June 17, 2021 - The Czech Republic and Croatia meet in Glasgow on Friday for their second Group D match. 

The day before the big clash with the Czech Republic, Zlatko Dalic and Dejan Lovren appeared in front of journalists, meaning that the head of defense returned to the Croatia squad, reports Jutarnji List. 

There has been a lot of speculation in recent days about the lineup for the Czech Republic, which Croatia must beat to advance to the second round. Lovren has been training at full speed again in recent days after an injury, and it is now clear that he will still start in the 2nd round and help Croatia in the hunt for their first points at the EURO.

Croatia lost in the first round to England (1:0), and the Czech Republic beat Scotland (2:0).

"Every defeat is hard for everyone, including us, even if it was at Wembley to England. We know that everything is still in our hands, we have a good atmosphere, and we desperately need the right result. I am optimistic about the matches against England and Belgium in which we were equal with the best teams in the world. We miss the attacking game; if we don’t fix it, we won’t do well. Therefore, we will put a more offensive team, play over the flanks and look for one-on-one actions. Everyone is ready except Barišić," said Zlatko Dalić to begin.

"There will be some changes in the lineup because we will arrange the game a little more offensively. We miss finishing and breakthroughs. I was the first to say that we were too weak in London, that we didn't have enough players to finish, that we lacked one-on-one breakthroughs. Without chances and goals, of course, there are no results."

Does the team have a winning spirit?

"We are not in a comfortable situation like the Czechs; we need a victory that would give us even more self-confidence. The guys are aware of that. I do not see any problems in that regard; we are motivated, we are ready."

He then pointed out something else:

"We are in a tough situation because we play away, without our fans who are our strength, without them, we are in a huge deficit, and we really miss that. Look at Denmark's support. Half of the teams play at home, we travel. It is not fair to us that there will be so few spectators in the stands."

A Scottish journalist asked Dalic about Borna Barišić and whether his absence was a great loss.

"It is a great pity for us that he is injured. He played great for the Rangers; when he arrived for the preparations, he got injured again, and he was not in the right shape and completely ready. We left him at home to prepare better; we need him for Scotland. So we have to give another player a chance."

On adapting from warm Rovinj to cold Glasgow, he said:

"We had nice weather in Rovinj; it was too hot in London and tough to run, it will be easier to play here in Glasgow. We will do our best."

Stopper Dejan Lovren has recovered from an injury that kept him out of games for a long time.

"I feel perfect, I am positive, I am available to the coach. I’m ready to play, and the coach decides. We expect a pretty tough game, but we have to play it the right way," said Lovren.

What kind of match can we expect?

"I expect a hard game. They feel more comfortable. They have a team that has been playing for years. We have to play smart, to do everything that the coach asks of us. No calculation, let's go for three points."

What do you expect between England and Scotland?

"We are not a team that will look at the other, only if we have to. We depend only on ourselves, and that is most important. We will concentrate on the Czech Republic. Everything is in our hands. It will not be easy for England against Scotland."

Lovren said he has been following Euro matches.

"I don't have anything smarter to do. We can single out France and Italy, and the biggest favorite, in my opinion, is France. However, Italy is also extraordinary, at the moment among the three best teams," concluded Lovren.

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June 12, 2021 - England and Croatia meet again, this time in the EURO 2020 Group D opener at Wembley Stadium in London. 

The day before the match, Zlatko Dalić and Luka Modrić appeared before the press.

"They are playing in front of their audience, opening the Euro; I expect them to be quite aggressive and challenging, a fighting game. We are ready; we have worked well these seven days; we are preparing," said Luka Modrić.

Was England arrogant at the World Cup?

"That arrogance didn't apply so much to the players and the England team, more to the journalists, commentators, and people around. In the last few days, I haven't dealt with those journalists too much, so we are focused on the game and not on what is being said from the sidelines," Modrić said.

English journalists questioned Modrić about Croatia's tactics, who answered politely:

"What, would you like me to reveal all of our tactics? You will see everything on the field tomorrow," said the Real Madrid midfielder.

