Dalic criticizes referees after Portugal defeat: 'We didn't get a single favorable call'
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic expressed frustration with officiating following his team's 2-1 loss to Portugal in the World Cup round of 16, stating they received no favorable decisions.
Croatia's national football team lost 2-1 to Portugal in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday, ending their tournament run. After the match, head coach Zlatko Dalic expressed bitterness over the defeat while congratulating Portugal and his friend, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.
Dalic explained that the first-half plan was to avoid conceding goals through a defensive block, which worked. In the second half, Croatia improved, created several chances, and were the better team but failed to capitalize. "We did not deserve this outcome," Dalic said.
The coach was particularly critical of the refereeing. He acknowledged that in previous tournaments, luck had sometimes been on their side, but this time it was not. "I won't talk much about VAR decisions, but the officiating against us was very poor. We practically didn't get a single favorable call or set-piece in any episode," Dalic said, adding that there was no point dwelling on it after the loss.
Portugal will face Spain in the round of 16 on July 6.
