DOHA, Qatar – Whether intentional or not, it appears that Canadian men’s national team coach John Herdman is keen on putting the media madness behind him.
Having stirred up furor from the Croatian press following his “eff– Croatia” comments after Canada’s loss to Belgium, leading to a less-than-flattering newspaper cover featuring Herdman, his self-deprecating tone was notable in Saturday’s pre-match press conference.
“My wife’s coming after you guys,” Herdman joked with a Croatian reporter from 24 Sata, who published the now-infamous cover. “She wishes she had that guy. I’ve got a bit more of a belly than that. I’ve been eating too much.”
The Canadian squad has gone full blackout since Nov. 14, so any media tends to fall through the cracks.
Unless, of course, a loved one forwards it along.
“When you get a text from your wife telling you that you need to start working out before you get home you know something’s going on,” Herdman quipped.
Canada may want bygones to be bygones, but Croatia isn’t willing to let it go.
“The Croatian team deserves respect from everyone,” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic. “This method of putting words together is not a sign of respect.”
“I second the head coach and I cannot wait for the game to begin,” added forward Ivan Perisic.
The 46-year-old didn’t seem too keen on addressing the situation head-on despite being asked multiple questions about the subject by the Croatian press.
Instead, Herdman opted to shift the focus onto Sunday’s game against Croatia, which will certainly be a feistier affair than expected.
Canada needs to avoid defeat in order to stay alive heading into its Group F finale against Morocco on Thursday. A loss means that its World Cup ends on Dec. 1.
Belgium currently leads the group with three points having beaten Canada 1-0 on Wednesday. Morocco, who faces Belgium earlier on Sunday, is level with Croatia on one point with the Canadians at the bottom of Group F.