Wonder what the fans will do now. They hate their board but they have a huge opportunity to make the final for the first and perhaps only time ever.

You mean the one with Davor Suker, Robert Prosinecki and Zvonimir Boban

That side should have won the World Cup

Alen Boksic as well.

Haha, I forgot that I had posted that. Thanks! Pity I didn't trust Croatia enough to be that team and have a flutter on them.

It's irrelevant. Spain play Italy and the winner of that plays Germany so we could only play one of them maximum and not until the match after that one, three games time.

Wouldn't we get France in the quarters of we both make it that far?

Yes but If England were in the other half they would have had a potential route to the final of Turkey - Belgium - Croatia. Instead they have a possible route of Portugal - France - Spain/Germany/Italy.

Perhaps it's for the best that we aren't in the other half though as the press would be starting to build us up as potential winners.

Belguim and Croatia would not be easy - we'd still need to play well and take our chances..

As you suggest the press would hype it up so much we'd probably fail anyway!

Even if we do play France there will be the big expectation in a way.

Wow he was a good player. I remember he also played in the Premier League. Croatia back then also had two great centre backs in Igor Stimac and

Slaven Bilic


I wonder what happened to him

Wow, I have just come in and seen the Spanish penalty, why was it not re-taken???

Wondered that myself.

Slaven Billic did say that the taker halted his run, so wonder if the ref (and the touch line judge) allowed it to stand because of that?.

Apart from that, I really, really enjoyed the game. Spain simply weren't on their best, they looked ropey at the back and unless they buck their ideas up Italy will punish them.

Dario Simic and Robert Jarni, two brilliant defenders plus a great goalkeeper

Wasn't it Jarni who was about to join Coventry or someone like that, before changing his mind and signing for Real Madrid??

Couldn't tell you about Jarni. I know Simic played for both Milan teams and Stimac played for West Ham

He did sign for us, but a week later we sold him to Real Madrid.

A cynical person may suggest that because Betis would not sell him to a rival we were in cahoots with Real Madrid to the tune of the best part of £1m, but the story of his wife preferring Madrid to Cov as she wouldn't be able to tackle the ring road also seems plausible.

Ah so I did remember the teams involved correctly!

Thanks for clearing that up!