The celebration was magnificent, but it was overshadowed by the discussion about the music at the reception. Mateo Maraš, one of the heroes of the bronze, clarified for the first time the situation that raised so much dust, stressing that politics was unnecessarily brought to the fore.
We really didn’t deal with those things. We did our job and we didn’t want politics to interfere with sports. I’m sorry he’s like that success overshadowed by politicswhich has no place in sports, declared Maraš, revealing a key detail in the process.
Us in the locker room we listen to hundreds of songs that motivate us. There were also other singers with whom we heard, whom we called. I’m glad that in the end everything went well and that the people could enjoy themselves, he said, evaluating the reception on the Square as wonderful, exactly as they wanted.
The path to the podium was paved not only with great games, but also with defiance. It is little known that one of the main motivational triggers was an article by a Danish handball analyst Rasmus Boysenwho predicted that Croatia would be the disappointment of the tournament. That text became their fuel.
The article was pasted in the hotel. Every morning you come for coffee and the first thing you see is that, ‘disappointment Croatia’. You just blend in with it, says Maraš with a laugh, adding that according to the journalist there was no bad blood, but that there was the text served as the perfect incentive to prove the opposite to him. That Croatian stubbornness carried them through the most difficult moments, and there were many of them.
Apart from the opponents, the national team had to fight with catastrophic organization of the championship. Maraš does not hide his indignation towards the EHF, especially because of the unrealistic schedule that threatened the health of the players.
It’s terrible. You beat Slovenia and you have no time to rejoice because a new key match is waiting for you in 20 hours. Playing practically the round of 16 and the quarterfinals day after day is absurd and dangerous, is critical Maraš, recalling the photo that went around Europe, in which exhausted players sleep on the floor of the bus during the five-hour journey before the semi-finals.
The problem is that you are already playing the semi-finals tomorrow. It wasn’t fair that some teams have a day or two more rest and don’t have to travel, while we drive for hourshe explained to Net.hr.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL)
