Ivan Rakitic said England were wrong to think they were ahead of Croatia in Wednesday's World Cup semi-finals, while Gareth Southgate's side did not live up to the expectations of fans.
Before the start of the match, it was stressed that Croatia needed more time to beat Denmark and Russia, with England beating Sweden 2-0 in the quarter-finals and England being considered younger and more energetic before the start of the match.
However, this proved not to be the case, and as the tournament progressed, the experienced Croatia grew stronger and stronger, and after extra time, Croatia won 2-1.
Asked if England had talked too much before the game, Rakitic told Mondo.
But at the end of the day, the opposite is true. It was we who played better in the second half and in overtime. We should win. We force ourselves because we are a better team.
In addition to playing 120 minutes twice a week before the game, Rajiti also had a fever ahead of England's game against England.
The Barcelona midfielder, who suffers from celiac disease, got out of the problem in time to help the team reach their first World Cup final.
"My temperature before the game was 39 degrees," he said. "I was lying in bed and I didn't think I could play in an important match like the semi-finals of the World Cup."
"I lost 4kg in the race because of my efforts after that. I ran 14 km. I don't know where the power comes from, but you did. It comes from within you. ”
Rakitic's partnership with Modric is key to Croatia's progress in Russia, with the duo putting aside Barca's rivalry with Real Madrid.
If Modric – Rakitic said he was a Barcelona fan when he was younger – join the club when he has the chance, the two of them will eventually become club-level team-mates as well.
"When we were kids, we all had our favorite team and it's no secret that Luca voted for Basara," Rakitic told MD. "But I can now say that he is a great professional player and we have 'lost' him." He is 100% Madrid. You just have to look at his performance in Clasco. It's hard to find someone more Madrid than he is.
"Sometimes, when we're playing together, I joke when we change our shirts to full-time: 'Now you have the shirt you've always wanted to take home.'" "It's a shame he never retired at Camp Nou, but it's also an honour to play against him in La Liga and the Champions League. For Croatia, it is very special to be able to have players of his level.