About the fans:

"We will miss the fans, and it would be nice if they could come and support us in large numbers because their presence helps us a lot and gives us extra energy. As for the camp and staying in Rovinj, in my opinion, it is not a problem, and we have our peace, even though we are in Croatia." 

Coach Zlatko Dalić pointed out that Croatia will establish possession and play high pressure.

"We are aware that we are playing against a great team and one of the favorites to win the Euros. We have to be compact, aggressive, and combative. We will not just come to defend ourselves; we will try to make a good result and start the championship successfully. We will try to get our chances through possession," Dalić began.

He said that Croatia was ready for both formations that Southgate could use - three at the back or four at the back.

"Whatever system the England coach uses, we will be ready. They have great quality, especially in the attack. We want to be those who will have possession of the ball and the opportunity; we will not just defend. England is always dangerous if they play with four backs and even more dangerous with three. We must resist the pressure. I don't think they can surprise us, nor can we surprise them."

Dalić is likely to start Croatia with Livaković - Vrsaljko, Vida, Ćaleta-Car, Gvardiol - Brozović - Kramarić, Modrić, Kovačić, Perišić - Rebić.

Croatia and England have a vibrant history over the last 15 years. They played last in the Nations League in 2018. England celebrated 2:1, but Croatia knocked them out of the World Cup semifinal just a few months before. 

England is also still trying to get revenge on Croatia for knocking them out of Euro 2008 when Bilić's side won 3:2. However, England won 5:1 in the World Cup qualifiers at Wembley to get Croatia back. 

England is the favorite to win this time around, especially playing at home with mostly England fans in the stands, but if football has taught us anything, it's that anything can happen. 

The Czech Republic and host Scotland meet on Monday. The top two national teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.

Source Gol.hr

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June 10, 2021 - The Croatian Football Federation statement on kneeling was released on Thursday ahead of EURO 2020. 

The Croatian Football Federation statement on kneeling before EURO 2020 matches was released on Thursday. Recall, England, Belgium, and other national teams have decided to take a knee before kickoff in the fight against racism.

The news that Croatia would not kneel before their matches appeared in the English media yesterday, specifically The Daily Mail.

You can read the full statement from HNS below: 

"The Croatian Football Federation and the Croatian national team strongly condemn any and all forms of discrimination. We also respect the right of every individual and every organization to select the circumstances and the manner in which they will take a stand against racism and/or other forms of discrimination. 

The Croatian Football Federation believes that the players have a right to their own opinion on these topics, and that they also have a right to choose whether they want to engage in any activity. The players of the Croatian national team jointly decided ahead of the friendly match against Belgium that they will not take the knee, and they respectfully stood in silence during the kneeling of their Belgian colleagues. The Croatian Football Federation respects their stance on this and will not impose taking the knee as an obligation for Croatian players, as this gesture does not hold any symbolic ties to the fight against racism and discrimination in the context of Croatian culture and tradition.  

In general, we believe the most important thing is the fact that Croatian internationals have conducted themselves respectfully throughout their careers and that they have shown through their behaviour that they respect all individuals, opponents, and teammates, regardless of race, religion, social status, ethnicity, or any other characteristic, which is a value that is also promoted by the Croatian Football Federation."

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June 5, 2021 - Good news for Hajduk fans - works are currently underway on a brand new Poljud pitch that will soon crown the beloved Split stadium! 

Hajduk announced that installing the new hybrid lawn on the main Poljud pitch is in full swing. In accordance with the planned deadlines, the first planned phase of works, removing the lawn and preparing the substrate in cooperation with the company Jadro, has been completed.

In addition, 11 centimeters of old quartz sand were removed for better drainage, and the base for laying new quartz sand was leveled. Among other things, the grass surfaces of the warm-up area and the entire surrounding part outside the tartan track are being renewed.

The field was taken over by the Croatian Football Federation on Friday together with the contractor. In the next phase, they will lay the new pitch! 

The latest generation hybrid lawn will eventually cover the current field sand, and Hajduk will soon get the national team-worthy pitch it deserves.

Hajduk's new coach, Jens Gustafsson, will gather the team on June 14 and lead them at the beginning of preparations for the new competitive season.

