Everything is possible to read before the match- Spain and Croatia agreed with playing draw.. who spreads such gossips are expected such people who have never watched European championship even on TV, plus they must know neither the Spanish nor the Croatians. It is difficult to find such fighter people in the world as Croatians are, if your look through their history you will see that they survived after a lot of wars and fights, in spite of such difficulties they managed to create the country and as for the sport, it is very developed in Croatia. They show a strong resistance in several kinds of sports to world grand teams. It is newsworthy that its population as well as ours is 4 million people.  Croatia is also a post soviet country, for gaining independence they also had a war and as well as we, they also had golden age in X-XII centuries.
The breakup of Yugoslavia starts after one football match, on May 13, the day what we remember very well. In 1990 in the final match of Yugoslavia Cup between “Crvena Zvezda” Belgrade and “Dinamo” Zagreb, during the mass-up the captain of the team Zvonimir Boban protected compatriot fan and kicked the leg to Serbian police man Refik Ahmetovic, as a result policeman fall down and Croatian fans jumped on the stadium and stood around Boban, as a result this match was put out. Boban was gone from Yugoslavia secretly in other way he would be one of the victims of Soviet regime. “Here I was, a public face prepared to risk his life, career, and everything that fame could have brought, all because of one ideal, one cause; the Croatian cause”- stated Boban. When there is talk about patriotism, I always use his example- he refused from playing in Yugoslavia national team and sharply criticized all Croatians, who did not do it. Since that time he played for ‘Milan’ for 11 years, became champion of Italy four times, won Champions League and there was not even a match, which was not broadcasted in Croatia. The whole country became fan of “Milan” due to him. Boban used to help his country during five-year war with money too. In 1998 Boban played one of the biggest role in winning bronze medal at World championship.  Boban officially retired from football in 2002 after receiving little pitch time at Celta Vigo. In 2002, Boban organised and played in a farewell testimonial, with Croatia's 1998 World Cup team matching up against a World XI featuring such stars as Rivaldo, Marco van Basten and Lothar Matthäus. Since retiring from football, Boban, always known to be a literary man, completed his history degree at the University of Zagreb. He graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb in 2004, with a thesis named "Christianity in the Roman Empire". Now he is my colleague and became sport journalist.
Why was a role model for us one of the brilliant representatives of this country? Croatian Ivo Susak played a big role in developing of Georgian football, under his coaching “Dinamo” won the CIS cup in Moscow and the main – first time in Georgian history, Georgian national team under his coaching beat Russia 1:0! Before leaving for Croatia, Susak invited Georgian media and thanked them, he also attended burial ceremony of his friends Givi Nodia and Badri Patarkatsishvili.
Before the last match of group B Croatia announced the training opened in Gdansk. Davor Suker who is going soon to participate in presidential election of Croatian football federation also attended this training. According to his name no one will be able to show a strong resistance in election. Slaven Bilic, Dario Srana and Mario Panjukic came at the press-conference. Their press-speaker Davor remembered the match in Tbilisi last year and told me that he had never shown such resistance as Georgians did in this match. As far as you remember Georgians managed to beat Croatia in this following match. As for Bilic, it was evident that he was preparing for this match seriously and was determined  maximum results at this championship, because in the next season he starts working as head coach of “Lokomotive” Moscow (Igor Stimic replaces him in national team).
As for the Spanish, as usual they are very attentive with media- Pepe, Casorla and Torres who speak fluent English came at the press-conference. After half an hour players left and Del Bosque appeared. As my Spanish colleagues explained me, it is their tradition. In a word they are as good speechmakers with journalists as players.

You are expected to watch the match that’s why there is no need to talk about it, one thing is newsworthy that Croatians even can lose honorably. In spite of disappointment after the match none of them refused me to give an interview.
Maybe you are surprised that I appraise Croatians and do not say anything about Spain, what I have to say, when God gave you Iniesta, Xavi and Iker Casillas, who has to win? And Torres and Fabregas.. imagine, during the match Ivan Rakitic the best in Croatian team assisted 53, Modric -39 whilst Xavi assisted -113 (in total Croatia had 381 assists and Spain 774 (!)) Iniesta became the player of the match and was awarded with special prize of “Carlsberg”. Predrag Miatovic awarded him.
 There was such heavy rain after the match that minimum for an hour people were standing under the Gdansk Arena, when our bus came and we got on, while sitting in the bus everyone was looking at amber color stadium who was a brilliant even during the rain.

Mamuka Kvaratskhelia media officer of UEFA, special fro “Worldsport.ge”, from Gdansk
Photos by Author