Croatia captain Luka Modric mentioned he felt “ashamed” of his facet’s efficiency in Saturday’s 7-0 defeat at dwelling to England within the Nations League.
It was the primary time in 20 years as a global that the AC Milan midfielder mentioned he had felt such emotion, describing it as a “catastrophic evening”.
Modric, 41, was making his 205th look for his nation after lately agreeing to increase his worldwide profession beneath returning supervisor Slaven Bilic.
“You’ll be able to’t play soccer like that… we regarded like we had 4 or 5 gamers much less,” mentioned the previous Actual Madrid participant, who helped Croatia to second-place and third-place finishes on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups throughout a storied profession.
“It’s tough to search out an evidence for such a efficiency with out duels, fouls, aggressiveness, togetherness.
“I have been right here for 20 years, however for the primary time I really feel ashamed after a sport.”
Croatia kicked off Bilic’s second spell in cost with a 2-1 Nations League win away to the Czech Republic that put them above England in Group A3.
They adopted that up with a chastening 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain however had been nonetheless stage on factors with Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions earlier than Saturday’s humiliating loss in Rijeka.
With the highest two qualifying for the latter levels, Croatia had the possibility to place themselves in pole place to beat England to a spot within the quarter-finals.
But by the point Modric was substituted within the 57th minute, the house facet had been already 5-0 down after conceding two targets from Harry Kane and one apiece from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka.
Modric was pressured to observe from the sidelines as additional targets from Saka and Morgan Rogers prolonged England’s benefit earlier than the ultimate whistle.