Today, we will talk about Croatia, Brazil’s opponent in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup and finalist in 2018.
CROATIA
- Name in the native language: Hrvatska
- Language: Croatian
- Capital: Zagrebe
- Currency: Croatian Kuna (BRL 0.72 – exchange currency on 10/27/2022)
- Main player: Luka Modric
- Typical food: Peka
Curiosities
Through its history, Croatia belonged to several empires, having conquered its independence in 1991. At the time, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, and its independence was only conquered after a conflict with the country.
Croatia is the land of the necktie. In the past, the Croatian military used a linen scarf around the neck, and the French thought the accessory was elegant, adopting its use for special occasions. Croatia claimed the necktie in 2003, also having decorated 50 monuments with red scarves placing a giant tie around the Pula amphitheater.
Croatia may be considered a land of many inventors, where Nikola Tesla, considered the inventor of the radio, is the most famous. Many believed that the inventor of the radio was Guglielmo Marconi, for executing the first transmission, in 1901, using a few of Tesla’s inventions; however, Marconi was sued by Tesla, who won the dispute in the courts in 1943.
Croatia is also the home of the Dalmatians, and the Dalmatian Coast has its name after the race. One thing not everyone knows is that Dalmatians are born with all white fur, acquiring their spots later.
The Croatian economy is based on the industry, especially the chemical, naval, and metal-mechanic sectors, as well as tourism.
Unlike other languages in the region, the Croatian language uses the Latin alphabet, the same as ours, which makes understanding the writing easier; however, in conversation, it is a very complex language. Within Croatia itself, people who live in bigger cities have trouble understanding those who live in smaller ones, since Croatian has various dialects and completely different linguistic terms depending on the region. Therefore, if you need to translate something from the Croatian, do not hesitate to look for a qualified translation professional.
The Croatian cuisine is very diverse due to the amount of different peoples who occupied the territory, but the most distinctive dish is the peka, which includes vegetables, such as potatoes, and can be made with seafood or beef. It is coal-roasted with a dome-shaped cover and served after several hours of slow roasting.
The Croatian team has been showing a lot of progress in the latest championships, thanks to the exporting of its players to big centers of the European football. In the last Cup, the Croatians got very close to winning their first ever cup title, but ended up being overcome by France in the final.
The main name of the team is the Real Madrid midfielder, Luka Modric. He was the first Croatian to be elected top-performing player of the world, an award he received in 2018, in large part due to his work in the Russia Cup. In Real Madrid, Modric is a symbol of the team’s winning streak, where he conquered the Champions League 5 times and the Spanish championship 3 times.
In the team, he is the main midfield organizer, with 23 goals in 154 games. At 37 years old, Luka Modric already announced that the 2022 Cup will be his last championship with the team. Modric’s hope is to try and repeat the performance of the last Cup, but this time, winning the final and bringing home the championship title.
This was Eko’s in the World Cup – Croatia. If you liked it, follow our social media (Instagram: @ekostraducoes / LinkedIn: ekostraducoes) and come back next week, when we will talk about BRAZIL.