The welcome from land, sea, and air was organized on Tuesday evening by the people of Zadar for their “Zadar kids”, the Blazers Luka Modrić, captain of the Croatian national football team and the best player of the World Cup, Šime Vrsaljko, Danijel Subašić, and Dominik Livaković.
Under the banner “Here we are home, thank you Zadar!”, the four silver footballers greeted thousands of people gathered along the edge of the Peninsula and the Riva, who began arriving in the city center from all parts of Zadar County in the afternoon hours accompanied by the song of Mladen Grdović.
In the Zadar Channel, nearly a hundred boats from neighboring islands and the wider Zadar area joined the sailing ship, following it with the song “We are few, but we are here.”
Crowded along the Riva, walking slowly alongside the sailing ship, everyone wanted to take pictures of the Blazers, express their gratitude, throw flowers at them, and when Subašić jumped into the sea, the chanting of “Suba, Suba” began, and the audience over the city and the boats in the channel were flown over by the Wings of Storm.
At the moment of the flyover of four Kiowa helicopters of the Croatian Army from the Forum and the Riva, around 9:10 PM, the Blazers disembarked at the dock where they were greeted by the Tovareća music from Sali on Dugi Otok. It was a memorable sight not only for the people of Zadar but also for the thousands of tourists who did not miss the welcome of the “Zadar kids”.
From the Riva, the footballers, accompanied by young Zadar athletes, went for a short break at the Church of St. Donatus, where a reception was prepared, and a large cake with the inevitable “cubes”, prepared by students of the Hotel and Tourism School, was gifted to them by Zadarski list.
With the song “We are Zadar, Zadar is ours”, the four Blazers came out on stage around 9:30 PM, shooting footballs with autographs into the audience. The biggest applause and chanting was received by Luka Modrić, who said he had no words to describe it.
“I hope that all of Croatia will get moving in everything as it has in these past months. This is the most beautiful thing we could expect, and now I need a rest and currently have no plans, just rest,” said Modrić and started the song “Zadar is the best, Zadar is famous, no one in Europe is equal to it!”.
A particularly emotional moment was when the gathered began chanting the name of Hrvoje Ćustić, the prematurely deceased footballer, whose image on a shirt Danijel Subašić wears under his jersey at every match.
As the Blazers sailed from Branimirova Obala to the bridge and along Liburnska, Istarska, and Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IV., next to the barkarjola, Greeting to the Sun, Sea Organ, and Riva, an entertainment program was taking place at the Forum, and Zadar singers Đani Maršan, Zoran Jelenković, Klapa Intrade, and Grupa Forum took turns on stage. For the welcome of the silver Croatian representatives, the Riva Group performed their winning Eurovision hit “Rock, me Baby”.
Although the police warned several times that pyrotechnics, torches, and signal rockets were prohibited for the safety of the airspace, some individuals did not adhere to this. The first flares were lit already on the bridge, and later several signal rockets were fired.
Full Riva in Split
On Tuesday evening, Split welcomed football representatives from its county Lovro Kalinić, Ivan Strinić, Filip Bradarić, Ivan Perišić, and Ante Rebić, who arrived at the crowded Riva around 6 PM.
After landing at Split Airport, the representatives first visited the military base Divulje, after which they headed by boat to the Western coast.
The euphoria at the Riva was sparked by the live broadcast of local television on a large screen on stage, which was showing minute by minute where the silver footballers were.
The welcome was organized by the City of Split, and the river of people flowing into Split all afternoon from Split-Dalmatia County was entertained by Giuliano, Dalmatino, Jole, Mate Bulić, Alen Nižetić, Tiho Orlić, and Ban and Diktatori.
The program started at 3 PM when a DJ played music on the large stage at the beginning of the Riva, and at 4 PM, the Diktatori took the stage. Soon, the Riva, Prokurative, Matejuška, Marmontova, and surrounding streets were filled, just like the city harbor where many vessels welcomed the Blazers who arrived by boat from Divulje to the Western coast, from where they came to the Riva by panoramic bus.
