Croatian defender Dejan Lovren announced his international retirement on Thursday, ending a storied career with the “Fiery Ones” that included World Cup second and third-place finishes.
“The time has come for me to say my final farewell to the Croatian national team,” Lovren said in a message released by the Croatian Football Federation.
Lovren added that he had made this decision “with an open heart and after a lot of consideration”.
The 33-year-old had a 14-year international career. The defender played a key role in Croatia’s World Cup underdog runs, which included a second-place finish in Russia in 2018 and a third-place finish in Qatar last year.
“As a child, I fantasized about competing in major tournaments and wearing that red-and-white shirt. “I first put on the Croatian checkers when I was nine years old, and I’ll never forget that special feeling — like putting on Superman’s cape,” Lovren said.
The coach of Croatia’s national team Zlatko Dalic hailed Lovren as “one of the locker room leaders” capable of “motivating the whole team” who was “a real fighter” and “the player you want to have in your ranks in every battle”.
“Throughout his career, he faced a great deal of criticism and mistrust, but he was always a formidable fighter who can… be very proud of what he has accomplished,” Dalic said in a statement.
The center-back was heavily criticized last year after he was filmed singing a Croatian song that features a pro-Nazi slogan from World War Two, but Lovren insisted that the tune was “not fascist at all”.
The player also claimed that he was misunderstood after tweeting a photo that appeared to show him canceling his Disney+ subscription just after the American media company stated its opposition to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation.
Lovren began his career at Dinamo Zagreb before moving abroad, first to Lyon and then to Southampton, before a memorable spell at Liverpool, where he won Premier League and Champions League titles.
Lovren went on to play three seasons for Zenit in Saint-Petersburg before returning to Lyon in January.
