Practically disowned by his own press after the failure to qualify directly for Euro 2012, Croatia coach Slaven Bilic tasted revenge with his side's 3-0 away win over Turkey in the first leg of the playoffs on Friday.
That leaves Croatia strong favourites to go through with the return leg scheduled for Zagreb on Tuesday.
"You did not watch a weak Turkey, but a strong Croatia," Bilic said after the match
The Croatian press rushed to celebrate Saturday, even before the return leg, with Bilic coming in for praise instead of criticism.
"You are great after all," the Jutarnji List daily wrote, next to a large photo showing Bilic and Ivica Olic celebrating after the opening goal by the Bayern Munich player.
Another daily, Vecernji List, congratulated the team for a "sweet revenge" against the Turks, referring to the dramatic Euro 2008 quarter-final defeat on penalties to Turkey.
"Croatia literally overran the Turks and ensured participation at Euro 2012," the daily said.
"Why we had to wait for the play-off to see such a peformance of the Croatian team? Why coudln't we play such a game in Pireaus" when Croatia lost to Greece 2-0, asked the Jutarnji List.
Bilic warned the Turks that he and his team "had been dreaming for three years of taking revenge."
His joker seemed to be Ivica Olic, absent for almost a year with a spate of injuries.
"His powerful energy revived the Croatian team that had been somnolent for the last three years," said football expert Tomislav Zidak.
But Bilic is still cautious as he has not forgotten the shocking end of the match against Turkey in 2008.
"It is not over. Believing so could be disastrous for us . The Turks are a team that never give in. They have proved this a number of times," he warned.
Source: AFP
