Anger and shock gripped the Croatia camp after a brutal 7-0 defeat to England in Rijeka, the heaviest loss in the nation's history. Captain Luka Modric did not hold back, slamming a performance he said fell well below the standards expected of his country.
Back in the starting line-up after sitting out the Spain match, Modric spoke bluntly afterwards: "It is hard to find an explanation for a performance like this without talking about friction, mistakes, aggression and a lack of unity. I have been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a match."
He went on: "The defeat is understandable because England are better than us right now, but to lose in this way and to tarnish the reputation we have built over the years is unacceptable. I feel deeply ashamed."
The criticism kept coming. "You cannot play football this way. It felt as though we were missing four or five players. It was a catastrophic night, and we should not blame one another or look for a scapegoat, we must stand together," Modric said.
A tough test against Spain comes next, and Modric knows it will not get any easier after a result like this. "We have to unite because another difficult match awaits us. We must show our true mettle, and what we have in terms of frustration, pride, desire, will and unity. Playing like this is unacceptable," he stressed.
The veteran then delivered a damning verdict: "Today we would have lost even to a third-division team."
Modric was not alone in his fury. Coach Slaven Bilic shouldered the blame himself. "Croatia does not deserve this. The responsibility falls on me. I am the coach, and this is my country's national team. We will analyse everything, but some things are unacceptable," he said.
Bilic sees the Spain match as a chance to rebuild the team's identity. "There is no way for us to move forward other than by delivering a good performance against Spain. It is easy to be positive when things are going well, but now is the right time to show our unity and our character," he said.
His closing message struck a defiant note: "It would be absurd to say that we will beat Spain no matter what, but we have to show a strong and brave Croatia."