No need for Croatian motivation, says Mihajlovic

by AFP
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Serbia coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said his players would need no motivating ahead of the country's World Cup Group A qualifiers against neighbours and rivals Croatia on March 22 in Zagreb, and then Wales four days later at home.

Mihajlovic named a 26-man squad on Saturday and stressed that his players were already motivated for the highly-symbolic match against Croatia, which is the first meeting of the former foes as independent nations since the 1990s Balkan conflict.

"There is no need to hold a motivational speech for this kind of match," Mihajlovic said.
The game is also key for Serbia to preserve their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
However, the Serbian coach voiced concern over the fact that several of his players are not playing regularly for their clubs, meaning they were not "100 percent ready" for the big match.

"We are still not aware of our potential .... I'm convinced that this match could be a turning point in that sense," he stressed.

In a bid to avoid trouble between rival fans, both countries' football federations have decided to ban away supporters from travelling to the match.

Relations between Croatia and Serbia have gradually improved since the 1991-1995 war but sports events are still considered high risk, particularly with football linked to ultra-nationalist hooligans.

Group A also features Belgium, Macedonia and Scotland.


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