ZAGREB (Croatia) - August used to be the month when Croatian basketball took center stage.
Think of the 1994 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Canada, where Croatia captured its first - and still only - World Cup medal, a bronze that returned home to Zagreb.
Or think of the legendary Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, when only the Dream Team denied Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja and their teammates a majestic gold medal.
Fast forward to August 6, 2025, and Croatia found itself travelling to Bergen instead. That was where its journey through the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers was set to begin, with a game against Norway.
It's true: before returning to your most glorious and unforgettable days, you sometimes have to hit rock bottom.
Everybody answered the call. Two of the country's most prominent basketball figures, Mario Hezonja and Dario Saric, led the way on the court, while Coach Tomislav Mijatovic took charge from the sideline.
It was the beginning of a chapter built on hope.
You can believe me: once it hit me, it was really the biggest honor and responsibility I could have in my life. It would happen the same in everyone’s life. When that became official, when I realized it was going to happen, I couldn’t really grasp it.
His career is a perfect example of waiting for the right moment.
For most of his journey, he has occupied the back seat, whether with the Croatian national team, Cibona, or Anadolu Efes.
Then, in May 2025, the call came. Asked to take charge of Croatia, he could only answer one way: yes.
"There was a mix of joy, responsibility and a certain internal pressure because I wanted to do something meaningful for my country and for Croatian fans," Mijatovic told FIBA.
"Later on, after I had a few days to sleep on it, I started collecting my thoughts and became more aware of what it meant. But the feeling of pride, joy and enthusiasm is an unbelievable blessing," he added.
Yet becoming Croatia's head coach was never a goal he had pinned to his wall. Mijatovic has built his career one step at a time.
"You should never work for your next position. I always work for my next game or practice because my mindset is to approach every role as if I'm going to hold it for the rest of my life," he said.
"When I was an assistant coach with the national team for eight years, I never prepared myself for eventually becoming Croatia's head coach. That's how you're supposed to approach these situations."
"That’s the only way to do it. Carpe diem, enjoy the moment, grasp it, and work on yourself every day like it’s the first and last. Make your best possible effort, so you will not have any regrets."
"Hopefully, it’s going to be the best results, but whatever happens at the end, you shouldn’t have regrets. I know it sounds a bit plastic or commercial, but it’s the only right approach," he also commented.
Entering a lightless tunnel
But let’s get back to rock bottom, as anticipated.
After years of establishing themselves as a competitive force in the most attractive and important tournaments worldwide, Croatia entered what looked like a tunnel with no light at the end.
They missed out on back-to-back FIBA Basketball World Cups in 2019 and 2023, and also failed to qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2022 for the first time in the country’s history.
In a letter written in April 2020, Roko Leni Ukić said that "it got dark after FIBA EuroBasket 2017."
It has certainly not been a bright phase, but Tomislav Mijatovic believes there have been shades within it. No yin and yang, no black or white.
"I don’t think anything went wrong, really," he said. "We went to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. We had some misfortune, some bad luck along the way," he commented.
"Moreover, we’re a small country. We don’t have such a wide pool of talent, and for us, it’s enough that two players don’t show up to have problems. I know how good my predecessors are as coaches, and therefore, I don’t think anything went wrong," the 46-year-old tactician shared.
"We just didn’t have momentum; everything hasn’t always been perfect. We lost certain games in the process, but that’s basketball."
It’s not a sprint, for sure. It’s more of a marathon for coach Mijatovic and whoever will eventually replace him as head coach of the Croatian national team.
"I believe that all of us are holding this position. It’s like running sprints in different phases: you hand the torch to the next guy, and you want to make the best situation for the one who comes up to you."
"The goal is to make the team better than when I took over it. And my colleagues before me did the best job."
"We just have to be patient, harp on it, work, stay humble, and pass the better situation to the guy who comes after you. That’s our goal: only by doing that are we going to improve continuously," he said.
From the Pre-Qualifiers all the way back to the World Cup?
That first game of Croatia's new chapter was an absolute success, as they beat Norway by 33 points. They repeated the feat against the same opponents ten days later, winning 102–53 at home.
The same scenario unfolded against Denmark, with Croatia winning 100–71 in Opatija and 79–76 on the road in Farum.
Beyond the results themselves, this phase was crucial for the Croatian group to begin shaping and adapting to a new identity under Mijatovic's philosophy.
"[Playing the Pre-Qualifiers] was very important. I always say to our guys and to the staff that it was crucial to come together last summer, start from the ground up, and go step by step," he said.
"Because we had to have our own identity and character shown that we knew that we had. We used those games as the building block, as the improvement, as the chemistry builder, as the situation that is going to hopefully carry us a long way down the road. That was very important for us."
"I think that the guys accepted their role, which was super important. We did a very good job and started building from that to the windows. Now we need to stay humble, hungry, and continue to work and build, winning games," he continued.
It was also an opportunity to see Michael Ruzic, one of the brightest young prospects in Croatian basketball, making his senior national team debut.
The 2006-born forward, alongside other important figures such as Karlo Matković, was led by the example set by veterans like Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja, who decided to show up regardless of the circumstances.
"It was absolutely huge [to have them]. Both Dario [Saric] and Mario [Hezonja] and the rest of the guys accepted and embraced the role," coach Mijatovic stressed.
"This meant that they are the ones who want to change something, having control of our destiny. Once the team and the players do that, they have to absolutely follow that example."
"I’m super proud of all of them. In everyday practice, I tell the guys, “This is your project, this is your team, this is your situation that you're creating. We're just here to help," Mijatovic continued.
Once they take that pride, joy, and leadership, that's where we excel. Moving forward, this is the only proper way.
Croatian basketball fans have been waiting for a return to the global stage since the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014, but the road to Qatar 2027 has started well for the red-and-white side.
After three consecutive victories against Cyprus, Israel, and Germany, they were only narrowly beaten on the road by a single possession (91–89) against the reigning European and world champions.
"It has been a great privilege and honor for us to start the way we started. We achieved all of our targets up to this point," Mijatovic commented on Croatia's start, which led to early qualification for the Second Round.
"We're in a good position, but we know that the next game against Cyprus is the most important game. That's all that matters. What we have done in the last two windows is great; it carries over," he added.
"But for us, the most serious situation is focusing on the next game, because those points are going to carry us one step closer to the ultimate goal: qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar."
Most importantly, Croatia's games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers have helped bring together fans’ love and affection for basketball.
"Every game is very important, but all of us who care about representing our country and about the true spirit of this sport are always going to appreciate the national teams, their importance, and their results."
"It’s absolutely crucial to preserve the national teams' value for sports. When there is a will, there's a way to find and emphasize the importance, because you cannot cheat the fans. We played against Germany in the last window, and we had stalled out arenas both in Zagreb and Bonn," he commented.
"That means people will always appreciate good basketball, good sports, good competition, and loving the national team’s performance. It just extends even more reasons to be proud, to be humble, and to be hungry for the continuous success of the national team," Mijatovic finally shared.
Looking ahead to the upcoming challenges against Cyprus and Israel, Croatia and Tomislav Mijatovic are ready for more. One step at a time, grasping whatever comes next. It’s the carpe diem way for Hrvatska.
FIBA