Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic
At the World Cup 2018 everyone applauding at the Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.
France close with a triumphant 4-2 win against first-time finalists Croatia. After ceremony the Croatian President been cheered on for her reaction.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was spotted cheering for the national team and has been hailed as a star herself for her reaction to Croatia’s loss.Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović hit the headlines for her sportsman-like conduct at the end of the match.
Sporting Croatia’s official team shirt in the rain, Grabar-Kitarović ran on to the pitch to celebrate with both Croatian and French team members alike.
She was seen smiling in her defeat, and made sure to greet and congratulate all members from both teams on the pitch.
The Croatian president was commended for her conduct and her support of the team throughout the cup was nothing short of dedicated.
Ms Grabar-Kitarović had chosen to travel to Russia at her own expense in economy class and she attended every Croatia game save for the semi-final against England as it clashed with the Nato summit.
The down-to-earth president also watched each game from the stands clad in a Croatian football kit in stark comparison to her fellow officials in dark suits.
Following the final play, she also took to the pitch during the pouring rain to personally greet players.
A social media commenter hailed her efforts, saying: “Best scene at the World Cup: Pouring Rain, no umbrella and Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic hugs every single player from Croatia and France, even if Croatia has just lost.”
Emmanuel Macron was spotted showing similar compassion towards the Croatian team after France’s win.
The French President was spotted excitedly celebrating from the VIP stands at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium next to a more subdued Vladimir Putin.
Macron was seen kissing star goal scorer Kylian Mbappe on the forehead before joining his Croatian counterpart in handing out winners and runner-up medals.
Although ecstatic about his team’s win, Macron was wearing a dark suit and flanked by umbrellas as he made his way down to the pitch.
The ‘World Cup effect’ is expected to provide a political boost for Macron, as the French people gather to celebrate their first win since 1998.
The win in 1998 produced a beneficial effect for then-President Jacques Chirac, who saw an 18-point jump in the polls.
Gael Sliman, a pollster with Odoxa, told Reuters: “It’s far from a given that what happened in 1998 will be reproduced in the same way now.
“But one could very well see 5, 6, 10 points of popularity gains for the executive.”
