Croatian walking football team wins European Cup in Nyon

In the group stage, Croatia defeated Greece 5:1 (scorers: Ciko 3, Vrbanović 1, Tomašić 1), then the Czech Republic 1:0 (Ciko), while they were defeated by Scotland 0:1. In the semi-final, Croatia faced Spain, with the match ending 0:0, after which Croatia were more successful in the penalty shootout (3:0). In the final against Italy, the result was again 0:0, with Croatia winning the shootout 5:4.

A significant historic achievement was made by the Croatian mixed team, consisting of four female players – Lidija Kunštek, Marija Halambek, Sanja Brnadić Zoranić, and Zlata Avdić – and five male players: Damir Fučkar, Ivo Ciko, Nenad Tomašić, Damir Vrbanović, and Dražen Barić. The Croatian delegation in Nyon also included team officials Iva Radušić, Ivo Bulaš, and Darko Cvitković.

According to UEFA rules, walking football is played by mixed teams of men and women, with at least two female players required on the pitch at all times. The competition is intended for players aged over 60, with certain exceptions for some female participants.

Top scorer for the Croatian team was Ivo Ciko, who also celebrated his birthday during the tournament, and was symbolically treated to a cake by the organizers.

The title represents the first major international success for the Croatian team in this discipline.