It has been quite the year for Croatian national football team.
A World Cup final thrust those who made the squad into the limelight and although it may not have worked out so well for them in the Nations League, 2018 will still go down as one of the greatest years in the nations sporting history.
There are also a number of well-known Croatian faces plying their trade in La Liga with some a strong bet with sites such as sportskokladenje24.com to go on and claim some coveted silverware in the 2018/19 season.
So, who are they?
Luka Modric – Real Madrid
There can be no better place to start than the captain of the National team itself in Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
The 33-year-old has made over 100 appearances for Croatia and despite his age is one of the stand out players in a squad packed full of talent.
Modric began his club career at Dinamo Zagreb but really made a name for himself in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.
His performances for the Lilywhites earned him a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in a deal worth around £30 million.
That move would go on to see Modric win silverware in abundance including one La Liga title, one Copa Del Rey and three Champions Leagues to date.
Ivan Rakitic – Barcelona
Rivals domestically but teammates internationally, Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric have become to of La Liga’s stand out players and Rakitic certainly has the trophy cabinet to match his Croatian captain.
The 30-year-old first played for Sevilla in La Liga from 2011 to 2014 before earning his move into the centre of the park for Barcelona.
Since then he has gone on to play no less than 32 league games a season for Barca claiming three La Liga titles, four Copa Del Rey’s and one Champions League.
For Croatia, Rakitic has also achieved just over one-hundred caps and much like Modric is part of the Croatian golden generation.
A goal against Argentina at the summer’s World Cup is arguably Rakitic’s proudest moment in a Croatia shirt to date.
Nikola Kalinic – Atletico Madrid
Croatian striker Kalinic is a new addition to La Liga after only signing for Atletico Madrid from Fiorentina in the summer.
After starting his career at Hajduk Split, Kalinic had spells in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers and Serie A with both Fiorentina and AC Milan (where he was on loan).
The 30-year-old has made 41 appearances for his national side including being an important part of the 2018 World Cup squad.
Duje Čop – Real Valladolid
Centre-forward Duje Cop finds himself back in Spanish football with Real Valladolid after a loan stint in 2016/17 with Sporting Gijon.
The 28-year-old is again on loan from parent club standard Liege as he bids to find himself a stable home.
He was, however, an integral part of the Standard Liege side that won last season’s Belgium Cup and has so far made thirteen appearances for Croatia having scored twice.