Hajduk will train until June 17 in Split, when they will head down south to Konavle for three trainings before the first preparatory match. Hajduk will be guests at the 100th-anniversary celebration of HNK Slaven Gruda on June 19 at 5 pm at the Gnjila Sports Center playground.

After visiting the Dubrovnik surroundings, Hajduk will return home to train at Poljud until June 23. The team will then leave for fifteen-day preparations in Slovenia. This year, Hajduk's expedition will stay and do a series of training in the new preparation base in Zreče.

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May 13, 2021 - Borna Sosa's statement for the Croatian Football Federation has been released. 

The young Croatia national team player Borna Sosa sent a statement to the Croatian Football Federation, the media, and the public, which TCN transmits in its entirety.

"A lot has happened in my life in the past few days that has left its mark on me, especially on my sports career.

I will not shy away from my own responsibility for the situation I have found myself in, although, at the time I decided on my national team career, I believed I was doing the right thing.

I made the wrong decision and turned out to be naive.

Like any athlete, as a child, I dreamed of performing in big competitions. I still dream of them, without thinking about money or other material values, and of course, I also dream of performing at European and World Cups.

But even in that dream, I have no illusions that many will not understand me, and I do not blame them for that. The responsibility for this situation is mine alone, from the misunderstanding of what the Croatian Football Federation communicated to me to the decision I made, obviously motivated to reach the goal in another, perhaps shorter way.

I made my debut for the younger Croatia national teams in 2012 and played 56 games. There were better and worse performances, but I am proud of every game I played in the Croatia jersey.

The decision I made was wrong, and I have to take responsibility for it myself. If the Croatian Football Federation and coaches believe that despite everything, I can contribute to the success of our national teams, I will respond to their invitation and make myself available.

Finally, I sincerely apologize to the Croatian (sports) public, the fans of the Croatia national football team, and the Croatian Football Federation, whom I thank for the patience, understanding, and correctness they showed me in this situation."

You can read more about the Borna Sosa saga HERE.

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May 8, 2021 - Borna Sosa, one of the most talented young Croatian football players and a member of the U21 national team, received German citizenship in a secret operation of the German Football Federation and is expecting an invitation from the coach Joachim Löw for the European Championship.

As Index.hr finds out, the German federation has been following the 23-year-old Stuttgart left-back for a long time and is preparing the ground for him to join Germany. Sosa was eligible for a German passport because his mother, Vesna, was born in Berlin.

Croatia could thus lose a great talent that has excelled in the Bundesliga ever since he arrived from Dinamo in 2018 in a transfer worth six million euros. Three years later, Sosa is one of the best offensive defenders in Europe. This season, he played 26 games for Stuttgart and recorded as many as nine assists. Ahead of him in that category is only Cuadrado from Juventus, who shared ten assists. According to Transfermarkt, Sosa is worth 12 million euros, and a transfer to Bayern is planned for the summer.

Croatia has not had such a player in the left-back position for 20 years. And it could be lost in the blink of an eye. 

When Sky Sport first published the news about the German Federation operation and Borna Sosa, the Croatian Football Federation had not been informed. The first HNS operative Marijan Kustić read the news in the media, the U21 national team coach Igor Bišćan said he knew absolutely nothing about it, and Zlatko Dalić sounded resigned.

"Everyone has the right to choose whether to play for Croatia or wherever they want," Dalic told Index, announcing that the official position of the Federation would soon be published on the web.

“We are following Borna, he is on a wider list, and we want him to continue with good games for Stuttgart to get even closer to the A national team,” HNS briefly reported.

Meanwhile, the German Bild announced that Sosa is already on the wider list of Germany for the Euro. When the legendary German striker Oliver Bierhoff, today the German national football team director, spoke up, it became clear that he had been negotiating with the young Croatia national team player for a long time.

"We know who he is, and we have been following him for some time. We believe he has the qualities and potential to play for our national football team. We are always looking for solutions in advance. That means we are thinking about him for the European Championship," Bierhoff said. 

Sosa himself confirmed that he is in negotiations with the German Football Federation (DFB) about possibly playing for Germany.

