Former Croatian President Ditches IOC Meeting for World Cup Match

Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović revealed she departed an International Olympic Committee meeting to support the Croatian national football team at the World Cup. Speaking from Philadelphia, she confirmed she "literally ran away" from the session after her proposed reform for selecting Olympic hosts was accepted.

Grabar-Kitarović shared that international colleagues within the IOC have a very positive view of Croatia's performance, often more so than reported in Croatian media. She noted that many considered Croatia's opening match against England to be one of the best of the tournament so far.

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Kako sam ja nosila svoju košulju s kvadratićima, svi su rekli: 'A, Hrvatska.' I onda smo onako malo krenuli u analizu utakmica do sada. Svi misle da dobro igramo. Mišljenja su uglavnom puno bolja nego što ih čitam po hrvatskim medijima.

Anticipating a strong turnout in Philadelphia, she highlighted the significant Croatian diaspora in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. "We expect to have an even more home-like atmosphere than we had in Toronto," she said, emphasizing the large Croatian presence in the region.

Despite being seated in the VIP box and unable to wear her team jersey, Grabar-Kitarović vowed to cheer passionately in Croatia's national colors. Regarding the match against Ghana, she expressed hope for a win but tempered expectations, stating, "I'm going in without any expectations, but of course, we all hope, we believe in victory."

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Danas su neke najave da ćemo imati čak više domaćinsku atmosferu nego što smo imali u Torontu, ovdje u Pennsylvaniji i naravno u drugim državama, New York, New Jersey i ostale, je jako puno Hrvata.