CROATIA BOSS ANTE Cacic made few surprise calls in his 27-man provisional squad for Euro 2016, with defender Dejan Lovren left out as expected.
The Liverpool centre-back was excluded from the international set-up after making demands over his place in the starting line-up, although Cacic later said that a return for the World Cup qualifying campaign would be possible.
Lovren, who joined Liverpool from Southampton two seasons ago, expressed his anger after being an unused substitute in a friendly against Hungary in March: “I will either travel to [Euro 2016] as a starting player or I am not going.”
But speaking today after omittingLovren from his squad, Cacic said: “These are the best players we have at our disposal. Playing in the national team requires good form and total commitment at club and international level. We want to keep a sound atmosphere in the dressing-room.
“I haven’t closed the door on Lovren for good, he can return one day if he realises that he has to be a team player. When it dawns on him that he can’t look down on his team-mates, the staff and the coach, he will perhaps find a way to get back in.”
Real Madrid duo Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic are included in the 27-man party, alongside Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic. Barca youngster Alen Halilovic, who spent the season with Sporting Gijon, has also been called up, along with Leicester City’s Andrej Kramaric, who was loaned to Hoffenheim.
Croatia begin their campaign against Turkey on 12 June.
Squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargic (Rijeka), Dominik Livakovic (NK Zagreb)
Defenders: Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Sime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg), Ivan Strinic (Napoli)
Midfielders: Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Domagoj Antolic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Coric (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Perisic (Inter), Alen Halilovic (Sporting Gijon, on loan from Barcelona)
Forwards: Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Nikola Kalinic (Fiorentina), Duje Cop (Malaga, on loan from Dinamo Zagreb), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim, on loan from Leicester City)
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