ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- Fabio Capello's England are now probably the best international side in Europe says Croatia coach Slaven Bilic who is still reeling from Wednesday's 4-1 World Cup qualifying thrashing.
Croatia coach Bilic congratulates a smiling Capello on England's emphatic World Cup qualifying victory.
Undone by a superb hat trick by Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney's first international goal in 11 months, Bilic described Croatia's only World Cup defeat at home as "a catastrophe."
"In the first half, we were looking good and we thought we could get a positive result," Bilic said. "But, we were brutally punished in the second half."
"We knew that Capello had two options, either Walcott or Beckham," Bilic said. "It turned out that Walcott was the right choice as he was so exceptionally dangerous.
"England showed they are a mighty team, probably the best in Europe."
Coach Capello warned his players and England's fans not to get too excited -- particularly with 10 qualification matches still to come.
"People must remember, this was only the second game," Capello said. "It was a good performance, a good result, but it's only one victory and nothing more. It is just a start."
The English Football Association, meanwhile, have submitted a report to FIFA asking them to investigate allegations of racial abuse aimed at Emile Heskey.
Some fans at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb were heard making monkey chants towards the Wigan striker after he was booked -- sounds he described afterwards as being made by "ignorant people".
A spokesman for the FA said: "We can confirm that we will be making a report to FIFA about the racist chanting aimed at Emile Heskey by some Croatia fans during the World Cup qualifying game in Zagreb.
"It is unacceptable for anyone to be subjected to racial abuse and we will be asking FIFA to investigate this.
"The FA and England team are determined to do all they can to eradicate any form of racism from football and society."
Croatia spokesman Davor Gavran claimed the chants were "in fact very much isolated."
"They seemed rather an expression of frustration from fans at how the match is going on, than an attempt to insult someone," Gavran told The Associated Press. "We condemn those individual cases."
Croatia were fined 20,000 Swiss francs (euro19,600, $27,600) for its fans' racist behavior during June's European Championship match against Turkey.
They were reduced to 10 men against England after defender Robert Kovac was sent off in the 54th minute for an aerial challenge that saw Joe Cole taken off on a stretcher with blood pouring from a head wound.
The Croatia coach was singled out for criticism Thursday with Vecernji list newspaper calling it "Bilic's Debacle." Popular Web site Index.hr said the defeat left Croatia "broken down and humiliated."
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"For a few months, we lived in a sweet dream that we were the best in Europe," commentator Tomislav Zidak wrote in the Jutarnji list daily. "(England) hit us on the head with a hammer."
For England, the win was particularly sweet after losing 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley in November last year and a 2-0 defeat in Zagreb in 2006.
"When we compare the two previous matches, especially the one in Zagreb two years ago, the difference was in luck," Croatia striker Ivica Olic said.
"Then, we were the first to score. This time, they were the ones to open the scoring. From then on, it was difficult for us as their defense was as secure as a safe."http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/09/11/world.bilic.ap/index.html
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