Croatia sad, but proud after defeat by Spain

Croatia was in sorrow late Monday after its national side failed to qualify into the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after 1-0 defeat by Spain, but praised the squad's play against the defending champions."Spectacular Farewell of Fiery Ones from Euro," read a headline of the influential Jutarnji List daily online edition.Thousands of people, many of whom dressed in Croatia's red and white chequered national colors, watched the match broadcast live on a giant screen in the capital Zagreb, with a lot of emotions."I'm, sad but we were equal to a great Spain," said 25-year-old Ratko Boric.Many other fans were sad, but proud."They were fighting like lions and they made us proud. One should not forget who were our opponents," estimated Branko Toncic.The 30-year-old teacher watched the match with friends in a cafe in downtown Zagreb which, like many others in Croatia, provided large screens for their guests to enjoy the European Championship.Spain qualify as Group C winners and will now play their quarter-final in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday against the Group D runners-up, while Italy finish second thanks to their 2-0 win over Ireland in Poznan.

Source: AFP