Croatia "sad and devastated" after Albania stalemate

Croatia midfielder Lovro Majer said his side were "sad and devastated" after their 2-2 draw with Albania, after which they must beat Italy on the final day of the European Championship group stage to reach the last 16.

The Wolfsburg player regretted losing two key points in stoppage time when Darmstadt's Klaus Gjasula equalised. "We are sad and devastated. They came into the game better than us. They played better in the first half, we turned it around and we had to win. But that's football," he said.

In the second half, he said his team went for "all or nothing" and despite dominating and scoring two goals "deservedly", Croatia were denied the prize of victory. "But nothing is over," he said.

"We could have been in an easier situation, but we didn't win. Now it will be difficult to beat Italy, but we can still get through the group stage," he said, in a message in line with his team-mate Ante Budimir's statements.

 

June 19, 2024