Don't burden Slaven Bilić with Zlatko Dalić's legacy!

Stipe Pletikosa, the technical director of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), offered his insights on the recent World Cup, touching upon trends in coaching and officiating. Pletikosa observed two consistent patterns from the tournament: foreign coaches did not secure the championship, nor did coaches who announced their intentions to leave their positions before the event concluded. He specifically referenced Didier Deschamps of France, whose pre-tournament announcement of departure coincided with France's performance.

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It seems that the two golden rules of the World Cup remain unchanged. The first is that a foreign coach will not be champion, nor will those coaches who announce their departure before the tournament win the title.

Pletikosa also highlighted the unusual number of corner kicks taken during the World Cup, noting that only Croatia was awarded a penalty after a VAR review. He pointed out that while around twenty penalties were given, only Croatia's match saw a retake. However, Pletikosa stressed that he was not seeking excuses, emphasizing the need to focus on concrete footballing aspects. He also noted that for the second consecutive major tournament, Croatia conceded a goal in the final minutes and failed to capitalize on their own opportunities.

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There were about 400 shots from corners at the tournament, and no team except us was awarded a penalty after a VAR decision. There were about twenty penalties, and only in our match was it repeated.

Furthermore, Pletikosa voiced concerns about what he perceives as FIFA's departure from protecting the integrity of football. He cited several instances, including extended breaks, hydration pauses, a rescinded red card (which he called a "first-class scandal"), a 27-minute halftime interval, and issues with a chip-based technology that reacted to hair strands but not cables. Pletikosa suggested that these factors contributed to a sense of doubt surrounding the tournament's fairness.

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All these things contributed to doubt.

In a separate note, Pletikosa confirmed that the HNS will support Josip Varvodić's candidacy for the presidency of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO). He stated that Varvodić's program aligns with the fundamental changes necessary for Croatian sports.

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In the fight for the president of the HOO, HNS will support Josip Varvodić because he is a candidate whose program we recognize as having the fundamental changes necessary for Croatian sport.