Families split on who to support at World Cup
FamilyA Croatian man living in Hove has said his family will be split when England take on Croatia in the World Cup.
Mladen moved to the UK 20 years ago and now lives in Sussex with his American wife and their three children, who were all born in the UK.
With roots across several countries, their household has a mix of football allegiances. Mladen said everybody leaned towards their own preference, adding: "It becomes quite an interesting conversation, obviously I support Croatia."
While he will be cheering on Croatia, he said he thought his wife would be "in his corner" for the match, leaving others in the family backing England.
The family plan to watch the game together despite the late kick-off, with the children allowed to stay up for at least part of it.
Mladen is predicting a close result, saying he expects Croatia to win 2–1.
Over in Whitstable, Kent, a restaurant owner with an English father and a Croatian mother, also has divided loyalties.
Ed Thomas, who runs Amedea in the town, said he grew up supporting Croatia, but said: "I just don't ever want anyone to get beaten too badly."
Laughing, he said: "It's not actually win-win. I don't really enjoy them playing each other."
His restaurant proudly displays pictures of his grandmother, alongside footballers from the national side, and a shrine to Croatian midfielder Luka Modric adorns the wall above one of the tables.
Ed's father Andy met his mother, Suzi, while working as a holiday rep in what was then Yugoslavia, and they moved to the UK to start a family.
Suzi said: "I would love Croatia to win - but I would not be so disappointed if England win either."
She said the game "could be a bit challenging", adding: "We need to be careful not to be too happy if England loses, but it's good fun."
Across England, pub bookings have surged by almost 300%, UKHospitality has said.
Chairwoman Kate Nicholls says fans want to "get together to watch the game, cheer on the team and support their local".
In Brighton, the game is being screened at the i360, Concorde 2 and the Amex Terrace - and what is said to be Europe's "biggest open-air beach fanpark" has been set up at Black Rock.
Sussex Police have urged people to take care and not drink-drive during or after the game.
The force said officers would be carrying out stop checks.
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