"Yes, I spoke with the director of the national team Oliver Bierhoff. We talked about everything, not only about the European Championship but also about my future if I play for Germany," said Sosa.

Zlatko Dalic included Sosa on the wider list for the first time before the World Cup in Russia. Still, only this season was the young player a serious candidate for the A national team. In Stuttgart, he missed most of the first season due to injuries when the club was relegated to the second division. During the two seasons, Sosa played only 24 games. He had problems with his pubic bone, back, adductor, ligament rupture in the knee joint, concussion, and edema in the knee. He missed the final of the championship in which Stuttgart expressly returned to the first league, and such was the progress of the defender whom the Stuttgart sports director called the new David Beckham. At the end of 2020, he signed a new contract until 2026.

"In the almost two and a half years since I came to Stuttgart, the club and the city have grown close to my heart. Positive things are happening in sports as well, so I hope we can continue to develop together in the future," Sosa said when signing the contract.

He was a standard member and occasional captain of the young national team, for which he played 19 games and won a place at the Euros. Due to a red card he earned in the qualifying match against Scotland, he had to miss the first two matches of the U21 Euro, and coach Igor Bišćan was counting on him for a key match against England.

Index adds that coach Zlatko Dalic told Sosa that he would debut for the A national team against Malta at the beginning of the qualifying cycle for the World Cup in Qatar. The dates coincided with the U21 national team at the Euro, and Bišćan asked Dalic to give him Sosa, which he needed in the crucial match against England. That was the turning point.

Dalic could not reject Bišćan.

Sosa was not at the camp before the match against England on March 31, in which the young national team fought for a historical placement in the quarterfinals. He sent a medical report and a certificate of injury to Bišćan. Croatia went further with Bradarić's goal, and the scenes of celebrations between Bišćan and the players toured Europe. Sosa was not a topic, although only four days later, he played for Stuttgart against Werder, played 90 minutes, and recorded an assist. He also played in the next round for 90 minutes against Borussia Dortmund. He then paused for the next three games in the championship due to injury.

Bišćan did not suspect that there was a problem, but everything became clear to Dalic. Sosa was never promised a spot at the Euros, but Dalic let him know that he is seriously counting on him and that he will have a place on the wider list where he can show his worth.

Dalic already has a complex list for the Euro, but will the possibility of losing Borna to Germany change that now? Only time will tell. 

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May 5, 2021 - Croatian Football Federation president Davor Suker has confirmed for Russian media that Vedran Corluka will work alongside Zlatko Dalic as the Croatia national team assistant coach! 

Sportske Novosti reports that Vedran Corluka is returning to the Croatia national team, confirmed the Croatian Football Federation president Davor Suker for the Russian Sport24 ru. The former Croatia national team player will replace Ivica Olic in the position of assistant coach in Zlatko Dalic's coaching staff. 

"Vedran had a phenomenal career with the national team. That is why we decided he would be an assistant to Zlatko Dalic at the European Championships. It is our joint decision. I am very happy that Vedran will be with the team. I am sure that a person like him will unite the team and will help young players," Suker said.

Corluka has been in Russia since 2012, where he plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, and announced that he would say goodbye to that club at the end of the season. He did not say what he would do next, but joining the Croatia coaching staff suggests he has coaching ambitions. Is this the end of his playing career or will he continue to play after the Euros? We will probably get an answer soon. Corluka retired from the Croatia national team after the 2018 World Cup.

Recall, before Russia, Dalic brought on Ivica Olic as an assistant, mostly to be a link with the players he competed next to not long before. Dalic also wanted Darijo Srna to join his coaching staff.

Thus, the idea of Corluka joining the coaching staff is not so surprising. Olic took over CSKA Moscow in March, leaving Dalic with a hole to fill. We are still waiting for the coach to decide exactly who will make up his coaching staff at the Euros and whether there will be even more new names.

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April 20, 2021 - HNS stands with UEFA against the proposed Super League, including clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid

HNS reports that representatives of 55 national federations and members of Uefa voted at today's 45th Congress of the umbrella European football organization, a declaration in which they condemned the proclamation of the so-called "Super League."

