President Milanović Tells Croatian National Football Team: A strong right hand and a bold heart with the homeland in mind – may this thought further lead you
“I expect the Croatian National Football Team to continue where it left off, and it left off on a high pedestal of success for a small people and a small country such as ours in a sports and competitive discipline which is above all other disciplines because it belongs to the people in the true sense of the word. It doesn’t discriminate and there is room for everyone in it. It takes work, hard work and even when it has been accomplished it isn’t enough because many bigger and richer countries than us invest as much or more and don’t achieve such success”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović told the football players, the members of the professional staff, the coaches and the members of the technical support staff of the Croatian National Football Team who contributed to winning 3rd place at the 22nd world football championship in Qatar.
Expecting the Croatian National Football Team to continue with its successes, President Milanović recalled the words of Franjo Bučar whose name adorns the decoration which, among others, was bestowed upon the Croatian National Football players: “Franjo Bučar was one of the biggest educators and sports workers in Croatian history on whose monument in Krešimir Ćosić square the following words are inscribed: A strong right hand and a bold heart with the homeland in mind – may this thought further lead you”.
“With various foreign specialists, friends, my counterparts from neighbouring countries who live very much for football and invest a great deal, I have frequently tried to figure out why Croatia is so good and successful in football. I have heard a lot of clever explanations and as a Croat and the President of Croatia I don’t know. I just wish you to continue where you left off, to be carried by great ambition and in achieving this ambition you choose the means as you have thus far – fair play and that you win with know-how and persistence”, President Milanović said.
For outstanding success of the Croatian National Football Team, contribution to the sports and international standing of the Republic of Croatia and winning 3rd place at the 22nd world football championship in the State of Qatar, the Order of the Croatian Star with the Effigy of Franjo Bučar is awarded to football players Borna Barišić, Ante Budimir, Martin Erlić, Ivo Grbić, Joško Gvardiol, Ivica Ivušić, Kristijan Jakić, Josip Juranović, Marko Livaja, Lovro Majer, Mislav Oršić, Mario Pašalić, Bruno Petković, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Luka Sučić, Josip Šutalo, Nikola Vlašić, and the decorations are presented today to Ivica Ivušić, Josip Juranović, Lovro Majer, Bruno Petković, Borna Sosa, Luka Sučić and Josip Šutalo.
For the outstanding success of the Croatian National Football Team, contribution to the sports and international standing of the Republic of Croatia and winning 3rd place at the 22nd world football championship in the State of Qatar, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is bestowed upon football players Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić, Andrej Kramarić, Dominik Livaković, Dejan Lovren, Ivan Perišić and Domagoj Vida, and are presented today to Andrej Kramarić, Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida.
For outstanding success of the Croatian National Football Team, contribution to the sports and international standing of the Republic of Croatia and winning 3rd place at the 22nd world football championship in the State of Qatar, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is bestowed upon the members of the professional staff and coaches, and the president of the Croatian Football Federation Marijan Kustić, coach of the Croatian National Football Team Zlatko Dalić, Vedran Ćorluka, Marin Dadić, Dražen Ladić, Mario Mandžukić, Luka Milanović, Marjan Mrmić and Ivica Olić.
For outstanding success of the Croatian National Football Team, contribution to the sports and international standing of the Republic of Croatia and winning 3rd place at the 22nd world football championship in the State of Qatar who contributed with their professional experience and support the Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal is presented to the members of the technical support staff of the Croatian National Football Team Goran Beloglavec, Marko Cvijanović, Neven Golubar, Blago Jakovljević, Miroslav Jamnić, Jurica Jurjević, Luka Karlo, Nenad Krošnjar, Dennis Luka Lukančić, Miroslav Marković, Nikša Martinac, Iva Olivari-Uliša, Tomislav Pacak, Mladen Pilčić, Stipe Pletikosa, Helena Puškar, Nderim Redžaj, Eduard Rod, Goran Vincek and Drago Sopta. Saša Janković is also a recipient of the award and he will receive it subsequently.
On behalf of the decorated, the coach of the Croatian National Football Team Zlatko Dalić said that Croatian sports and the National Football Team are one of the greatest brands of the Croatian state. “We have deserved that status thanks to our successes, work, behaviour and results, and I believe it will continue to be so. The European championship is ahead and we are aware of the great expectations of all of you, all of us, and the great support we will have in Germany, never larger, never stronger,” coach Dalić said, adding that the national football team can promise that it will represent the country with dignity. “We’ll see what happens. Thank you on behalf of all of us present and those who were in Qatar, but couldn’t be here today due to club commitments”, concluded the coach of the Croatian National Football Team.
Alongside President Milanović at the award ceremony were the Adviser to the President for Defense Ivica Olujić, the Adviser to the President for National Security Dragan Lozančić, the Adviser to the President for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicarić, the Adviser to the President for Education Jadranka Žarković, the Secretary General of the Office of the President Dinko Suton, the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković and the Special Adviser to the President for the Economy Velibor Mačkić.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta, Filip Glas