Progressive politics has lost its way, both in my country and the UK. Can tonight’s match rekindle the spirit of community? The Croatian team that meet England in the semi-finals of the World Cup tonight are representing a very different country to when we last reached the semi-finals on our debut, in 1998. Back then, Croatia was still a country with fresh memories of war and a shared dream to become part of the European Union, with its promise of prosperity and stability. It was the time of Croatian nation-building. A few years later, when I was travelling abroad and told people I was from Croatia, they only seemed to have heard of our former Communist leader, Tito, and Šuker, who became the top scorer at that ’98 World Cup. Now, 20 years later, Croatia is known for Dubrovnik, the scenic town on the Adriatic coast that served as a set for Game of Thrones. Soon that will be joined by Vis, the setting of the fictional Greek island in Mamma Mia 2. And the name of the Croatian footballer on everyone’s lips is Luka Modrić, our linchpin. Continue reading...
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