Croatia
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| HOW THEY QUALIFIED |
| GROUP F | GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
| 1 |  Greece (Q) |
10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| 2 |  Croatia (Q) |
10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 22 |
| 3 |  Israel |
10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 4 |  Latvia |
10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 11 |
| 5 |  Georgia |
10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -2 | 10 |
| 6 |  Malta |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | -17 | 1 |
| RESULTS | TOP SCORERS |
| Sep 3, 2010 Latvia 0-3 Croatia Sep 7, 2010 Croatia 0-0 Greece Oct 9, 2010 Israel 1-2 Croatia Nov 17 2010: Croatia 3-0 Malta Mar 29, 2011 Georgia 1-0 Croatia Jun 3, 2011: Croatia 2-1 Georgia Sep 2, 2011: Malta 1-3 Croatia Sep 6, 2011: Croatia 3-1 Israel Oct 7, 2011: Greece 2-0 Croatia Oct 11, 2011: Croatia 2-0 Latvia |
 4 - Niko Kranjcar 3 - Eduardo da Silva 2- Nikola Kalinic, Mario Mandzukic 1 - Milan Badelj, Dejan Lovren, Luka Modric, Ivica Olic, Mladen Petric, Darijo Srna, Ognjen Vukojevic |
If not for the form shown by eventual section winners Greece, Croatia would have received the plaudits in Group F, who showed enough consistency and promise throughout the qualification phase to suggest that their youthful side can continue to develop in Poland and Ukraine.
A run of three clean sheets in their first four qualifiers, including two convincing 3-0 victories, started their campaign in style, before being quickly halted by a potentially morale-sapping loss to Georgia. However, normal service was resumed, as they proceeded to win their next three on the bounce, before a ruthless execution of Turkey in the play-offs to seal their place.
However, they struggled in both of their matches against a resilient Greek outfit, earning just a solitary point from their two fixtures against Fernando Santos' men. It could be argued that their better performances were against lesser opposition, so it remains to be seen how they match up against Europe's finest in the finals.
| PAST RECORD IN THE EUROS |
| 1960 |
Runners-up (part of Yugoslavia) |
1988 |
Did not qualify (part of Yugoslavia) |
| 1964 |
Did not qualify (part of Yugoslavia) |
1992 |
Disqualified (part of Yugoslavia) |
| 1968 |
Runners-up (part of Yugoslavia) | 1996 |
Quarter-finalists |
| 1972 |
Did not qualify (part of Yugoslavia) |
2000 |
Did not qualify |
| 1976 |
Fourth place (part of Yugoslavia) |
2004 |
Group stage |
| 1980 |
Did not qualify (part of Yugoslavia) |
2008 |
Quarter-finalists |
| 1984 |
Group stage (part of Yugoslavia) |
2012 |
Qualified as play-off winners |
The Croats have enjoyed an impressive history in the European Championship, albeit most of their success coming as part of Yugoslavia. However, two runners-up medals in the first three editions of the tournament were followed by mediocrity, as they had to wait until independence in 1991 to make an impact once more.
Since then, they have featured twice in the quarter-final stages, in 1996 and 2008, and continue to go from strength-to-strength, with Euro 2012 becoming their third consecutive European Championship appearance.
| THE MANAGER | SLAVEN BILIC |
Since replacing Zlatko Kranjcar in 2006, the former West Ham and Everton defender has performed admirably in the Croatian hotseat. He slowly but surely changed the dynamics of the entire set-up, blooding in youth as soon as his first few games in charge of the Vatreni, and his fresh approach saw him rapidly become a fans' favourite at the helm.
And despite the occassional loss of form and failure to reach the World Cup two years ago, he oversaw Croatia's successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2008, which saw them denied a place in the last four via a penalty shootout against Turkey, who Bilic ironically disposed of in the play-offs this time around.
He now has a golden opportunity to complete his redemption at Euro 2012 with his country, before stepping down to to take the reins of Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow once the tournament is over.
| THE CAPTAIN | DARIJO SRNA |
The 30-year-old has skippered his side since the aftermath of Euro 2008, following the retirement of previous incumbent Niko Kovac, and he has matured into one of Croatia's most important figures, with his experience proving invaluable to the younger heads in the squad; his emotional breakdown after their Euro 2008 heartbreak only paid further testament.
Despite starting out as primarily a right-sided midfielder, he has found his spiritual home at right-back for the national team, and subsequently has taken up the same role at club level for Shakhtar Donetsk, while his form has promptly forced Vedran Corluka out of his comfort zone to be redeployed at left-back.
An impressive all-rounder, Srna is adept defensively, where his workrate and leadership qualities have shone at the back, but it is his attacking instincts that continue to garner praise. His crossing ability is an extremely effective tool for Croatia, as a number of goals have been assisted in some capacity thanks to his right foot, which is undoubtedly one of the best around.
| THE STAR PLAYER | LUKA MODRIC |
Quite simply an extraordinarily gifted footballer, the diminutive Croat has what it takes to rise to the occasion in Poland and Ukraine and inspire his side to potential glory. The sheer influence and playmaking talents of the Tottenham man are crucial to Croatia, as at his best, he is the single figure that makes the rest of his team tick.
His passing range, vision, composure and tactical awareness are in abundance, and he will be sure to showcase them at various points for the team, who will require Modric to provide the platform for the likes of Niko Kranjcar, Ivan Rakitic and Ivica Olic to plough forward and offer a viable goal threat.
As well as his forward-thinking attributes, Modric is also intelligent in his defensive duties. Always on the move, he often drops deep to help out his team-mates, adding an extra body behind the ball, before initiating counter-attacks. This is yet another feature of his versatility, and unequivocal importance to the Croatian cause.
| THE EMERGING TALENT | IVAN PERISIC |
It has been a mixed start to the season for the attacker, who has been mainly a substitute for new club Borussia Dortmund, while also failing to capture the imagination in his sporadic games for Croatia. However, starting with his wonder strike against Arsenal in the Champions League group stages, Perisic started to display more of his exciting potential, albeit in glimpses throughout the season.
The 23-year-old is primarily a left-sided forward who can also operate behind the strikers, but with the likes of Niko Kranjcar and Ivan Rakitic currently standing in his way, he is expected to be no more than an impact substitute in the summer. That could all change, though, if he continues to take advantage of playing opportunities for his club.
Even on the bench, the former Club Brugge man could prove to be a perfect option for Croatia, as prior to his international recognition, they had lacked an inventive forward player, capable of the unpredictable, as his height, shooting ability and movement is sure to catch the eye.
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| WCQE | Croatia - SCO | 6/7/13 8:00 AM SGT |
| FR | Croatia - Portugal | 6/10/13 10:00 PM SGT |
| FR | Liechtenstein - Croatia | 8/14/13 8:00 AM SGT |
| WCQE | Serbia - Croatia | 9/6/13 8:00 AM SGT |
| WCQE | Croatia - Belgium | 10/11/13 8:00 AM SGT |
| WCQE | SCO - Croatia | 10/15/13 8:00 AM SGT |
Active Tournaments
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mario Mandzukic
Striker Bayern |
6 | 0 |
|
Nikica Jelavic
Striker Everton |
3 | 0 |
|
Eduardo
Striker Shakhtar |
2 | 0 |
|
Darijo Srna
Midfielder Shakhtar |
1 | 0 |
|
Ivica Olic
Striker Wolfsburg |
1 | 0 |