Bilić ready to bow out on a high

When the final whistle blows on Croatia's UEFA EURO 2012 campaign Slaven Bilić will start to turn his thoughts to his next challenge, at FC Lokomotiv Moskva, but there is no danger of the 43-year-old losing focus as he masterminds his side's attempt to escape from Group C – and that is just the start of his ambitions.

UEFA.com: What are your emotions on the eve of the tournament?

Slaven Bilić: Every big competition takes from you the deepest emotions. I'm very proud and feel a great satisfaction, but also a big responsibility to represent Croatia in the best way we can.

UEFA.com: Do you have any special emotions because you're leaving?

Bilić: No, it would be the same even if I was staying, there is nothing special. If I was staying for next ten years I would give all I could, even the smallest atom of my energy, to stay in the tournament as long as we can.

UEFA.com: Croatia have done consistently well since you took over; you must be proud of that?

Bilić: After some time people – not just in Croatia – start thinking that's normal, but we are a small country and have been in the top ten [of the FIFA world rankings] for five years in a row. For a country as small as ours it's a huge thing, and I would like to continue like that as long as there is a football in Croatia.

UEFA.com: At UEFA EURO 2008 you had great results until the quarter-final against Turkey. Have you learnt anything from that game?

Bilić: We had a great tournament, played very well, and from the beginning our goal was to win that competition. We were on the right track. I remember that game against Turkey, which was good, and we had chances to win it in 90 and even in 120 minutes before the penalties. But the goal that we conceded at the end was so shocking that it had an influence on our players, and that penalty shoot-out. Have we learned anything? People learn from their  mistakes, and if something like that happened again we would react differently.

UEFA.com: What are your expectations in this tournament, and what are your hopes?

Bilić: If you ask anyone, from any country, they all have the same goal: to win the competition. Because it's very short, with a little bit of luck anybody could go through. We're all planning for that, nobody has came to the tournament thinking, like they say in the Olympics: 'It's the taking part that counts'. Some teams have bigger chances to go through, some need more luck, but all of them are planning to get through the group stage. Once you get through, you get great motivation to continue, because you are just three games away from the title. Each team has a right to hope for the best.

UEFA.com: Does the fact you after favourites for the first game against the Republic of Ireland put you under more pressure?

Bilić: It could be, but we are very aware of that. We can't say we've been in the world's top ten for five years and then get away from responsibility and pressure. The important thing is to use that as a positive thing and a motivation.

UEFA.com: Croatia are a very attacking team – is that your biggest strength?

Bilić: My staff and I like beautiful attacking football. We did it pragmatically, because we know the best Croatian players are attackers, who like to keep the ball. We decided to play like that, at the same time improving our play defensively because even at the lower levels of football you cannot have any success if you are not complete. We have players who are complete in both ways, and in every part of the game.

UEFA.com: Ireland were particularly strong defensively in qualifying ...

Bilić: I respect them: they are great team, which [Giovanni] Trapattoni has organised even more. If a team doesn't concede a goal in 11 games, only concedes three in 14 games and doesn't give many chances to the opponents, that's very good. They don't take too many risks, they're strong at the back with individual skills up front, and they can be very dangerous in one second. If we want to win, attacking will not be enough: we will have to be very patient but take any chance that comes our way. Try to find a little hole in their defence, something special, because with easy passes you can't do anything. And be alert, try not to lose the ball, stop their quick counterattacks and free-kicks.