Mijatović selects strongest Croatian basketball squad for Latvia and Netherlands qualifiers

Croatia's men's basketball team is gearing up for the next stage of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, with coach Tomislav Mijatović revealing a 15-player squad for upcoming matches against Latvia and the Netherlands. The team is set to convene on August 13 in Opatija for their initial training camp. This will be followed by a trip to Hamburg on August 20 to participate in an international tournament.

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We are eagerly awaiting the start of preparations and the reunion with the players. Most of them were with us during the previous qualifying windows, and this time Karlo Matković, Toni Nakić, and Mateo Drežnjak will rejoin us.

In Hamburg, Croatia will face Turkey on August 21. Depending on the outcome of that match, Mijatović's players will compete for either first or third place the following day against either Germany or the Czech Republic. Upon returning from Hamburg, the team will complete their preparations in Zadar. There, on August 27, they will host Latvia in Zadar for their first of six second-round qualifying games for the World Cup.

Mijatović expressed his excitement about reuniting with the players, noting the return of Karlo Matković, Toni Nakić, and Mateo Drežnjak to the squad. Under his guidance, the team achieved five wins and one loss in the first qualifying round, securing first place in their group. This strong performance has laid a solid foundation for their World Cup qualification bid. Currently, Croatia and Germany share a 5-1 record in the second round group, trailing Poland who leads with a perfect 6-0 record. Latvia stands at 3-3, with the Netherlands and Israel at 2-4.

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We have very serious and specific preparations ahead of us because the players are returning after the summer break. We will place great emphasis on conditioning, technical, tactical, and individual work. We have also included an extremely strong tournament in Hamburg in the program. The tournament comes at the right time and will serve us for the final team cohesion.

The coach highlighted that these preparations will be different due to players returning after their summer break. The focus will be on conditioning, technical, tactical, and individual training. Mijatović believes the strong tournament in Hamburg comes at the right time to finalize team cohesion. He is particularly looking forward to playing in front of the Zadar crowd, anticipating a full arena and a strong atmosphere.

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We know what kind of atmosphere Zadar can create for the Croatian national team, and we believe the hall will be filled to the last seat. I invite...