Modric unwilling to back Croatia coach in outburst

Following his side’s 1-1 draw with Finland in Rijeka on Friday, Croatia captain Luka Modric was unwilling to defend embattled coach Ante Cacic in an otherwise extraordinary tirade.

After five wins in the opening seven matches of the 2018 World Cup qualification cycle, Croatia now sit two points off Group I-leading Iceland.

The shock draw now has Croatia precariously sitting equal with Ukraine on 17 points, with their final match in Kiev on Monday.

Asked if the players were behind Cacic, Real Madrid midfielder Modric was notably avoidant.

“What do we do now? We started with him and now we have to just keep going,” Modric said.

“Until our match with Iceland, everything was fine and now all of a sudden nothing is of any worth.

“That’s the honest truth, the situation is catastrophic, but we still have a chance to make it right.”

On the match itself – Modric’s 100th appearance for Croatia – the 32-year-old was brutal in his assessment.

“What happened? Nothing, we have only just compromised our path to the World Cup,” he said.

“When we were looking for the goal, we had a few chances and initiative. When we scored, it was unbelievable that we would retreat against Finland, of all teams.

“That Croatia was waiting for the final whistle against that kind of national team is…It is unbelievable that we are struggling against teams like Kosovo and Finland, where before we would have beaten them with ease.”