It was a rare opportunity to meet up with one of the best footballers in the late nineties on Chinese New Year Day 2 here in Singapore. Despite the tight Chinese New Year visiting schedules, Junpiter Futbol dropped everything on hand to chat with the greatest Croatian Striker of All Time and former President of Croatian Footballer Federation, Davor Suker. (Main Photo: FIFA)
Year-1998, the ‘Davor Suker Year’
That was the best year of my career. I won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, I received my back-to-back 6th Croatia Footballer of the Year Award, I was named Croatian Sportsman of the Year, I came in second for the Ballon d’Or, I led Croatia to the third place finish in the World Cup. Individually, I won the World Cup Golden Boots and FIFA Silver Ball (just behind Brazil’s Ronaldo). Sometimes, I hope we can repeat what we achieved in 1998, but that’s impossible.
Tell us more about that 1998 World Cup
People all dream of playing in a World Cup just once in their life or scoring just one goal at the biggest stage. Look what we achieved in 1998. It all started in Euro’96 after Germany knocked us out in Manchester. That defeat charged us up. After that, our team grew from strength to strength. We got so hungry for success, and we went all out and eventually secured our spot at the 1998 World Cup.
You know what was the quality of Croatia back then? We never surrender; we never give up. And we loved playing against a strong national team! What was there for us to lose? Nothing! We beat Italy, we beat Germany, we beat England, we beat all the big teams. Then again, all these started young in Croatia. And that’s also what I wanted to do: motivate all the young players to be proud of their country. The moment they touch their football crest or flag on their chest, singing the National Anthem out loud, it’s the country pride they have to play for. In that 1998 World Cup, we showed just that.
France 1998 FIFA World Cup (Photo: Suker Academy)
More On Your Achievement?
World Cup Golden Boots, World Silver Ball, and Top Scorers are recognitions of our hard work. But all these are not just my achievements; they belong to the team. In the World Cup, for example, right in the changing room, before we headed out to the pitch, I saw it in all my teammates’ eyes; all of them knew that I was going to score. Because of this trust and willpower, we beat all the big teams in the World Cup.
Let me tell you, the World Cup is not about how beautifully you can win a match, or how consistently the team is winning, which team is the strongest or which team has got the best players. No. It is only about who has the biggest desire and who is more hungry to win.
The Transformation of Croatian Football
From 1998 onwards, Croatia has shown the world that we can be one of the best football nations. We have proved that small or mid-country sizes like Croatia can match up with the bigger countries. And this is good for football. I recall when we played against Germany, many football fans supported us! I believe Singaporeans were also rooting for us and wanted us to beat the big boys.
World Cup Debutants Japan and Croatia in France 1998
Yes, I remember it was Japan’s first time in the World Cup Finals, too. That afternoon, the game was hot in Bordeaux, and I scored the winning goal. That was a crucial match for both Japan and Croatia. We all knew whoever won that game would go to the next round. I have to add that I have many good friends in Japan, like Nakata (Hidetoshi) and Kawaguchi (Yoshikatsu), to name a few.
El Clasico between Real & Barcelona (Photo: Suker Academy)
Spain & El Clasico
For me, Real Madrid is the best club in the world. Period. Yes, although we might have English teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool, which are also very popular, Spain’s football or sports culture has a much more significant impact than any other.
In Spain, 40 million people like football, and many people are investing in football and all other sports. For this matter, Spain is a perfect example; it is a country that provides a suitable environment for all people to improve their sports, such as basketball, handball, or water polo. Back to football, when Real Madrid plays against Barcelona, the El Clasico, people wait eagerly to purchase the tickets. This differs from the other way around, where you must advertise on social media, radio or television these days. People will snap up the tickets 3-4 days before or earlier to match day on their own.
Real Madrid’s 32 Years Wait For UEFA Champions League Title
I am always proud to say we had done a great job during my time at Real Madrid. After 32 years, we finally brought the Champions League back to Madrid! Gradually, it led to the new Galacticos era, and everyone started to notice the great team more. Everyone knows who Luka Modric is, the best player in Croatia’s football history, and you know it’s fantastic.
LaLiga & Football Technology
The landscape and technology of football changes every ten years. Previously, we only had three cameras in a game. Now, you have 35 cameras covering all angles! The quality of the football pitch is so much better these days. The technology of football these days has also improved tremendously. Previously, sometimes, you were just 11 metres out and couldn’t score. Nowadays, goals are coming at 35-metres at a speed of about 140 km/h. It’s exciting. But then again, I must defend my time; we had more quality back then.
