in great detail. After returning to the club, we will fight for the club, and then we'll see how things are in two or three months."
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Croazia
Inter
Slaven Bilic
Petar Sučić
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