Croatia’s football national team will prepare in Medjugorje before World Cup qualifying game against Scotland on June 7. National team manager Igor Stimac has been a frequent visitor, and so Croatia’s best footballers will follow national top clubs who have also camped in Medjugorje.
Croatia’s national football team
Football fever is coming to Medjugorje on May 27 through June 2 when the Croatian national team will be present to prepare for June 7′s World Cup qualifying game at home in Zagreb against Scotland.
The upcoming stay in Medjugorje was confirmed by the Croatian Football Federation on Friday, the Zagreb-based newspaper Jutarnji List is reporting.
National team manager Igor Stimac
National team manager Igor Stimac has family in Medjugorje, and is a long-time regular visitor. In September, before the qualifying game against Serbia, he visited along with assistant manager Alen Boksic.
“The visit has the least to do with football. We came to give thanks for good health, and for what we are able to overcome every day, to give thanks for every morning when we wake up alive and well. Here we feel like at home, we find a much needed peace and home to return home in a relaxed atmosphere” Stimac told Radio Mir Medjugorje.
Croatian national goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa with Medjugorje’s iconic image of the Virgin Mary on his shirt
Before the Scotland game, Croatia and Belgium are tied at the top of the World Cup qualifying group, both with 16 points. Serbia is third with 7 points while the visiting Scots are sixth and bottom-placed with 2 points.
The group winner is automatically qualified for 2014′s World Cup in Brazil while number 2 plays two games against number 2 from another group for yet another ticket.
Among the Croatian national football players, several have visited Medjugorje before with their clubs Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, both of whom have been using Medjugorje as the setting for their pre-season training.