CROATIA ace Marcelo Brozovic broke his own World Cup record as he covered the most distance EVER in a World Cup game against Japan.
The 30-year-old Inter Milan star often turns in lung-busting displays, despite liking to celebrate big wins with cigarettes and alcohol.
Brozovic (right) with a fag in his mouth and a beer in hand after winning the Coppa Italia
Brozovic lasted the full 120 minutes against Japan and scored his penalty
Brozovic covered 16.7 kilometers – more than 10 miles – in Croatia‘s World Cup round of 16 clash with Japan.
The stalemate went to penalties, which Croatia won with Brozovic finding the back of the net.
Brozovic’s non-stop display saw him break his own World Cup record – running 400 metres more than he managed when playing at the last World Cup in Russia when Croatia beat England in the semi-final that went to extra-time.
Croatia’s midfield lynchpin makes no secret about his enjoyment of a fag and a pint.
He was pictured smoking a cigar in the Stade de France dressing room after Croatia beat France for the first-ever time in the summer.
And when Inter overcame Juventus to lift the Coppa Italia a few weeks earlier, he was snapped alongside team-mate Alex Cordaz having a cigarette and a bottle of beer.
Brozovic has, however, landed himself in trouble for smoking cigarettes and consuming alcohol as a high performing athlete.
Two years ago, he was fined by Inter after being banned for drink driving when police spotted him running a red light.
He was also filmed in his training kit buying fags from a shop just a few hours before Croatia were beaten 5-3 after extra-time by Spain at the Euros last summer.
Nonetheless, Brozovic’s fitness levels are one of the keys to Croatia’s success and they face World Cup favourites Brazil in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Croatia are hoping to beat the five-time winners and make back-to-back World Cup semi-finals… or finals.
