Founded: 1912 UEFA Affiliated: 1992 EURO Appearances: 3 EURO Titles: 0 FIFA Ranking: 13 Croatia are largely responsible for the biggest EURO 2008 qualifiers upset, following a famous double victory over England. Slaven Bilic's men produced a vintage display at Wembley last November in the 3-2 thriller, which immediately earned the young coach a new contract. However, Bilic does not believe that pressure will be a factor even after an impressive qualifying campaign. "Two years ago, it was a brave decision to put us at the helm and we have decided to stay on because we have a lot of confidence in this youthful team," he said. "There is absolutely no pressure but our primary objective is to get past the group stage at EURO 2008. "We have a goal to continue with our good work, we have a difficult task ahead, but if we get a little luck we can end up being proud." History Croatia have qualified to three EURO finals out of four since being recognized as full FIFA members in 1992. They have also managed to reach all World Cup finals since becoming an independent nation. The Croats have an exciting record as they are yet to be beaten in a competitive game on home soil since 1994. Croatia's first ever World Cup appearance was a superb debut, winning third place in France 1998.
Slaven Bilic One man who would surely be remembered from their 1998 World Cup campaign is Davor Suker, who won the Golden Boot award as the competition's top scorer with six goals in seven games. Suker is the nation's all-time goalscorer with a massive record of 45 goals, leaving Goran Vlaovic behind him with only 16. Other Croat greats include Zvonimir Boban, Alen Boksic, and Robert Prosinecki Coach: Slaven Bilic (Croatian) Beating England twice will definitely remain one of the most important feats of Slaven Bilic's ongoing career. The former Everton man, who is just 39, guided the young Croatia team through an impressive qualifying campaign in his first challenge as a manager. Bilic's playing career included spells with Karlsruhe, West Ham and Everton, in addition the Hajduk Split, the only club he played for in his homeland. The former Croatia center-half was an established member of the 1998 World Cup squad that won third place. However, his magnificent start as coach could be a sign of a more sparkling career than his playing days. Apart from football, Bilic plays guitar with Rawbau rock band as he recently wrote a song named 'Vatreno Ludilo' (Flaming Madness) for Croatia fans to chant in Austria and Switzerland. "I don't think it's a new fan anthem – it's just a fan song. I really adore music but I have to say that football is my life," said Bilic. Tactics The experience of center-halves Dario Simic and Robert Kovac is crucial for Croatia's defense, while Manchester City's Vedran Corluka is another key man in the backline. Skipper Niko Kovac is a prominent figure in midfield, alongside Niko Kranjcar and Dario Srna. However, Croatia's player to watch is Tottenham's €21M recruit Luka Modric, whose creativity adds a vital asset in Bilic's 4-4-2 strategy. "Modric is a top-class player, although he is still very young, I consider him one of the best. You will see it at the EURO, when the world will see his talent," said the Croatia coach. The absence of Eduardo da Silva is a huge blow for Croatia's attack, and Bundesliga-based duo Ivica Olic and Mladen Petric are likely to be paired upfront. Star Player - Ivica Olic