The participants of the UEFA Congress are united in the claim that the closed "Super League" opposes the very concept of what Europe must be: united, open, supportive, and principled in sports values.

"Uefa and its members believe in a true European model based on open competitions, solidarity, and redistribution to ensure the sustainability and development of football for the benefit of all, as well as the promotion of European values ​​and social outcomes.

The conspirator clubs have obviously turned a blind eye to the fact that the status they enjoy today is not the result of an isolated case but part of a dynamic European system in which one’s successes and failures are equally influenced by large, medium, and small clubs. Their assumption that they have the right to "separate" and claim the right to build a legacy built together is an insult to European values ​​and sporting merit.

Uefa, its members, and all those who love football will strongly oppose it and fight against the moves of the owners of these clubs and all those who support them. In a moral sense, we know very well what is behind everything, and in that sense, we will protect football from a selfish clan that does not care about the game. We are European football. They are not," the declaration reads.

The Croatian Football Federation was represented at the 45th Uefa Congress by the president, Davor Šuker, also a member of the Uefa Executive Board, i.e., the executive director of the HNS, Marijan Kustić, and the head of the international department and licensing, Ivančica Sudac.

"Once again, we have sent a clear message to European football, showing solidarity united against the selfish interests of the richest clubs and their owners. The great thing is that we are unique in our attitudes and efforts to keep football as it should be, accessible to everyone, not just elites. The congress was very successful; Uefa kept the same course, everything it did before. I am delighted that my former teammate Zvonimir Boban has become Uefa's head of football, increasing the number of Croatian officials involved in various bodies of Fifa and Uefa. I believe that by acting together, we will contribute to even better treatment of Croatian football on the international stage," concluded Davor Šuker.

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March 13, 2021 - Football legends of Croatia and Slovenia played a charity match in Petrinja on Saturday, initiated by the president of the Croatian Football Federation and a member of the UEFA Executive Board, Davor Suker, and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, to help the areas affected by the devastating earthquake late last year.

HNS reports that on behalf of the umbrella European Football Federation, Aleksander Čeferin presented a donation to the Croatian Red Cross for 50 thousand euros. HNS President Davor Šuker handed over the donation to the Sisak-Moslavina County Football Federation, intended to reconstruct football infrastructure in earthquake-affected areas, for 200 thousand kuna, while the Football Federation of Slovenia donated 5 thousand euros to the Football Club Mladost.

Drago Sopta/HNS

"When I found out about the tragic earthquake in Petrinja and its surroundings, I talked to Davor Šuker, and we started thinking about how we could help. Football is solidarity, football is friendship, and we agreed to organize this match and for UEFA to donate. We were joined by the Croatian Football Federation and the Slovenian Football Federation led by Radenko Mijatović. I am glad that this humanitarian event was a success," said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.

Drago Sopta/HNS

"At the moment when the tragedy happened, the president of UEFA, Alexander Čeferin, and I got in touch, and in the first second we agreed on the match in Petrinja, we were only looking for the most suitable date. I want to thank President Čeferin and the UEFA Executive Board, who voted for this donation. As the Croatian Football Federation president, I am glad that we were able to help the Sisak-Moslavina County Federation. The ball will always roll, the most important thing is that people in this area get a roof over their heads as soon as possible, and everyone who can help is welcome. The least important thing is who won on the field, all of us who were in the service of humanity won," said the president of the Croatian Football Federation, Davor Šuker.

Drago Sopota/HNS

"It is nice that we are all together in Petrinja, and that time has served us. We gladly accepted the joint idea of Aleksandar Čeferin and Davor Šuker, the Football Federation of Slovenia responded to this initiative, I believe that we will make life at least a little easier for people in this area and the local football club in this difficult period," said the president of the Football Federation of Slovenia, Radenko Mijatović.

"I thank all the participants, the players of both national teams, the president of UEFA, Aleksandar Čeferin, and the president of HNS, Davor Šuker, this was a top football spectacle, but, unfortunately, in the earthquake-stricken area. However, this is the day when the history of Petrinja will begin to be written again. The atmosphere was fantastic; I'm sorry that the spectators could not watch this match live, but, in any case, thank you all for helping the City of Petrinja and Sisak-Moslavina County," said the President of the Sisak-Moslavina County Football Federation and a member of the Executive of the HNS Committee, Davor Ivić.

