Canada football’s national team coach John Herdman has drawn the ire of the Croatian media, players, and staff alike.
Herdman has become Croatian public enemy number one after his side’s 4-1 loss to the European team in the World Cup on Sunday (November 27).
Following his team’s World Cup opener loss to Belgium, Herdman had attempted to inspire his team ahead of their matchup with Croatia.
In a television interview, Herdman says he told his players: “You belong here. And we’re going to go and eff Croatia.”
And well, after their mammoth loss to Croatia, Herdman certainly won’t be living that comment down any time soon.
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Croatia’s 24 Satat tabloid paper ran a full-page photo of a naked man, with the Canada manager’s head superimposed on top.
The paper placed maple leaves over his mouth and genitals, with a headline that read: “You have the mouth, but do you have the balls as well?”
Meanwhile, Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic claimed that Herdman’s comment lacked respect while accusing the Englishman of avoiding him post-match.
The Croatians outclassed Canada in the matchup at the Khalifa International Stadium, despite Alphonso Davies’ second-minute opener.
However, Dalic was still agitated by the comments and the actions of his opposition manager.
He told reporters at the post-match press conference: “I went on the pitch to see my players. I did not see the other head coach. Whether I lose or win, I always see the other coach. He was not there and that’s his way of doing things.
“He’s obviously mad. He is a good coach, he is a quality professional. It will take some time for him to learn some things.”
Meanwhile, Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric wasn’t going to let the comments slide easily either in a brutal response.
He said: “I want to thank the coach of Canada for the motivation.
“He could have chosen better words. He could have formulated it a bit differently. In the end, Croatia demonstrated who f***ed whom.”
Following the game, Herdman was asked if he regretted his comments following the devastating loss.
He replied: “Not in the first 20 minutes, no.
Adding: “They might be celebrating now, and that is their right, they got the goals, but we didn’t give them an easy night.”
However, he eventually conceded that he may have gone a step too far.
He continued: “I could have been a little more composed coming out of the huddle. That is my learning. I will take that on the chin.”
SPORTbible reached out to Canada Soccer for comment from John Herdman.
Topics: Football World Cup, Football, Croatia
Jayden Collins