Tens of thousands of people then congratulated Ivan Strinić on his birthday. Each representative sang a few of their favorite songs, and Bradarić announced that the national team would come to Split again.
Not even at the moment when a downpour occurred in Split did the gathered disperse; they covered themselves with flags and sang enthusiastically.
The arrival of the five Blazers sent Imotski into ecstasy
People from the entire Imotski region, from neighboring Herzegovina, Makarska, Vrgorac, and even from Split welcomed Ante Rebić and his teammates Lovro Kalinić, Ivan Perišić, Ivan Strinić, and Filip Bradarić on Wednesday evening at the central square of Imotski.
It was known that Rebić would come, but the mayor of Imotski, Ivan Budalić, also brought the other four silver Blazers, which sent Imotski into ecstasy, writes Slobodna Dalmacija, noting that it is hard to describe the atmosphere with thousands of lit mobile phones, chanting, flares, and fireworks.
The five silver footballers, who were cheered by the crowded Riva just hours earlier, appeared before the delighted audience in Imotski after 10 PM. The people of Imotski, especially the youth, thousands of them, were cheerful and singing in a beautiful and unforgettable summer night. Pictures to remember, which the people of Imotski will never forget.
Strinić, who celebrated his 31st birthday, was gifted a cake by the mayor of Imotski, Ante Rebić sang as if he were at the Split Festival, while Bradarić and Perišić lost their voices…
“This is how it is in my Imotski,” Rebić threw to them, who could not wipe the smile off his face. It was evident that the welcome in his hometown was special to him, writes Slobodna.
Varaždin: Magnificent welcome for coach Dalić and the coaching staff
A magnificent welcome for coach Zlatko Dalić and part of the coaching staff of the Croatian national football team was organized on Tuesday evening in Varaždin, where Kapucinski Square was too small to accommodate all those who wanted to greet them, so thousands of people filled the surrounding streets.
“I will remember this for my entire life – this is my city, my Varaždin. So much emotion and love, so much togetherness, truly a beautiful picture. Thank you my Varaždin for such a welcome,” said the coach. He described yesterday’s welcome in Zagreb as “magnificent, beautiful.”
“These emotions will never settle, this will remain in our memory for our entire lives. We expected a welcome, but not like this, such a beautiful picture and so much emotion. It makes a person proud, happy, and I cried a few times when I saw both older and younger people being so emotional with us,” said Dalić.
The coach emphasized that he is glad that all of Croatia is welcoming its heroes everywhere and that this is exactly what we need – togetherness and positivity.
Journalists were also interested in whether it was possible that with such support from the entire country he could leave his position as coach. “This is neither the time nor the place to talk about that. There are some things I remember, but after all this, I have to think very carefully. And this picture in Varaždin… These are moments to live for and that I will remember for my entire life. I am tired, but for these people, I must find the strength,” said a visibly tired Dalić, with whom everyone wanted to take a photo. He reiterated that we all must be together, without divisions, without ugly images, and that our fans in Russia were the best, without incidents and problems. “We were dignified in victory and in defeat, and that is what I seek. Just positivity,” concluded Dalić.
Among the members of the coaching staff who joined coach Zlatko Dalić on stage were Marijan Mrmić, goalkeeper coach of the Croatian national football team, Dr. Boris Nemec, the doctor of the Blazers, and Dalić’s “right hand” Dražen Ladić. “What we are experiencing these days is truly beautiful to experience, and God willing, it lasts as long as possible. Until a few months ago, the situation was not great, and Zlatko fought a great battle to form his staff and won it. Now they fought a great battle at the World Cup and won that battle too. So we can all just say – thank you Zlatko,” said Ladić. With coach Dalić and his associates on stage was also the mayor of Varaždin, Ivan Čehok, and the gathered were entertained by Zaprešić Boys, Tony Cetinski, Klapa Kampanel, Prljavo kazalište, Mejaši, Dobre vibracije, and Marko Perković Thompson. The celebration at Kapucinski Square was also complemented by an aircraft flyover and a magnificent fireworks display after the musical part of the program. The welcome was organized by the City of Varaždin and the Varaždin Concert Office. Dalić was welcomed early in the afternoon on the street where he lives with his family in Varaždin by about a hundred neighbors with a song. He then reiterated that he often emphasizes that he is from Livno, which he is proud of, but that for everything he has achieved in his football playing and coaching career, he owes it to Varaždin and that he will always say he feels like a Varaždin citizen.
