News Feature
Klasnic hailed as Croatia win again
17 June 2008
Coach Slaven Billic has hailed Ivan Klasnic after the comeback star scored the winner as Croatia finished top of Group B at the European Championships.
The 1-0 victory over Poland with a virtually second-string team meant Croatia finished the group stages with a 100 per cent record and secured a quarter final place against Turkey.
Klasnic - who is the first player to appear at a European finals following a kidney transplant - notched the winner shortly after half-time despite the best efforts of Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
Billic told the BBC after the match the whole squad is proud of Klasnic and revealed he had inspired the squad and raised their morale prior to the tournament.
Of the match, the coach said: "My players were fabulous. They were not only courageous but tactically perfect and played to a very high technical quality.
"I knew that these guys could deliver this type of match. This is a deserved victory. If Boruc hadn't been so brilliant we could have been 2-0 up at half-time."
There were again celebrations in Zagreb, with firecrackers and rockets set off in Josip Jelacic Square when Klasnic scored, Javno.com reports.
Jubilant fans were then entertained after the final whistle by Croatian singer Oliver Drajojevic, according to the news provider.
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