July 16th.
This day was a special one for Croatia.
The 2006 World Cup had come to an end.
Croatia's national team had performed poorly in recent European Championship and World Cup qualifiers.
Many believed that the departure of Davor Šuker marked the decline of the "Eastern European Iron Cavalry" — the Croatian national team.
But for the Croatian people, hope remained.
That unforgettable, crazy summer.
The transition between two generations of Šuker.
These moments had planted a seed of hope deep in the hearts of Croatian fans.
On this day, following the 7:00 PM news broadcast, Croatian national team head coach Slaven Bilić would publicly announce the new national team training camp roster for the first time.
After a week-long training camp, the final squad would be revealed.
That evening, Croatian fans gathered in front of their televisions, all eagerly awaiting the moment.
7:00 PM – the news broadcast began.
On TV, anchor Janteskocic reported the day's news and wrapped up at exactly 7:30.
The screen then shifted.
Following a few commercials, the Croatian Football Federation crest appeared.
In front of a backdrop showing only the national team, federation, and UEFA logos, a long table and a microphone were set up.
Clearly, new head coach Bilić was about to announce the latest national team call-up.
"It's happening!"
Inside Šuker's villa, Mandžukić and several others gathered together, visibly nervous.
Even though Davor Šuker had repeatedly said there would be no issues, at this moment, everyone's heart was pounding.
In homes all across Croatia, fans sat together.
They too were watching the live broadcast.
They were hoping to see their favorite players named in the squad.
Not long after, a slight commotion was heard on the TV.
A man in a gray suit — Slaven Bilić — walked up to the table and sat down.
Taking a deep breath, Bilić said solemnly:
"I'm now going to announce the latest training camp squad. After one week of training, we'll finalize the full team list!"
"We'll build our 2008 Euro campaign around this squad!"
"Let's begin!"
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.
Wasting no time, he began reading names:
"First, the goalkeepers."
"Pletikosa (Shakhtar Donetsk), Runje (Lens), Subašić (Dinamo Zagreb)."
Listening intently, Mandžukić turned and asked, "Is Subašić that backup guy?"
Back when they were at Dinamo Zagreb, the backup keeper did seem to be named Subašić — a young player.
Everyone, including Šuker, nodded, turning their attention back to the screen.
"Next, the defenders."
At this point, Srna and Pranjić were clearly tense.
"Ćorluka (Dinamo Zagreb), Šimić (AC Milan), Kovač (Borussia Dortmund), Šimunić (Hertha Berlin), Srna (Inter Milan), Knežević (Livorno)."
The defenders were named.
Srna had made the cut, but Pranjić had not.
His expression went blank.
The others could only pat him on the shoulder in silent comfort.
"Midfielders: Modrić (Manchester United), Vukojević (Lyon), Niko Kovač (Red Bull Salzburg), Rakitić (Dinamo Zagreb)."
Šuker was surprised: "That little Rakitić kid made it too?"
Modrić replied, "I heard he's been great at Dinamo Zagreb."
Dujmović, on the other hand, looked crushed: "Not me…"
Silence fell.
If Pranjić not being selected was surprising, Dujmović's omission wasn't.
He had performed poorly at Lyon, after all.
"I'll keep you company," Dujmović said, walking over to Pranjić.
"Who wants your company!" Pranjić snapped. "I'll make it by the World Cup!"
He clearly wasn't giving up.
"Everyone shut up!" Mandžukić suddenly shouted. "It's starting."
"Now, the forwards!"
Bilić exhaled slowly.
"Mandžukić (Borussia Dortmund)!"
Mandžukić punched the air in excitement.
Šuker looked over, tense.
"Olić (Hamburg), Klasnić (Werder Bremen), Budan (Parma)."
There was a pause before Bilić continued:
"Šuker (AC Milan)!"
Šuker let out a huge sigh of relief.
Damn it!
Why the dramatic pause?
Nearly gave me a heart attack!
The list was out. The room went quiet for a beat.
They were happy — but with two guys left out, nobody felt comfortable celebrating.
Everyone held it in.
Dujmović quietly muttered: "Don't hold back for us. Celebrate if you want."
YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
They jumped up as one, hugging and bouncing in a circle.
All across Croatia — in homes and bars — celebrations broke out.
The young talents fans had waited so long to see were finally in the national team.
They had waited for this — to see these players perform on the international stage.
Bilić didn't let the fans down. He initiated sweeping changes.
A near-total rebuild of the squad.
The next day, the national team would gather at Dinamo Zagreb's training base.
This was the designated national training center.
After a week of camp, the team would play two friendlies in preparation for September and October's Euro 2008 qualifiers.
The announcement dominated headlines in Croatia:
"A New Era Begins!"
"Dinamo Zagreb = Croatian National Team!"
"That Summer That Shook Europe — The Talented Youths Are Here!"
"The Second Coming of Šuker! A New Star Has Arrived!"
"From Champions League Glory to the National Stage — What Will Šuker Do?"
"Modrić! Man United's Midfield Brain Joins the National Team!"
The Croatian public had high expectations.
Especially now with the arrivals of Šuker, Modrić, Mandžukić, and Vukojević.
While Croatia had previously had stars in top clubs, few had held key or starting roles.
Take Šimić, for example — a national team mainstay but benchwarmer at AC Milan.
These new stars were different. They were core players at elite clubs.
Fans believed they could bring meaningful change — especially in attack.
In recent matches, Croatia had shown strong defense but lacked firepower.
Scoring goals had been like passing a kidney stone — painfully slow.
But with Šuker and Mandžukić, that problem might be solved.
Fans were already dreaming of Šuker tearing down the wing, blowing past defenders.
Most importantly, Šuker was expected to inherit the national team's iconic No. 9 jersey from Davor Šuker.
Yes!
That was something fans insisted on!
If someone else wore it — they'd better give it up to Šuker.
To the Croatian fans, only Šuker deserved that jersey now.
After a night of celebration, the next day saw the team gather at Dinamo Zagreb's training ground.
Bilić and his staff arrived first.
From 9:00 AM, the players began arriving one by one.
The media wanted interviews, but Bilić had banned all media contact.
So the players obediently went straight in.
Returning to this familiar pitch after a year, Šuker and the others were filled with nostalgia.
The field.
The locker rooms.
The equipment.
They had spent two years here — and from here, stepped onto the stage of Europe's top leagues.
This place was the beginning of their journey.