MOSCOW — Something was bothering Croatia’s players and staff members as they reflected on the game that had brought them to the brink of greatness, and on the month that may culminate in what would — by most estimations — be the greatest achievement in World Cup history.
Luka Modric, the captain, suggested his team had been “underestimated” by the British news media in the days preceding Croatia’s semifinal win over England. He advised that, in the future, journalists and television analysts should be “more humble, and respect their opponents more.”
A perceived lack of respect was something of a theme.