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Croatian Dilemmas for the World Cup - Kranjcar & Kranjcar: In The Name Of The Son

Ozren Podnar reports...

The greatest handicap for the Croatian national team in the World Cup could be the single mindedness of the national team coach Zlatko Kranjcar, who persistently protects his son Niko as an unmovable element in the team.

Kranjcar senior stayed undaunted even after a widespread media campaign against Niko's status or the fans' treatment of his son during the friendly against Iran in Osijek which ended 2-2.

If the boos at Kranjcar junior in Zagreb can be alternatively explained by Dinamo-Hajduk club rivalry (Niko switched from Dinamo to Hajduk in 2005, earning himself an eternal hatred among the fans in the capital), in the "neutral" city of Osijek, such boos can only mean one thing: the people don't like the way he plays.

Even though the press stated that "it is difficult to win games playing with one player less on the field", alluding to an insufficient contribution to the overall effort by the young Kranjcar, his father did not change his rhetoric, on the contrary:

"The voice of the people? Here's a message to everybody occupying themselves with this issue: let them lose all hope, because Niko will keep on playing," said the coach, who in his playing days was a better footballer than his son - so far, at least.

Zlatko Kranjcar, 49 last November, was an extraordinary forward or offensive midfielder at both Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Wien, scoring over 200 goals in the Yugoslav and Austrian first division, respectively.

As well as his skill, he was a mobile and a dynamic player, always involved in the offensive maneuver.

His son, aged 21, has a superb technique, devastating shot and a good pass, but is rather static and has a habit of hiding himself during a game. His weight of 83 kg has also been an issue, supposedly being 4-5 kilos above the ideal number. Many people doubt he is currently capable of responding to the demands of the modern soccer, but his father is not one of them.

Of course, Zlatko does not see himself as his father when picking players is involved.

"During the World Cup, Niko is not my son," remarked the coach. "The team needs Niko, his teammates have full confidence in him."

There is no doubt that only an injury can prevent Kranjcar from being fielded by Kranjcar in the forthcoming games against Brazil (June 13th), Japan (June 18th) and Australia (June 22th).

And it is easy to predict who will be singled out as scapegoat(s) if Croatia is sent home packing after the first round.

Ozren Podnar

Niko Kranjcar Factfile

Niko Kranjcar
Born: August 13th 1984 in Zagreb
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Clubs:
2001-04 Dinamo Zagreb 85 appearances, 19 goals
2005-06 Hajduk Split 45 appearances, 12 goals
National team:
2004-06 Croatia 21 appearances, 3 goals
Honours:
2 League Championships (2003 and 2006)
3 FA Cups (2001, 2002 and 2004)

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