Šimić set on joining centurion club
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Article summary
Despite being likely to start UEFA EURO 2008™ on the bench, centre-back Dario Šimić still hopes to become the first Croatia player to claim 100 caps this summer.
Article top media content
Article body
'Lots of opportunities'
The 32-year-old is stuck on 98 appearances after losing his place to Josip Šimunić in Croatia's warm-up games, but as a veteran of major finals he is convinced his chance will come – even if he misses out against Group B rivals Austria on Sunday. "There isn't just one game," he explained. "There will be two more in the group stage and we hope at least to reach the quarter-finals, so there will be lots of opportunities to play a part." Given his record of reaching landmarks at front-line events, he may well be right. After making his 50th outing during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he became his country's most-capped player in Germany two years ago.
Staying competitive
Since surpassing Robert Jarni's total of 81 against Japan in Nuremberg, achieving his century has become the next frontier for Šimić to cross. It would be a special moment for the country that celebrated independence in 1991, but no one would be more moved than the player himself. "I'm so proud to have won more caps for Croatia than anyone else," he said. "What makes me most proud is that it takes so much effort to train and play at such a high level every year. And every year there are new players coming through, so you have to stay competitive. Plus, Croatians are a very proud people to begin with."
French comparisons
That pride is one of the qualities many believe helped spur Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup in only their second major championship. Šimić started all but one of Croatia's games in France, leaving him well-placed to judge how this squad's preparations are matching up to those of their predecessors ten years ago. "During France '98, we had a very special team with great individuals," he said. "Maybe more special than the players here. Lots of things also went for us in terms of our results going into the tournament, and on the back of that we went far and took third place." Croatia's final warm-up result this time round was a 1-1 draw with Hungary, but any team strong enough to put a player like Šimić on the bench is surely one to be reckoned with.
