The Sixty Six · https://thesixtysix.news/features/beautiful-england-in-scenic-but-surreal-croatia-was-a-joy-181566
Beautiful England in scenic, but surreal Croatia, was a joy
06.11.26, 19:00 Updated 06.11.26, 17:31
There are England away trips which can blur into one another, and then there are standouts that live long in the memory, like the recent trip to Rijeka to face Croatia in the Nations League.
Surreal does not begin to cover it. England in Croatia under normal circumstances would have likely been a mouth-watering international away day, Zagreb with all its supercharged atmosphere: one of those places where you know it’s time to strap yourself in.
Instead, it was off to the Istria peninsula for a match played in front of 6,000 schoolchildren, their shrill excitement echoing around the stadium from first whistle to last. It was one of the strangest atmospheres at a football match, yet also one of the most memorable.
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Phil Martin
WriterAuthor, journalist and veteran of eight major tournaments, and England top capper, with a background in sports writing, editing and publishing.