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Croatia's silence not golden
Posted: Monday July 06, 1998 06:24 PM
PARIS (CNN/SI) -- Croatia's
football team is in World Cup heaven. Semifinalists at their first attempt
and with a very real chance of becoming the first eastern European country
to reach the final since Czechoslovakia in 1962.
A 3-0 victory over mighty Germany in the
quarterfinals capped their dream debut.
They are understandably hero-worshipped back home, where soccer joy
contrasts hugely with the recent war-ravaged years.
But is all this success going to the Croatians' heads?
On Monday, I visited their training camp at Vittel -- a small French town
known for its spring water.
But strangely enough, the well was empty. No first-choice Croatian players
at their much-publicized, heavily attended training session. Only the
second-string guys turned up.
Earlier in the day, Croatia coach Miroslav Blazevic and captain Zvonomir
Boban attended a press conference and were most good-humored. They did
their media duties and more besides, stopping outside their car to talk to
crews galore.
We expected more of the same later in the day, so the crews from all
across the globe decided to stick around -- for fully five more hours -- to
get shots of the plucky Croatians in action, followed by the gathering of a
few suitable pieces of sound to send to Brazil, Britain,
the United
States, Italy, Norway, France and
countless other interested nations.
Everyone waited eagerly for the Croatian team's arrival, but were left
speechless and sound bite-less when only the first-choice goalkeeper and a
bunch of reserves turned out.
Of course the second-stringers are a very important part of the squad.
But, with the exception of a few substitute appearances here and there,
they are not the men who've taken Croatia this far.
We media hounds wanted Davor Suker, Slaven Bilic, Goran Vlaovic, Robert
Jarni and all the other heroes of the German conquest. We didn't get them
-- and were frankly miffed.
Do Croatia suddenly think they are above all that?
Might I remind them that though they have a lofty opinion of themselves,
more or less everyone I speak to considers them very much the battling
outsiders, who have some fine talent but are more than exceeding
expectations.
Don't the players want to grab their moment in the spotlight, remembering
they have to meet a tremendous French team in the semifinals, since it
could be their last?
We, the media, have no divine right to speak to anyone. But FIFA, soccer's
world governing body, hands down guidelines demanding players and coaches
be made available throughout the tournament. Croatia deemed Blazevic and
Boban were enough on this day, even though they blatantly led us all to
believe others would talk later.
In contrast, France provided coach Aime Jacquet and four players on
Monday. France provides this and more every press day. It is by far the
best organized set up of the World Cup.
Italy has gone now, but while they were here their press setup was also
exemplary. The coach Cesare Maldini always faced the music -- and so did
the biggest stars.
Others, like Holland and Brazil, have been as accommodating as
possible.
But Croatia ? Any good that went before today was undoubtedly undone by
their no-show.
In my eyes, the loveable underdogs of France 98 have turned into rotten
scoundrels.
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