A magnificent welcome for silver stopper and future son-in-law Vedran Ćorluka in Rabac
Several thousand people from Labin, Rabac, Istrian emigrants living in the USA, and tourists greeted silver stopper and future son-in-law Vedran Ćorluka on the Rabac waterfront on Tuesday evening.
The little train with Ćorluka and numerous children could barely make its way through the waterfront, and the greatest excitement arose when he climbed onto the stage and thanked everyone for the magnificent welcome, which, as he said, pleasantly surprised him.
Ćorluka stated that he feels like a Rabac citizen. It is learned that he will marry Franka Batelić, a Croatian singer, in Bale on Saturday, who accompanied him tonight. About a hundred footballs that he signed were distributed to the children in the audience.
“People, this is phenomenal and thank you for this welcome,” said Ćorluka.
To the president of NK Rabac, Marko Batelić, Ćorluka gifted a national team jersey signed by all the players, and Batelić in return gifted him an NK Rabac jersey with his name on it.
Anton Gregorić, the oldest Rabac citizen who turned 99, gifted Ćorluka a caricature by the author Mario Višković. The welcome was organized by the City of Labin and NK Rabac.
The people of Donji Miholjac welcomed representative and fellow citizen Domagoj Vida
Croatian national football representative Domagoj Vida was welcomed and greeted by numerous fellow citizens on Tuesday afternoon in the center of Donji Miholjac.
Dressed in Slavonian folk costume, with a silver medal around his neck, Vida arrived in a horse-drawn carriage through Vukovarska Street, along which enthusiastic citizens greeted him, reaching the city center, where a ceremonial welcome was prepared for him in the park near the Prandau-Mailath castle with tamburitza players and a roasted ox.
“Thank you all for the welcome. It was easier for me to play the final than to stand here in front of you,” said Vida. He conveyed greetings from his teammates and coaching staff and thanked them on their behalf for their support during the World Cup in Russia. “Without you, this would not have happened, enjoy this moment, and I hope everyone is happy and proud of us,” Vida told the fans.
Domagoj Vida was also congratulated by the mayor of Donji Miholjac, Goran Aladić. “Master, hats off. One word would be it – indescribable,” said Mayor Aladić. The people of Donji Miholjac also greeted Vida’s son David, who joined him on stage, and the tamburitza players played “Vida’s bećarac”, specially prepared for this occasion.
Lovren welcomed in Karlovac: This is the first city that accepted me
Several thousand excited citizens of Karlovac welcomed Dejan Lovren on Tuesday gathered around the pavilion in Šetalište Franje Tuđmana.
After a difficult refugee life, Lovren’s family, leaving Kraljeva Sutjeska near Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, temporarily settled in Germany, from where they came to Karlovac. Dejan Lovren began his football career at the local club “Ilovac”, continued at NK “Karlovac”, from where he moved to Zagreb’s “Dinamo” at the age of 16, and the rest of his international football journey is known to all serious football fans.
Because of that connection with Karlovac, Dejan Lovren decided to share part of his happiness with his former fellow citizens before the vacation, in the company of Mayor Damir Mandić, his deputies Andreja Navijalić and Ivan Mrzljak.
“I know where I came from, I will never forget that. Karlovac is the first city that accepted me, where I felt at home and is in my heart. And all this is unreal, you people are wonderful, my heart is full, and you have touched me,” said Lovren.
Regarding the World Cup in Russia, he said it was a crazy 53 days – “your support carried us, and I hope you are satisfied with what we provided,” Dejan Lovren told the numerous fans in Karlovac.
