Croatian legend hails 'future' star Sučić, laments Portugal loss

Nikola Jurčević, a Croatian football legend, has lauded 19-year-old Petar Sučić as the "true future" of the national team, praising his all-around skills as a playmaker, assistant, and scorer. Jurčević believes Sučić is poised to join the ranks of Croatia's top players, alongside talents like Martin Baturina and Mateo Kovačić, and sees Joško Gvardiol as another key figure.

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There is no doubt that Petar Sučić is the true future, a connoisseur, an assistant, a scorer...

The former coach reflected on Croatia's recent World Cup match against Portugal, which ended in a 1-2 defeat. He described the game as a "real drama," expressing both sadness at the missed opportunity for a "fantastic result" and pride in Croatia's performance. Jurčević pointed out that many international experts felt Croatia was "wronged" by the refereeing, leaving a "bitter taste."

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It was a real drama. We were so close to a fantastic result. On one hand, I am sad because we didn't succeed, and on the other, I am proud because we once again showed everyone what quality Croatia has. We held the great Portugal in check.

Jurčević acknowledged the team's historical tendency to display "two faces" – one hesitant and the other playing with "transcendent" confidence. He noted that while Croatia can compete with the best, they sometimes struggle with maintaining "competitive cold-bloodedness" due to their emotional playing style. He questioned the referee's decisions, suggesting such calls might not have been made in Croatia's favor.

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The fact that numerous world authorities said that Croatia was wronged speaks volumes. Because of that, a bitter taste remains.