“AT THE THIRD ATTEMPT, I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THE SIEGE OF SARAJEVO – IT SAVED MY LIFE”

You were part of the Croatia side that came third at France 98 – how special was it to score your country’s first World Cup goal?

We went there as a team that had exceptional individual talent, but we weren’t sure how high our limit was. I can remember the first game against Jamaica well – we were very nervous. The worst feeling for a player is waiting for the start of a match, especially an important one like that. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, to score the historic first goal for our country. It was an indescribable feeling – there are no words to explain it.

Could Croatia have won that World Cup?

Playing for the national team is a