We’re a team of the people, insists Croatia coach Bilic

On the ball: Bilic is capitalising on national virtues

Wit. God. Patriotism. The common touch. Croatia have all this on their side, according to Slaven Bilic, so life will get no easier for England when they face tonight's Euro 2008 quarter-finalists again in World Cup qualifying.

Bilic, the shooting star of international management, posted another bravura performance here yesterday as his men prepared to face Turkey for a semi-final slot.

His homage to Croat unity was not aimed at Fabio Capello's new team, beaten home and away in London and Zagreb, but it was hard not to contrast the virtues he described with the poverty of England's recent record.

First up, celebrity and wealth. Croatia sailed into the last eight here with a 100 per cent record against Germany, Austria and Poland. This without their firstchoice striker, the stricken

Eduardo, and with a stand-in, Ivan Klasnic, who scored a late winner against the Poles only a year after undergoing a kidney transplant. Meanwhile, their playmaker Luka Modric earns a £15.8million move to Tottenham Hotspur and is a certainty for every pundit's team of the tournament.

Plenty there for England to chew on. But back to fame, to power, to opulence. How, Bilic was asked, is a country formed 17 years ago, and with only 4.5 million citizens, able to penetrate so deeply the knockout stages of football's major tournaments?

The former West Ham and Everton defender responded: 'We are talented people for sport in general, not only football, especially sport where wit is important, where it isn't only physics that matter. Of course we're not the only small nation with good sports people.

'But people are crazy about football in Croatia. Children play it everywhere. The stars of football in Croatia are perhaps closer to kids and commonfolk than in some larger, wealthier countries. A kid can meet Nico Kovac in half-an-hour after training, or in the hotel. That's easier in Croatia.

'We have a love for our country and for God. We were saying before Euro 2008 that our team can play well against anyone in Europe. No matter what the outcome, that will remain our opinion of ourselves. A good result against another team is no longer a surprise. On the contrary, the opposite would be a surprise.'

A trained lawyer, rock guitarist and accomplished linguist, Bilic is richly equipped to pump up Croat self-esteem, but the main point here is that his side move the ball with pace and at lacerating angles. They taught England two lessons in movement and ball retention and will be favourites, in any sensible bookmaking list, to head their World Cup qualifying group from which only the winners will automatically progress.

In horseracing, they would say Croatia and Russia have both endorsed the Euro 2008 qualifying form by advancing to the quarter-finals. Alternatively, their success could be interpreted as a further indictment of the English failure to make it to the Alps.

Bilic tossed England a comforter, saying: 'People laughed, but I said our qualifying group was the most difficult. I believe the English and maybe even the Israelis would have qualified in an easier group. The Russians broke the Swedes on Wednesday night. They tore them to pieces.'

While England sizzle under the hot spotlight of comparison, as well as on far-off beaches, Croatia now confront a Turkey side who lost 2-0 to Portugal, had to come from behind to beat Switzerland and fought back from 2-0 down to defeat the Czech Republic 3-2.

Bilic squirms under the burden of favouritism, in case it weakens Croatia's iconoclastic spirit. He said: 'I don't think there are favourites now. All eight sides have come this far due to three tough matches. All are favourites for the title of European champion. Every team is past the stage of negative pressure.

'Yes, we know the Turks came back twice, against the Czechs and against Switzerland. This shows how strong they are. They have good qualities and good morale. They don't give up. This is a reason for praise. But it also shows their weaknesses because nobody wants to trail their opponent and then come back.'

They say Bilic had to have his salary doubled to reach £100,000 a year: a week's wages for a player where Big Phil Scolari is heading next.