Croatian hope for World Cup image, economic boost

Croatia may have fallen short in the World Cup final but the team's feats in the tournament has boosted the small Balkan nation's moral and many hope it could help its struggling economy and image abroad too.

During their run through the competition, captain Luka Modric and co.

"We have won the sympathy of the entire world," said Miroslav Milosevic, legendary coach of the team who reached the semi-final of 1998.

This time round the team went a step further – their first ever World Cup final – only to lose against France on Sunday in an enthralling 4-2 battle

The team has "made Croatia a better country," said leading newspaper Vecernji List on Monday.

The euphoria contrasts starkly with the sour rancor that has plagued Croatian football in recent years over scandals involving corruption, racism, and fan violence.

At Euro 2016 in France, Croatian supporters fought among other , while a swastika was spray-painted on the pitch in Split by ultra-nationalists in 2015.

Fans also twice forced the stoppage of a European Championships to qualify against Italy in 2014 after firing flares onto the pitch.

But t he "Vatreni" ("Fiery Ones" in Croatian) may well be one of the world's most famous people, according to Bozo Skoko, a public relations expert in Zagreb.

"Pbadion, perseverance, heart and courage shown by the players on The pitch is part of Croatia's national identity, "Skoko told AFP.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, whose exuberant celebrations of the team's successes in Russia attracted widespread attention, said the World Cup can "start positive processes in Croatia".

"We have to ride this wave of optimism," she said before the end. vulgar and inappropriate "- Grabar-Kitarovic's enthusiasm was well-received by fans abroad on social media.

" It's been a superb promotional campaign, more effective than the 1998 success story when the press was still about Franjo Tudjman regime, "said Loic Tregoures, an expert on football in the Balkans, referring to the country's authoritarian 1990s leader.

In contrast, Grabar-Kitarovic portrayed a" friendly, fun "image, he told AFP.

" The media attention and popularity of the team will surely reflect on tourism income, and will have an impact on the country's economy, "Skoko told AFP.

Economic figures currently paint a bleak picture however, which has led many Croatians to wonder if

Average wages have stagnated at around 830 euros per month, while unemployment is persistently more than 10 percent.

Analysts point to deeply embedded clientelism and corruption, and lack of reforms, 19659004

An expert Stjepan Sterc has warned that Croatia 's population could drop under three

Around 40,000 people left the country in 2017.

Despite a booming tourism sector that makes up around 20 percent of the country's GDP – more than 18 million tourists visited last year –

But the World Cup is on the way to a better country. -studded coastline and crystal-clear waters, said Croatian tourism chief Kristjan Stanic in a statement Sunday.

After the semi-final win against England the national tourism board released a promotional clip "Croatia Full of Life" that featured Modric, Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic showcasing beauty spots like the Plitvice lakes and the ancient coastal city of Split.

"You must visit our national parks," said a beaming Rakitic in one section. 59004] On World Cup Final day the board said its online page views grew by 200 percent, compared with the same day in 2017.

But locals complain that many tourist hotspots are on the coast of Dubrovnik are already saturated, while

"The boost to morality could be translated into a mini-boom for the sake of the world.