http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/newsid=1395029/
Croatia's Grnja leaving nothing to chance
(FIFA.com) Wednesday 9 March 2011
“I
hope 2011 brings health and happiness to my family. It would also be
nice if we could perform well and get some good results on the sporting
side too.” Modest though Ivan Grnja's hopes for the coming year may
appear, the 61-year-old has big plans for his Croatia side at this
year's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, as he told FIFA.com in an
exclusive interview.
“We’ll be playing to win in Colombia. We’re a
disciplined team who will show plenty of commitment, motivation and
pride. All the players representing Croatia at the U-20 World Cup will
respect those values 100 per cent. We want to go one better after
reaching the last 16 in our previous appearance at the tournament,” said
the former Toronto Metros-Croatia and Tampa Bay Rowdies striker.
Six pillars of the team
Croatia's
success in South America will largely depend on six players who made
their names by reaching the semi-finals of last year’s UEFA U-19
European Championship. “Matej Delac, Arijan Ademi, Zvonko Parnic, Filip
Ozobic, Renato Kelic and Franko Andrijasevic are my key players. Those
six all have the strength, talent and the desire to improve every day.
They’re the most important pillars of my team,” said Grnja.
The
young Vatreni needed just one 5-0 success against Portugal and a draw
with Italy to reach the last four of the continental showdown in France
and subsequently secure their ticket to Colombia 2011. “I didn’t expect
us to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship ahead of the
tournament. Nonetheless, what I did believe in was the potential of the
team – and they didn’t let me down in France. When you consider the
difficult conditions at that tournament, of course I'm satisfied with
the result. The important thing was that we qualified for the U-20 World
Cup in Colombia,” said the former coach of Croatian first division
outfit NK Osijek, where Grnja was in charge in 1991 and during the
1993/94 season.
Hoping for progress
Nigeria 1999
was Croatia’s first and until now only appearance at a FIFA U-20 World
Cup. Back then the team a recorded a victory over Kazakhstan (5-0) and
draws against Ghana (1-1) and Argentina (0-0) to reach the last 16,
where a 4-0 defeat to Brazil brought an end to their campaign. Now Grnja
is determined to go one better at Colombia 2011.
We’re a disciplined
team who will show plenty of commitment, motivation and pride. All the
players representing Croatia at the U-20 World Cup will respect those
values 100 per cent.
Ivan Grnja, Croatia coach.
“Qualification
for the U-20 World Cup is a real success for our small country. It has
enhanced the reputation of Croatian football enormously. We’ve proved
that we have plenty of young talent coming through. I’m very proud that
we’re back again after 12 years,” said the likeable tactician, who has
been involved with the Croatian FA since 2005.
Of course Grnja’s
players are similarly enthusiastic about proving themselves on the
international stage. “Colombia 2011 will be unforgettable for my
players. They’ll gain experience which will be enormously important for
their further development. All of them will make a personal step forward
at this tournament,” said the Croatian boss.
Optimum preparations
The
coaching staff behind the Croatian U-20s are leaving nothing to chance
ahead of this summer's youth spectacle. Almost five months prior to the
start of the tournament, Grnja and Co. are way ahead in their
preparations, with even the finest details such as how they will travel
to their first group match already planned. “Our preparations for the
tournament are well underway. As well as a training camp, we’ll be
playing several friendly matches to make sure we go into the tournament
in optimum condition,” said Grnja.
The Croatians have also been
focusing heavily on their upcoming opponents in Colombia. After all, if
they want to bring home more than just the Fair Play award they won in
1999, they will need to be ready to face all comers. To conclude the
interview, Grnja identified the nations he feels will pose the biggest
threat to his side's bid for the coveted trophy: “In my eyes the
European teams from France and Spain are the top candidates for the
title. Brazil and Argentina are up there as well. I think the hosts,
Colombia, can achieve a lot too, especially with home advantage.”