Even his side's second string reserve side was seen to be too strong for their final group opponents Poland, who they beat 1–0 due to an Ivan Klasnić goal. Croatia soon became labelled as favourites for the tournament, but suffered an exit in the quarter-finals against Turkey, and he admitted that the defeat would haunt him and his squad for the rest of their lives.
Even the secondary team of Croatia's opponents proved too formidable for Poland, who emerged victorious 1–0 thanks to an Ivan Klasnić goal. As a result, Croatia became the clear favourites to win the tournament, but ultimately fell short in the quarter-finals against Turkey, a defeat that would linger with him and his teammates for years to come.