MORE THAN 300,000 Croats wearing red and white plaid shirts and scarves spill into the streets of the Zagreb capital on Monday to welcome the arrival of the Croatian national team which successfully advanced to the World Cup finals.
Despite losing to France in Moscow on Sunday, Croatia achieved their best result at the World Cup, surpassing the third place won 20 years ago at the World Cup in France.
"They lost in the final, but won the world," the headline of the Jutarnji List newspaper headline read. The success of Croatia brought a real joy to the small Balkans of 4 million people and the celebration was broadcast live on national television since the plane from Moscow approached the Zagreb Airport.
In honor of the team, the plane escorted two fighter jets after entering Croatia's airspace. Upon landing, the water cannon creates a water arch through which the plane and the red carpet are rolled out for the players.
The team drove the open bus into the city center through the streets filled with tens of thousands of cheering fans. However, after a four hour drive, the bus stops about a kilometer from the central square because it can not pass through the crowd.
More than 100,000 people waited for hours in the square, chanting and waving welcome banners and national flags. "Marry me, Rebic", the sound of one banner refers to Croatian forward Ante Rebic.
"We have to use this opportunity to build and improve our football infrastructure and try to get better," said Robert Prosinecki, a former Croatian midfielder who won a bronze medal in France in 1998, at a celebration in downtown Zagreb.
The celebration is expected to continue until the evening when the bus slowly moves toward the square.
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