Bilic fumes over Perisic red as Croatia fall narrowly to Spain

Slaven Bilic said Croatia deserved at least a point from their narrow defeat to Spain in Rijeka, but the Croatia coach was left angered by Ivan Perisic’s dismissal and by the goal that decided the match.

Perisic sending-off changes the contest

Perisic was shown a second yellow card after a challenge involving Marc Cucurella, with the Spanish left-back going down under the contact. Bilic believed Cucurella’s reaction played a part in the decision and said the episode altered the direction of the game before Spain went on to win.

The Croatia manager nevertheless acknowledged the Chelsea defender’s qualities, even while accusing him of provoking opponents.

“Who would not be angry with Cucurella when he is not on their side?” Bilic said. “He is an excellent player. I admire what he does on the pitch and the story of his son. He gives everything for his team, but naturally he provokes.”

Bilic disputes Spain’s decisive second goal

Bilic also argued that Spain’s winning second goal should not have stood. His complaint centred on an offside player’s position near Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic during the scoring move.

• Bilic said the offside player interfered with Livakovic.
• He maintained that the goalkeeper was prevented from properly dealing with the shot.
• The coach’s view was that the goal should have been ruled out for offside involvement.

“The second goal was offside,” Bilic said. “The player was obstructing Livakovic.”

Response to England defeat offers Croatia encouragement

Despite his frustration at the result and the major decisions, Bilic was encouraged by Croatia’s reaction after the heavy loss to England a few days earlier. He described that earlier performance as unacceptable, but said the display against Spain showed the level of energy and commitment required from his side.

Bilic told his players to keep both recent matches in mind: one as a warning and the other as evidence of the standard they must now sustain.

“There are aspects that I do not like, but I am pleased with the response and with the performance,” he said. “I told the players to remember both games. They are the clearest indications of what must not be done, what should be done, and the way it needs to be done.”

He added that Croatia had merited something from the Spain match and could compete with the leading international sides if they maintained that application.

“It is a shame. We deserved at least a draw. We received the reaction we wanted after what happened a few days ago, which cannot be wiped away. This has to become our benchmark for desire and commitment. If we play this way, we can face anybody, including the strongest teams.”

Veterans retain Bilic’s backing

Bilic was also asked about the prospect of bringing younger players such as Segecic, Jagusic and Soticek into future Croatia squads. He welcomed the need for new options, particularly in positions where Croatia lack certain player profiles, but rejected the suggestion that the established group should simply be moved aside.

• Bilic said he values young players and sees a need for renewal in selected roles.
• He said the senior group proved against Spain that it remains capable of responding under pressure.
• He did not believe concerns about complacency should automatically lead to experienced players being discarded.

“I like young players,” Bilic said. “A comfort zone is not necessarily solved by removing people. The players showed they can still be relied upon. We do need younger players in some positions where we do not have that type of profile, but today we showed that a group people question can even beat the world champions.”