Women's football team plays against Croatia: We want to see what level we are at

Four and a half months after achieving their greatest success and advancing to the higher tier - UEFA League B, the Montenegrin women's national football team is back together. Ahead of the biggest challenges that await them next year, our players will play two friendly matches, away against Croatia, on Friday at 15 pm and on Monday at 12 pm.

"We couldn't wait to get together again, it's been a long time since the last matches," says Ivana Boričić, a footballer for Hungarian Ujpest.

"We want to continue where we left off in June and with this new beginning announce that we will continue to achieve great results in the future," continued Katarina Čađenović, a 19-year-old midfielder for Sarajevo.

The matches against Croatia are real tests for what Mirko Marić's team can expect from February, when they will play against teams from the top flight of European women's football.

"The matches with Croatia are real tests for us. Even though they are friendly matches, we will approach them as if they were competitive, because we want to see what level we are at. As always, we will give our best," Boričić emphasized.

Montenegro, therefore, is starting to prepare for League B, and Croatia for matches in a lower tier, because next year they will play in League C. On paper, our selection is currently at a higher level.

"The fact that Croatia was eliminated from League B means nothing. This is the team of a country that is a great football nation, which certainly has greater quality than the results in the last cycle showed. However, we have proven that we can handle strong national teams, we believe in ourselves and we want to continue to progress, because we have the potential to be even better," emphasizes the 20-year-old Boričić.

"We deserved everything we did, we worked hard and believed that we could make a breakthrough. These will be great tests for us, because Croatia has been at a much higher level for many years, they certainly want to get back there and will be at their best against us," says Katarina Čađenović.

The result in the matches against Croatia is important, but it is not the most important.

"First of all, we need to check our own capabilities and prepare for competitive matches, but, of course, we will do everything to ensure a positive result," says Ivana Boričić.

Montenegro is on a five-match unbeaten streak (three wins and two draws), but it is important to continue the positive trend.

"Since this gathering, we have started preparing for the B Nations League matches, and Croatia is a team of that rank, although, by chance, it slipped a step higher. And it is against such a team that we want to show that we belong to that rank and that we can continue on the path we have taken," concluded Čađenović.