Proud to have coached Luka Modric: Ex-manager Branko Ivankovic

As Croatia's talismanic midfielder prepares to take the field against Russia in the quarterfinal of the World Cup 2018, he will be hoping for a fairytale finish. It was in 1998 that Croatia produced their best performance in World Cup—a semifinal appearance, where they lost to hosts and eventual champions France.

Come July 7, Modric will dare to dream to emulate what Croatia did two decades ago. The 32-year-old is one of the few remaining stars at this World Cup, with Messi and Ronaldo already back home. Barring a missed penalty in the round of 16 match against Denmark, Modric has led the team well, and has scored two goals so far. 

Modric came to prominence when he joined Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in 2008. With Real Madrid, he won four Champions League sides since joining them in 2012. But he was always destined for greatness, says Branko Ivankovic, his first senior team coach. Modric played under his guidance at Dinamo Zagreb for a year before he moved to Tottenham. 

Ivankovic was the assistant coach during Croatia's dream run in the 1998 World Cup. He currently manages Persepolis in Persian Gulf Pro League. In a Facebook interview with THE WEEK, he talked about his famous pupil, the current Croatian team, and about their chances in the ongoing World Cup.

Excerpts:

How would you assess this current group of Croatian players in the national team? What are their strengths and weaknesses? 

I would rather not talk about strength and weakness of the team but what is important is that this team is better in quality than the Russian team. The current Croatian team is one of the strongest and best in the world but each game has its own ups and downs, so, it is hard to predict anything. This team has what teams in the world rarely have—quality, strong defence, creative strikers—and this makes the difference on the field. 

During your time with Dinamo Zagreb you worked with Modric. What was he like back then and how would you describe his growth?

I am very proud to be able to say that I have coached Luka Modrić in Dinamo and even back then I have already said that he will be one of the best players in the world. I compared him to Diego, or even better. When I first said it, many people laughed but it was very obvious that this will be the truth. It was clear that he has pure energy, passion and what made him different from most of the other players was that he tries to become better and better each day no matter his age or where he plays or anything else. 

Do you think Mandzukic is doing justice to his role as a striker?

He is a very important player in the national team and has proved that through his career. He is a modern player and takes part in all phases of the game. 

Your thoughts on coach Zlatko Dalic and his tactics?

First of all, I have very high opinion of Zlatko Dalić as a coach and his results speak the most of his tactics. As a trainer, Zlatko has something which is extremely important for achieving such high results—great strategy and risk-taking. It is very rare these days and without taking risks, results will not come. 

What do you think is Croatia's chances of progressing and winning the World Cup?

Croatia are going all the way! 

How would you compare this team to the 1998 dream team? 

There is no point in comparing those two teams because football has evolved so much in the past years. The 1998 team was the best in the world at that time and so is this one now. They show the same energy and passion, same fighting and team spirit. This is the ideal combination. 

How is it that Croatia produced so many good midfielders in this generation?

Croatia is a country with strong talent in sports. Our athletes in many sports have proved that over the years. Our creativity is strongly present but, of course, one of main reasons for that were coaches as well who knew who to pick and where to direct them. 

To what would you credit the good performance of the team at this World Cup? 

This generation lost the “loser stamp”, which followed them and they are aware that the expectations are high and they as well have high expectations. For this success, most of the credit goes to the staff which is made of former players who created this winning atmosphere and helped players achieve their best.

What has been your standout moment from Croatia's World Cup campaign so far? 

The key moment happened after winning against Argentina because that's when they became aware that there is no stronger team than them at this World Cup at the moment. It was then that they realised that everything is up to them and that they can go all the way.

Is it true that you have ambitions to coach the national team?

No.