The World Cup showpiece against France this weekend is a chance for Croatia to avenge a semi-final defeat two decades ago. There’s also a shot at redemption for soccer in the Balkan country off the field.
In recent months, Croatia’s soccer kingpin faced trial for corruption, team captain Luka Modric was charged with perjury and fans were boycotting games ahead of the competition in Russia. Coach Zlatko Dalic only took over the squad in October.
