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Dejan Lovren omitted from Croatia squad until he learns to stop 'looking down on everyone'

Coach Ante Cacic has denied the Liverpool defender a place at Euro 2016 due to his past behaviour

Simon Rice
Monday 16 May 2016 14:06 BST
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Dejan Lovren
Dejan Lovren (Getty)

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren will not be going to Euro 2016 following a row with the coach of the Croatia national team.

The former Southampton centre-back has been left out of his nation's provisional 27-man for this summer's tournament by Ante Cacic.

It relates to when Lovren was an unused substitute in a 1-1 draw with Hungary. Lovren stopped warming up when he realised he would take no part in the game and later made angry remarks about Cacic.

"These are the best players we have at our disposal," Cacic told a news conference on Monday.

"Playing in the national team requires good form and total commitment at club and international level. We want to keep a sound atmosphere in the dressing-room.

"I haven't closed the door on Lovren for good, he can return one day if he realises that he has to be a team player," he added.

"When it dawns on him that he can't look down on his team mates, the staff and the coach, he will perhaps find a way to get back in."

Lovren has stood out for Liverpool recently, scoring a stoppage-time winner in the epic 4-3 second-leg win over Borussia Dortmund which sent the Premier League side into the Europa League semi-finals.

He was also outstanding in the 3-1 aggregate semi-final defeat of Spanish side Villarreal which propelled Liverpool into the final against holders Sevilla in Basel.

Croatia are in Group D at 24-nation Euro 2016 along with holders Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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