Croatia Announce Provisional Euro 2016 Squad
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Croatia have announced a provisional 27-man squad ahead of the upcoming EUR0 2016 in France.
Croatia Coach Ante Cacic will be hoping Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic can help steer Croatia to success in a difficult group with Spain, Czech Republic and Turkey.
Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren has been left out of the squad following his controversial falling out with Cacic during the recent round of friendlies in March.
Cacic, who took over for the final two qualifiers of their campaign, said when asked about the Liverpool defender, “When it dawns on him that he can't look down on his team-mates, the staff and the coach, he will perhaps find a way to get back in.”
Highly rated Dinamo Zagreb youngsters Mark Rog and Ante ?ori? have also been included in the squad. The uncapped ?ori? will be looking to make an impression with a lot of interest coming from cubs such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
Other star names included in the squad are Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic, Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic of Inter Milan.
Cacic will cut his squad to 23 following a friendly against Moldova on May 27th.
Croatia will play their opening match of the tournament against Turkey in Paris followed by their clash with Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne before their final group match will be with Spain in Bordeaux.
Provisional Croatia Squad for Euro 2016:
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargic (Rijeka), Dominik Livakovic (NK Zagreb).
Defenders: Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Sime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg), Ivan Strinic (Napoli).
Midfielders: Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Domagoj Antolic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Coric (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Perisic (Inter), Alen Halilovic (Sporting Gijon, on loan from Barcelona).
Forwards: Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Nikola Kalinic (Fiorentina), Duje Cop (Malaga, on loan from Dinamo Zagreb), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim, on loan from Leicester City).
