Slaven Bilic rips into 'unaggressive' Croatia after brutal defeat to Spain

The Croatia head coach delivered a scathing review of his team’s performance following their emphatic defeat at the hands of Spain in Seville. Bilic was visibly disappointed by the manner of the loss, suggesting that his players appeared overawed by the occasion and the stature of their opponents. The former West Ham manager noted that while the squad is undergoing a transitional phase, the lack of competitive spirit displayed on the pitch was unacceptable for a nation with Croatia's proud footballing history.

"A difficult night for us. We were bad in every way, we are disappointed. We can find some excuse in the fact that it is Spain, the world champion, and that our team is new, but we cannot play with such a lack of aggression, as if we were here just to celebrate their winning of the World Cup. We can't come here just to be part of the celebration. That's not us," Bilic stated.

The match started in disastrous fashion for the Vatreni, who found themselves trailing almost immediately. Despite a brief moment of hope when they managed to get back into the game, defensive lapses proved to be their undoing. Bilic highlighted the failure to remain disciplined during key moments, particularly when dealing with set-pieces and the sustained pressure applied by Luis de la Fuente’s side. The Croatian backline struggled to contain the fluid movement of the Spanish attackers throughout the evening.

"We can find many excuses. When you concede a goal in the first minute against the world champions, you need a few minutes to recover. We equalized, and when we needed strength, calmness and intelligence to disrupt them, we conceded another goal from a set piece, and maybe it should have been the other way around," Bilic added.

"It shows that we played badly, especially in defense. Our defense did not work. But there is always something positive. Sometimes we managed to overcome their pressure with Kovacic and Perisic, and individually we can find some good things. Beljo played well, not only because of the goal."

Bilic's rebuilding project faced a significant reality check in Seville. While the coach remains confident in the technical ability of the players he has selected, he admitted that the execution on the night fell far short of what is required at the elite level. The gap between the two sides was evident not just in the scoreline, but in the tactical execution and physical intensity. The manager emphasized that the potential of the group must be matched by a stronger mentality on the field.

"We put this team together for a reason. On paper, the guys who played tonight have everything, but we showed very little," he said.

Following their defeat to Spain, Croatia turns their focus to a crucial Saturday showdown against England, where both sides find themselves tied on three points and chasing a formidable Spanish team that currently leads the group with six. With Spain set to host Czechia on Saturday before traveling to face Croatia next Tuesday, this upcoming clash between Bilic's side and England carries immense weight for both nations as they look to keep their qualification hopes alive. A victory for Croatia would not only rejuvenate their campaign after the setback against Spain, but also allow them to forge ahead of England in the standings before facing the group leaders once again next week.