Croatia's captain, Luka Modric, announced his intention to continue playing despite his team's likely exit from the European Championship following a last-minute equalizer by Italy, resulting in a 1-1 draw in their final Group B match on Monday. Modric, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2018 after leading Croatia to the World Cup final, had initially put his team ahead right after missing a penalty. However, he was substituted before Italy's Mattia Zaccagni scored the equalizer deep into stoppage time, sealing Croatia's fate.
The draw allowed Italy to advance to the round of 16, while Croatia, with only two points from their group matches, stood a slim chance of securing one of the four best third-placed finisher spots. Despite the setback, Modric, now the oldest scorer in Euro history, expressed his desire to continue playing, even after accumulating 178 international caps since his debut in 2006. "I want to keep playing, but I know the time to retire will come eventually," the 38-year-old midfielder told reporters.
Reflecting on the match, the veteran Real Madrid star admitted the outcome was tough to accept. "It was very stressful," Modric said. "We fought hard till the end, but football can be unforgiving. It was cruel today, just as it was in our previous match against Albania when we also conceded a late goal." He acknowledged the emotional toll of such defeats but emphasized the need to remain resilient and proud of their efforts representing Croatia.
Croatia's coach, Zlatko Dalic, criticized the extended stoppage time that led to Italy's goal, deeming it unnecessary and attributing his team's late-game nerves to the unfavorable outcome. "There weren't many breaks in play or fouls, but conceding a goal in the 98th minute is unacceptable," Dalic stated. He concluded that defeat is an inevitable part of football, underscoring the importance of moving forward despite the heartbreak.
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