CROATIA boss Zlatko Dalic last night stood by his decision to axe Antonio Colak from his World Cup squad.
The in-form Rangers striker suffered surprise Qatar agony after he was left out of the 26-man pool.
Boss Dalic insists he rates Colak highly – but felt other forwards could offer more in the finals.
He said: “Colak is a good player, I respect and appreciate him.
“We analysed everything very well, but I stand behind our decision a million per cent.
“We are taking four strikers and each one brings something. This is the most honest and correct list.”
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Colak’s Gers pal Borna Barisic is in the squad, along with Celtic’s Josip Juranovic.
The Scottish Premiership top goalscorer reckoned he had done enough to persuade Dalic of a place in his 26-man side.
Speaking ahead of the manager’s decision last week, he confessed a call-up would be a dream come true and hoped his recent form at Ibrox earned him a spot at Qatar.
He said: “This will probably be my last chance to show what I can do.
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“But I hope it is decided already because in the last two months I think I have shown so many things.
“I can’t show more when it comes to scoring goals.
“The manager has seen what I can do and what I will bring to the national team. I just hope I can make it.
“To represent your country in such a tournament is one of the biggest things you can achieve as a footballer.
“As a young boy I had some targets, like playing Champions League and hearing that anthem before the game, playing for the national team — and another was to play in a big tournament.
“Now I am really close and I don’t know if it will be me or not, but the coach will decide what is best for Croatia and the team.
“I hope I can be part of it because it would be a dream come true for me.
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“I think we can go far again like we did at the last World Cup.
“I have been in the group a couple of times and the players have had loads of time together.
“There are a lot of important players in the team. I’d compare it to a tree. All the circles around it makes it really strong.
“You have Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic in the middle and you see how they glue the team together.
“You saw Modric in the game against Celtic. Every game he plays is unbelievable.
“I can learn from players like that in every training session. It’s a joy to be with them.
“I think it is really important in a tournament to have a team who have not just come together but have known each other for a long time.
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“This team is capable of going a long way in the tournament.”
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