Well, no sooner than I had written about the Kranjcar legacy in Croatian soccer, came this article about how the Croats perceive nepotism in Nico’s selection. The Hajduk Split midfielder has been struggling to find form. And was booed each time he touched the ball in Croatia’s 2-2 draw with Iran.
Nico’s teammates defended him. “Niko is a vital player for us,” defender Robert Kovac said. “He proved in the qualification matches that he belongs in the team and helped us all earn a place at the World Cup.”