Croatia shocked at Euro 2012 finals snub

Croatian officials expressed shock after UEFA chose rivals Poland and Ukraine ahead of its joint bid with Hungary.

Izvor: AFP

Thursday, 19.04.2007.

10:04

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Croatia shocked at Euro 2012 finals snub

"Two days ago, a UEFA commission for national teams said the Poland-Ukraine candidacy was inadequate, so I don't know what has happened within the past 48 hours."

"In the future, small countries should ask themselves whether it is worth competing with those who have 100 to 120 million inhabitants," Marković stressed.

Miroslav Blažević, who coached Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup in France, echoed his views.

"I'm shocked, saddened. Our candidacy was impeccable and I was convinced that we would have been chosen to host" the event, Blažević said.

Another former coach of Croatia, Otto Baric, said the decision was disappointing.

"I was convinced that we could get this and that if we lost out that it would be to Italy," said Barić, who led the national team in 2002-2004.

The UEFA decision was a major shock as world champions Italy had been hot favorites, while the rank outsider was the bid by Poland and Ukraine, neither of them having hosted a major football competition in the past.

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