Since the next World Cup is only a few months away I would like to being a thread in which we keep abreast of the nes various nationla team players, current and former and those on the cusp of becoming one are doing on the league level. We obviously have quite a few Croats in the German League, but lets try to gather as much information I can in order to bring it here for all of us to keep abreast on . Ciao
Goalkeepers Tomislav Butina-Club Brugge-Belgium Stipe Pletikosa-Hajduk Split-Croatia Joey Didulica-some club in Austria Mario Galinovic-Panathinakos-Greece Vedran Runje-some club in Belgium Zeljko Kalac-AC Milan-Italy Turina-Dinamo Zagreb Defenders Igor Tudor-Siena-Italy Robert Kovac-Juventus-Italy Joe Simunic-Hertha Berlin-Germany Dario Simic-ACMilan Stjepan Tomas-Galatasaray Mario Tokic-GAK-Austria Goran Sablic-Dynamo Kiev Midfielders Dario Srna-Shaktar Donetsk Marko Babic-Bayer Leverkusen Niko Kranjcar-Hajduk Niko Kovac-Hertha Berlin Jerko Leko-Dynamo Kiev Ivan Leko-Club Brugge Jurica Vranjes-Werder Danijel Pranjic-Herenveen Strikers Dado Prso-Rangers-Scotland Ivan Klasnic-Werder-Germany Bosko Balaban-Club Brugge-Belgium Ivica Olic-CSKA Moscow-Russia Eduardo da Silva and Ivan Bosnjak-Dinamo Zagreb-Croatia Tomislav Sokota-Porto-Portugal There are some more but I dont feel like thinking
He also included Australians Zel Kalac,and Joe Simunic.Although Simunic defected and plays for Croatia,but how he came to the Kalac conclusion I'll never know.Was born in Sydney and plays for Australia. And Joe Didulica was born in Geelong,Victoria.Was out here recently attending a family wedding.
Would Didulica realistically get a squad place though? He was basically the 5th considered GK for Australia.I couldn't imagine Croatia's GK stocks being that low.
I wouldn't put him in the squad just for the reason he doesn't speak Croatian. In addition to that he got one chance, against Korea, blew it, so I don't know why Cico doesn't take Dinamo's Turina, he won't be in goal anyway, and it would be a good move for the future.
What's your problem? Does Kalac or Šimunić sound australian to you? They all know that their parent came from Croatia, they were born and raised in Australia.. Kalac was in Croatia and coudn't pass in trial for one of our mediocre clubs when he was younger.. And yes, we have goalies of same or better qualities then Didulica but Didulica is currently 3rd choice keeper
Austria Wien Another croatians in Europe: Zvonimir Soldo (Stuttgart/Germany) Boris Zivkovic (Stuttgart/Germany) Anthony Seric (Panathinaykós/Greece) Mladen Petric (Basel/Switzerland)
My surname is Scholl, does that sound Australian to you. well news flash dude, i am actually Aussie. My parents were German, i've spent the last 3 years in the U.S and have an American wife, but i was born and raised in Australia. It's pretty straight forward. I don't understand why people are so ignorant. How are we supposed to have a national identity with tards like you.
That is a debate that is hard to get into it.. And it's hard for most people to understand.. It has a lot to do with cro's history in past 100 years.. Cro people are proud of from they/their parents are.. Example, Ivan Klasnic, born and raised in Germany, offered to play for Germany way before getting oportunity to play for Croatia, thanked but said NO and stated he awaits a call for Croatia, that is the country he wants to play for.. And what does it tell you about country's national identity with surnames like Scholl, Šimunić, Milosavljević, Apostolakis, Cerny, Parramatti... It's not like those names are "true australian names".. People came to Australia mainly in search of better life 'caused by famine, wars, politics in Europe.. So have croats and still, lots of them are trying to pass the knowledge of the country they came from to their sons/daughters, to make them proud of country their parents came from.. I don't know how other people like yourself think about it (probably are like you) but I do know from examples in real life of croatians born and raised in other countries, how they feel about this issue.. I can't tell for all of them but I've met 10+ croatians who barely speaked croatian but always put Croatia infront every other country, including country they live in, 'cause their parents teached them like that.. And it will take another generation or two for those croats to put aside their heritage and start thinking like "real australians, germans, canadians, americans..."
Ignorant people trying to claim something that isn't theirs.When its encouraged in wartime its called treason and people get hung for it.Does it also mean our soldiers with Croatian backgrounds shouldn't fight if war broke out between Australia and Indonesia tomorrow,simply because it had nothing to do with Croatia? Sorry dude,its very narrow minded,not to mention untrue. Kalac and Simunic were born in Australia.Therefore,are Australian.Check their birth certificates.Simunic wants to play for Croatia,thats his business.But I think (know),you'll find it had a bit more to do with playing in a world cup,and continually being ignored by our national coach,who was an idiot,and is thankfully gone.Plus it doesn't change anything by law,only because FIFA allow it.Kalac plays for Australia,and was born here.So how is he Croatian? I have a German father,and Spanish mother.Does that mean I should cut myself in half if I'm any good at football and have one part play for Germany and the other play for Spain? Kalac is now at AC Milan and recently replacing Dida had a clean sheet.I don't think thats too "mediocre". Thankyou.That was all I was asking.Didn't see the need for the other irrelevant spirts.
So, I'm ignorant man just 'cause I said something like that Viduka and Kalac aren't Australians but Croats from Australia??? BTW, both are true statements. They are Australians but Australian Croats. Viduka's answer to a question of what are his favourite games he has played.. "Games I played and I'm gonna play for Australia and the game vs Partizan Belgrade when I was playing in Croatia" He is Australian, no doubt at all. But also with strong croatian ties (family from Croatia). Just for picking this game as his favourite game played for club (and he played lots of big games in England and also Old Firm derby in Scotland) shows that he has strong feelings towards Croatia (Partizan is Serbian club and Serbs and Croats are in big, mutual "love" for 60+ years). And most of them have both parents who are croatians.. Which makes a "big" difference.. Kalac was consider mediocre when he was younger, with no experience.. I don't consider him mediocre but he also ain't THAT good!! If I'm correct, he is currently 2nd goalie in Milan due to fact that Abbiati was loaned in the beggining of the season.. I don't see the need either but you started it
There are Croatians and "Croatians" in the Australian team. Croatians are players like Viduka and Skoko who speak fluent Croatian, played in the Croatian league, have homes and spend their vacation in Croatia. Had Croatia not had 4-5 strikers better than Viduka 6-7 years ago he would have probably done what Šimunić, Šerić and Didulica did a couple of years later. "Croatians" are players like Popovic and Kalac who are tied to Croatia more or less only with their surname, and I don't like to refer to them as Croatians.
Croatians are people who considere them self as croats (and sign them self as croats), same is with other nations.
I wish all of Croatia the best for the world cup.Myself, and my fellow Australian-Croatians hope all the best for Croatia.Its just a shame both countries were drawn in the same group.Good luck, and I hope the Hrvatska team does the country proud.Just not against us.
Gk Pletikosa leaves shaktar donetsk to joins spartak moscow http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-europespartakpletikosa&prov=reuters&type=lgns
You stupid prick , Prso was the the best player on the field against brazil, and furthermore the man has knee problems so bad that he has not been able to finish a game in over 6 months, he should not be slammed by idiots like you but celebrated for putting his country's ambitions before his own health and career