KALYANI (NADIA): For Croatian footballer Anto Pejic, it doesn’t matter if his national team manages to cross the semi-final or not. He is already proud of Luka Modric and his team for their stellar show in Russia. Pejic’s only regret is that he couldn’t celebrate the success with his countrymen. Signed for Patha Chakra Club, he is currently practising in Kalyani and has his sights set on Calcutta League.“I am really excited because our national team has reached the semi-final after two decades. It is unfortunate that I cannot enjoy this success at home with my family. But we have some finest players and we hope to do well in the World Cup,” said Pejic, who hails from Ribera, Croatia’s second biggest city.Pejic is currently practising in the municipal-controlled football ground in Block A of Kalyani under Dutch coach Remco Boier. Though Pejic has hardly had a chance to play for the national side, he had the opportunity to play with Perisic — one of the members of the squad playing in Russia.“There is no doubt that Modric is the best footballer in our team but my favourite footballer is Perisic because I had the opportunity to play with him. I root for him when he is on the field,” said Pejic, who always carries a jersey with the name of Perisic printed on it.Pejic once worked as a tourist manager in his country but his passion for football drove him to take this game as his profession. “I have been practising football since I was eight and played in a few countries, including Slovenia, Kidonia, Norway, Vietnam , Germany and Iceland in the last few years,” Pejic said. When asked about the prospects of his national team in the World Cup, the footballer said, “I hope my team will lift the Cup this year. No one had thought that Croatia will reach this far but this team has the ability to beat anyone. We have a fair chance to win the Cup this time.”

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