The Croatian national football team gathered in Zagreb ahead of their Nations League matches against England and the Czech Republic. The squad arrived at Maksimir, where they were welcomed by Dinamo president Zvonimir Boban.
Boban greeted the players and members of the coaching staff, shaking hands with every player. The encounters were particularly warm with head coach Slaven Bilić and his assistants Aljoša Asanović and Nikola Jurčević, who were former teammates of Boban’s in the Croatian national team. Boban and Bilić embraced, and the Dinamo president kissed the head coach on the cheek.
Cameras also captured a conversation between Boban and Ivan Perišić, one of the most experienced Croatian international players. Boban used the squad’s arrival at Maksimir to greet the current internationals and renew meetings with former teammates.
Boban, Bilić, Asanović and Jurčević share a common history in the Croatian national team. All four were part of the generation that competed at the 1996 European Championship in England, the first major tournament for independent Croatia. Boban, Bilić and Asanović were also part of the generation that won the bronze medal at the 1998 World Cup in France, while Jurčević ended his international career earlier but shared the dressing room with them during the early years of the Croatian national team.
Croatia will travel to England on Thursday, 12 November, to face them at Wembley at 20:45. Three days later, on Sunday, 15 November, they will host the Czech Republic at the same time at the Opus Arena in Osijek. With these matches, Croatia will conclude their campaign in Group A3 of the Nations League.
