By Paul Giblin
MOSCOW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic agrees with former Croatia great Robert Prosinecki, that his team-mate Luka Modric could be the best Croatian player of all time.
Modric and Rakitic will line up against Denmark in the last 16 of the World Cup on Sunday after guiding Croatia to a 100 percent start to the tournament, winning all three of their matches in Group D thanks to their stylish midfield play.
That prompted Prosinecki to say Modric was the best Croatian player ever and Rakitic added his voice in support. "I totally agree, but Luka isn't just a great player, he's a great person. He is our leader and we have a lot of confidence in him. It is always a challenge when we face each other in Spain and I am delighted we play alongside each other for Croatia," Rakitic said in a press conference.
Only three sides (Croatia, Uruguay and Belgium) go into the knockout stage with a 100 percent record, but Rakitic insisted that that means nothing now.
"Denmark are a very solid side and they haven't lost any of their matches here. They are compact and they know what to do to stop their rivals playing. Then they are quick and dangerous in attack," he warned, highlighting the talents of Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen. "He is one of the best creative players in Europe and he has been excellent," Rakitic said.
He also spoke about the Croatia side that finished third in the 1998 World Cup, saying players such as Prosinecki and Davor Suker were "idols" but he added that the current side "wants to make their own history" in Russia. "I hope we can do as well as they did, or even better," the Barcelona midfielder said.
