FRANCE 98 – Croatia – A. Asanovic: “We have what it takes to beat Argentina”

Croatia – A. Asanovic: “We have what it takes to beat Argentina”

25.06.98 23h37 CET

Statements made in Vittel:

Slaven BILIC (6):

“ARGENTINA (Group H) is one of the teams favoured to win the World Cup, along with FRANCE (Group C). It’s going to be a nice match, because there’s not much at stake (CROATIA and ARGENTINA have both qualified). It should be a real treat for the fans. In the round of sixteen, I’d rather play ROMANIA (Group G), because their playing style is similar to ours. The public was expecting us to qualify for the round of sixteen, so they didn’t look at this victory as a success. But it is a success for us, even though I’d have to admit that we fell into an easy group. We’ll have to go further to satisfy the public.”

Davor SUKER (9):

“We want to stay calm, despite our six points in two matches. The week will be calm and worry-free, and there will be less pressure. But still, we must always focus on winning, because the public forgets about losers. Plus, winning not only brings happiness and joy, but there’s also lots of money at stake. The match against ARGENTINA (match no. 48) will be a great one, and we have to do all we can to win. It’s an honour to face such a team, but personally, defeat is not an option, both on the pitch, and in life.”

Aljosa ASANOVIC (7):

“Even if the Argentines are among the favourites, we’re confident, and I’m sure we have what it takes to beat them. As far as the other teams in the competition go, I was surprised to see BRAZIL (Group A) lose, and I think FRANCE is an impressive squad. Personally, I’d like to play ROMANIA, but no matter who we face, there will be two great teams in our round of sixteen.”

Ardian KOZNIKU (16):

“There’s no pressure for our next match against ARGENTINA, and both teams respect one another. A win would be great for our morale. Then, in the round of sixteen, whether we play ROMANIA or ENGLAND (Group G), they’re both great teams that are hard to beat. We’ll see what happens after that. I’d love to play FRANCE (Group C) in the semi-finals, because many of the players are my friends.”