Coach Bilic turns Croatia to possible contenders

Even if Croats like to regard themselves as a football superpower and their record in the sport includes some moments of glory, the claim of the "coach of all coaches" appears outrageous. "We will be European champions," said Miroslav Blazevic, the nation's biggest coaching name. "Everybody laughed at me when I said we'd be first in the world, but they didn't when we ended up third."

Now at the helm of club minnows NK Zagreb, Blazevic secured his place in Croatian football history by taking the team to third place at the World Cup in France 1998.

But even the fiery coach admits that he speaks more as a motivator, than as a forecaster.

"You have to speak in this way - if I had said we'll be third, we would have ended up sixth," he said. "But this team certainly has the potential for a good result at the Euro."

The mastermind of the current success is coach Slaven Bilic, a fact not only recognized in Croatia. World Soccer magazine has crown the 39-year-old the world's best young coach.

Bilic took Croatia over from Zlatko Kranjcar in the wake of a disappointing first-round knockout at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, He first made sure not to listen to anybody and rejuvenated the team as he saw fit.

In his opening match, at then freshly-crowned world champions Italy, he fielded the previously little used Eduardo da Silva, Slaven Corluka and Luka Modric. They returned the favour in the form of a confidence-boosting 2-0 victory.

Asked about the "sensation," Biulic just shrugged: "Why surprise? We all knew those boys were excellent players."

Brought in as a provisional solution to a badly-shaken team ridden by personal animosities, Bilic's life expectancy on the bench was first estimated at six months, at most.

But success in the Euro qualifiers changed everything. "Pay him in gold and give him a lifetime contract," one newspaper screamed.

Bilic based his strategy on the experience and discipline of his "Foreign Legion," ranging from Spartak Moscow goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa via Juventus Turin defender Robert Kovac to Brazil-born Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva.

Bilic turned a tottering, insecure team around in less than a year. Croatia today plays attractive attacking football, similar to the style nurtured by the "golden generation" which featured stars like Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker.

Doing so required a hard character at times. When three key players, Bosko Balaban, Ivica Olic and Darijo Srna, were caught partying instead of resting for an all-important qualifier against Russia, Bilic promptly benched them and brought them in line on short order.

Rich foreign organizations have recognized Bilic's talent and traits and are reportedly bombarding him with offers, but he so far refuses discussing anything but Croatia.

Bilic, as well as his players, have already raised their market price by qualifying, with an option of boosting it further with a good showing next summer.