15 August 2018•Update: 16 August 2018
By Can Erozden
ANKARA
The Croatian national football team, one of the finalists in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is facing a wave of retirements with goalkeeper Danijel Subasic also announcing on Wednesday that he was retiring from international football.
World Cup silver medalist Subasic, 33, announced his retirement on the Croatian Football Federation's website.
"The time has come for me to say farewell to our favorite jersey after 10 years in the national team. I would like to sincerely thank all the managers, I have learned a lot from each and every one!" a club statement quoted Subasic as saying.
"I have made this decision long before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, since I wanted to close this international chapter appearing at the world stage. This was one of my dreams. We all have an expiry date, and need to assess how long we can play.
"In this manner, I want to allow my teammates, who wait for their chance like I did, to make their dreams come true, and play for Croatia. They are Croatia's future," Subasic added.
Playing for the French Ligue 1 club Monaco, Subasic has been capped for Croatia 44 times since November 2009 when he made his debut.
Separately, Lokomotiv Moscow defender Vedran Corluka, 32, and Italian football giants Juventus' striker Mario Mandzukic said farewell to Croatia team earlier.
Corluka made his debut for Croatia in August 2006; he made 103 appearances for his country.
Meanwhile, team star Mandzukic produced 33 goals in 89 international matches in Croatia since November 2007.
