Mi smo Hrvati,narod koji ima specifičnu ljubav prema naciji i Domovini,drugo,spaja nas specifičan odnos s navijačima

Croatia coach Slaven Bilić is seldom slow to show his emotions and they were apparent for all to see during his side's 2-1 victory against Germany in Klagenfurt. Bilić, a man who epitomises the word animated, was the liveliest and most agitated figure at the Wörthersee Stadion, and his exertions would have been worth watching alone, had this Group B match not been such an exciting affair.

Unconventional
Bilić, even without having the scalps of England in qualifying and now Germany here on his CV, is quite some character. At the age of 39, he is the youngest coach at UEFA EURO 2008™ and the least conventional. Surely no coach has ever patrolled the sidelines sporting a diamond earring, with a law degree to his name and a penchant for playing guitar-based heavy metal music. His Klagenfurt counterpart, the immaculately groomed Germany coach Joachim Löw, seemed somewhat dour by comparison. Both men once played for Bundesliga side Karlsruher SC in Germany, but there the similarities end.

Standing guard
The former Croatia Under-21 coach, who took charge of the senior side in July 2006 and has now taken them to the quarter-finals with this victory, was an entertaining sideshow during the Germany encounter. While Löw sought refuge in the dugout from time to time, Bilić prowled every square metre of the technical area throughout, despite the near-incessant rain. Even when crouching down, hands on his knees, he was soon up again, gesticulating to his players like a man possessed. His sense of frustration at not being out there playing was tangible as he appealed for virtually every free-kick and throw-in.

Hugs of celebration
When Darijo Srna prodded home the opener in the 24th minute, Bilić could no longer contain himself, charging on to the field of play before remembering his place and jumping back to the correct side of the touchline, deep into the arms of one of his backroom staff. He kept himself largely in check for Croatia's second goal, by Ivica Olić in the 62nd minute, but his nerves were apparent when Lukas Podolski pulled one back in the 79th minute. At the final whistle, however, he was back on the pitch again, lost in more hugs of joyous celebration. Ten years on from playing in the team when Croatia first beat Germany, a 3-0 victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, Bilić was the architect of their second triumph, and the taste of victory was no less sweet.

Musical theme
At the pre-match press conference, Bilić was, not for the first time, asked to compare opponents Germany to a piece of music, but he was in no mood to answer. He said the question was more suited to a children's magazine, though the songs bouncing off the walls in the Croatia dressing room after defeating Germany must have sounded like a rhapsodic symphony to Bilić, who had composed his finest masterpiece.

 

Nema kombinatorike, nema lakih nogu, nema tempa, nema samopouzdanja, nema igre... pisalo je na računalu mojega njemačkog kolege. Nadovezat ću se na njega - zato nema ni bodova, ni slavlja. Ne, barem kad se igra protiv Hrvatske!

Uvjeravao nas je Slaven Bilić da ima odličnu momčad, da dečki mogu parirati bilo kojoj momčadi na svijetu. Pobijediti svakoga. U pripremnim utakmicama i protiv Austrije nisu bili uvjerljivi, ali on je čekao da autobus prođe kraj table Klagenfurt. I dokazao.

Problemi su nestali, klagenfurtskom fantazijom srušene su sve barijere. Ivica Olić u ladicu pospremio statistički podatak kako napadači ne zabijaju. Niko Kranjčar pretrčao je najviše na utakmici. Podatak je nevjerojatan, ali na monitoru kraj njegova imena pisalo je 10,100 metara do 85. minute. Rijetkost.

Svaka čast strijelcima i vezi, ali nepogrešiva obrana ispred sigurnog Pletikose napravila je od Elfa bezopasnu momčad. Poklopilo se apsolutno sve. Opasni po bokovima preko Ćorluke i Srne, odnosno Pranjića i Rakitića. Veza sigurna, lijepila im se lopta za noge. Olić strijelac, Kranjčar najrastrčaniji. Pletikosa nije kriv za gol, obranio je sve ostalo. Šimunić i Robert Kovač bez pogreške. Slaba točka? Nije je bilo.

Postavio je Nane momčad savršeno, poslao Niku Kranjčara na mjesto na kojem nije bio godinama. Uveo Raketu koji se poigravao s Nijemcima. Ma kakvi impresioniran, on je bio hladan kao da igra prijateljsku sa Segestom. Peta, okret, utrčavanje, vraćanje u obranu. Rakitića na cijelom terenu.

- Koji je naš cilj? Nema pritiska - govorio je Bilić prije puta ispod Alpa. - Samo želim da na tom Euru dobro igramo. Rezultat to ne mora pokazati, moramo dobro igrati jer uzdignute glave želim kući - rekao je. Ispunio ga je, dalje može igrati samo za gušt. Nastaviti s nogometom, kao protiv Nijemaca.

Iznenadili su naši navijači prije početka utakmice, uzeli prvi bod protivniku. Dok su Nijemci grmjeli kod predstavljanja svojih igrača, naši su strpljivo slušali. I čekali hrvatsku himnu kada su razvili preko cijele tribine transparent "Croatia" veličine 750 četvornih metara. A onda su svoju slast pobjede nad Nijemcima željeli i nogometaši. "Lijepa li si" pjevali su navijači omiljenu pjesmu naših reprezentativaca nakon Olićeva gola. Slavilo se i prije odlaska u svlačionicu. I ostali su ih slušati, to ne može nadomjestiti niti jedan kasetofon u svlačionici.

Da, Lukas Podolski nastavio je niz zabivši treći gol zaredom. To je bilo to od Nijemaca. "Razbili smo ih", stane sve u tri riječi.

Zaboravite 4. srpnja 1998. godine u Lyonu, zaboravite 21. studenoga 2007. i Wembley. Datum koji treba zapamtiti je 12. lipnja 2008. godine. O ovome će se dugo pričati. A Europsko prvenstvo još zapravo nije ni počelo. Tek se igra po skupinama.