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Russian prime minister and Croatian president to attend World Cup quarter-final in Sochi
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic will attend the World Cup quarter-final in Sochi, where their national football teams will fight for a spot in the tournament semi-finals.
“On July 7 the head of the Russian government [Dmitry Medvedev] will hold a meeting with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, during which trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries will be discussed,” the Russian government press service said.
“Dmitry Medvedev and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic will be present at the World Cup quarter-final match between Russia and Croatia.”
READ MORE: Hosts Russia hoping to extend World Cup heroics at expense of Croatia
Earlier this week, Grabar-Kitarovic attended Croatia’s last-16 nail-biter in Nizhny Novgorod, where Vatreni snatched a hard-fought victory against Denmark in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Croatia’s first female head of state, photos of whom in the stadium went viral, was hugely praised by fans for watching the game from the stands – rejecting the privilege of using a VIP seat at the venue.
Russia and Croatia will play at Fisht Stadium on Saturday with a semi-final spot at stake in the crucial match.
The hosts of the tournament have already exceeded all expectations by reaching the quarter-final of the tournament for the first time in their history.
Croatia’s best World Cup display dates back to 1998, when the former Yugoslavia republic finished third, beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the bronze-medal game.