Diego Maradona leading Al Fujairah (Photo: Junpiter Futbol)
Your Best Footballer
I have played with and against some of the world’s best during my career, like Thierry Henry or Dennis Bergkamp, but my best footballer is my former Sevilla teammate and good friend, Diego Maradona. I am the only Croatian to have played with him. I know some people do not have a good impression of him, but he’s the best to me. The way he moves and passes the ball, it’s certainly a dream come true for me to be able to play with him. And we all know people also like to compare him with Pele. It’s impossible; both are different, just like you can’t compare Cristiano Ronaldo with Lionel Messi. No way.
Growing Up in Croatia
Kids of my time…. Apart from just eating and sleeping, we played football all day on the street. To us, football is 24/7. Then, when we were slightly older, we would travel all over Croatia to participate in all sorts of football tournaments. I’d say the grassroots projects in Croatia are definitely in the right direction. Osijek always emphasizes youth development and invests in good coaching, and that’s why they always have good players coming through the system, even though Dinamo Zagreb is still probably the best club in Croatia.
Childhood Friend, Singapore’s Marko Kraljevic
Once our school lesson was done, we would go to the streets to play football. That’s how I got to know Marko (Hougang United’s Coach)! We stayed in the same neighbourhood (next to a Stadium), literally as neighbours and both of us, together with many other kids, spent all of our time playing football all day. Remember, in those days, we did not have any social media; it was just radio, television and football. Even when we started to train 3 to 4 times a week representing our club, we still gathered together to play football back in our neighbourhood.
Davor Suker holidaying in Singapore (Photo: Junpiter Futbol)
Representing Croatia
Do you know many people fought and died for our country’s independence when I was playing in Euro’96? I was so thankful that I could still play football for my country! So when the national anthem was played, I was so emotional and proud at the same time. No one will reject the opportunity to play for the Croatia National Team. And when we can play for Croatia, we go all out. We never give up. Even if you lose, you learn.
Although Croatia is just a tiny European country, we are very well developed. We have many good players in the Italian league, including LaLiga, Bundesliga, Premier League, and more. Because of all these experiences of playing in different parts of the world, our level of football improved.
Former President of Croatia Football Federation, What Quality Is Required of Leader to Lead
You need to have the experience. I played the game at the highest level, had the experience of leading a team, and commanded the respect of all my teammates in the dressing room. I know our stadiums well. I had also been on the administrative side of our football.
When you have all this knowledge, it will be easier to control. How will you speak to the players? How will you talk to the coaches – I know. I have been there. I am proud to lead my country’s football.
Of course, it is not easy to be the President or Chairman of the FA. You have 140,000 registered players in Croatia. Everyone thinks they can do the best job, but the most justifiable conclusion would be the excellent showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where we came in third. We were strong, and that’s because we invested heavily in our youth. Today, we have the best youth football tournament; we constantly send our youth all over the country and internationally to participate in tournaments; we go around to play.
Working in UEFA (Photo: Suker Academy)
Singapore Football
I don’t know much about Singapore football. But I do follow the AFC Asian Cup. I don’t see Singapore playing there; I know the level of Singapore football. Look, I hope to come here more for football next year. I also hope to work on grassroots projects with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). Let’s promote and work on it with the kids. I am no football coach, but I can be a good facilitator. And I always tell people, why not yours if my football dream comes true?
Futsal/Small-Sided Game
I was just in Hong Kong weeks ago. One of the problems they are having is very similar to Singapore: the need for a playing field. I understand that’s a common problem in crowded cities. Your government prefers a building to a football pitch. But we should not forget to give the kids the opportunity to play. The 11-aside pitch could be tricky, so focus on small-sided football or futsal. Organize more small-sided game tournaments, organized every month or every few months. 4 v 4, 5, v 5, or even 2 v 2 will be easier than a full 11-sided game if the playing field is challenging.
The Next Destination
I hope to work with FIFA shortly. I have won many things during my football career. I have been with UEFA for the past ten years as a Committee Member, Marketing chairman and ExCo Member together with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. With his leadership, we have the best UEFA Champions League and the making of the Europa League & Conference League. Statistics don’t lie; European football is excellent. And the next World Cup in 2026 could probably be the best ever, with more teams participating. Smaller countries will have the opportunity to catch that one dream. I, as a Croatian, understand that way too well.
JPF Jun Tan with Davor Suker (Photo: Junpiter Futbol)
Special thanks to Davor Suker and Marko Kraljevic for making this exclusive interview possible.