Drago Sopta/HNS

"Sport, and especially football, has a special power to unite us. All athletes have been with us since day one, helping the affected population in various ways. We thank UEFA, HNS, and SNS for deciding to organize such a magnificent sports event and increase it by donating financial aid that will be sent through the Croatian Red Cross to the earthquake-stricken population. We are proud that the Croatian Red Cross is part of this sports humanitarian action," said the executive president of the Croatian Red Cross, Robert Markt.

Drago Sopta/HNS

The meeting of Croatia and Slovenia football legends is a continuation of fostering good neighborly relations between the two national federations, which also organized a friendly match in Brdo near Kranj in September last year when the hosts celebrated (3:2). Slovenia celebrated a "close" victory on this occasion, even though Croatia took the lead with a penalty kick by Davor Šukerr. Still, Slovenia reversed the result thanks to the goals of Milivoj Novaković and Milenko Aćimović. The role of the Croatia coach was taken over by the senior advisor to the HNS president, Zorislav Srebrić, and the Croatia team was led by the current coach of the Vatreni, Zlatko Dalić, former coach Miroslav Blažević, and Dinamo legend Marijan Vlak.

CROATIA LEGENDS: Marijan Mrmić, Stipe Pletikosa, Davor Šuker, Zvonimir Boban, Aljoša Asanović, Ivica Olić, Petar Krpan, Dario Šimić, Darijo Srna, Daniel Šarić, Niko Kranjčar, Igor Bišćan, Boris Živković, Silvio Marić, Mihael Mikić, Nenad Pralija, Tomislav Dujmović, Robert Špehar, Marko Babić, Željko Pavlović.
SLOVENIA LEGENDS: Robert Volk, Aleksander Čeferin, Primož Gliha, Miran Pavlin, Milivoje Novaković, Milenko Aćimović, Boštjan Cesar, Mišo Brečko, Radenko Mijatović, Aleksandar Radosavljević, Goran Barišić, Tomaž Vesel, Silvo Vrhovec, Andrej Vrhovec, Robert Beguš, Tomislav Čizmić, Mladen Džanan, Branko Ilić, Mitja Sojer, Jože Prelogar, Robert Beguš.

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February 23, 2021 - Croatia and Slovenia football legends will play a humanitarian match in Petrinja next month, during which UEFA will hand over a donation to the Croatian Red Cross to help the earthquake-damaged areas. 

Immediately after the earthquake rocked the Petrinja area on December 29, 2020, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin spoke with HNS President and UEFA Executive Board member Davor Šuker about ways to help the earthquake-affected areas, reports HNS.

At their initiative, a humanitarian match between Croatia and Slovenia football legends will be played in Petrinja on March 13, during which the umbrella European football federation will hand over a donation to the Croatian Red Cross to help areas affected by the devastating earthquake.

"Our thoughts are with the people of Croatia in these difficult times. We hope that the help of the football family will help them overcome the challenges caused by this devastating earthquake and that it will contribute to the recovery of the Petrinja region," said UEFA President Alexander Ceferin.

On the same occasion, the Croatian Football Federation will hand over a donation to the Sisak-Moslavina County Football Federation, intended to reconstruct the football infrastructure in the earthquake-affected areas.

The co-organizer of the humanitarian match will be the Slovenian Football Federation (NZS), led by President Radenko Mijatović, who will also join the action with a donation.

"We are once again witnessing great solidarity and friendship within the European football family. I believe that UEFA's help will reach the right addresses through the Red Cross and that our help to the county federation will facilitate the return of football in the county.

I am convinced that football is one of the best ways to bring smiles back to people's faces, especially children, so let this game be a sign of a return to normal life," said HNS President Davor Šuker.

The friendly match between Croatia and Slovenia football legends will be played on March 13, starting at 13:00 at the Mladost Stadium in Petrinja.

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