Croatia goalkeeper Subasic retires from national team

Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic announced on Wednesday his retirement from the national team.

The 33-year-old keeper, who participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and finished the tournament with the World Cup's second-place team, confirmed his retirement in a message released by the Croatian Football Federation.

He said the "time has come for me to say farewell to our favourite jersey, after 10 years on the national team," reports Efe.

Subasic appeared in 44 international matches with Croatia, taking part in two European championships in 2012 and 2016 and the World Cups of 2014 and 2018.

In his announcement, he waxed nostalgic: "It has been a long journey, from the first call-up in 2008 - when a young goalie from Zadar made his dreams come true... taking No. 1 position."

He was brilliant in the 2018 World Cup, where he saved three penalties from Denmark to lead Croatia to the quarter-finals and then in the quarters when, while injured, he insisted on playing the whole game against Russia and ended up saving a key penalty.

--IANS

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