The Croatian national team suffered the heaviest defeat in its history after being defeated by England 7-0 in Rijeka.
The loss is even more painful for the hosts because of the circumstances surrounding the match. Due to a penalty from the Croatian Football Federation, the match was played in front of empty stands, with an exception made only for 6,200 children under the age of 14.
The children witnessed a real nightmare for Croatian football. England dominated the entire match and the gap in the ranks was obvious, and at one point there were even concerns that the score could reach double digits.
In the end, the “Three Lions“ stopped at seven goals, but this turned out to be quite enough to record Croatia's heaviest defeat in the history of the national team.
The defeat, as expected, caused a serious response in the English media. “The Guardian“ drew special attention to the fact that only children were present at the stadium.
The publication used an ironic tone, defining England's task as “taking candy from a child“. English journalists even joked that instead of allowing children into the stands because of the penalty, the Croats should have put up an “18+“ sign.
The heavy defeat in Rijeka will certainly remain one of the darkest pages in the history of the Croatian national team.