Former Croatia captain Niko Kovac makes his bow as national team coach in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off against Iceland in Reykjavik on Friday.
Croatian midfielder Niko Kovac is seen on June 20, 2008 at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna
The 42-year-old replaced Igor Stimac in the dugout in October, taking over a team in poor form and under pressure from the local media.
Kovac may be inexperienced as a coach, but his appointment was welcomed by the media, the players and fans thanks to his reputation as a disciplined hard worker dating back to his playing days.
Now he is expected to demand the same from his team.
Germany-born Kovac, who spent most of his career outside Croatia, stressed that he would "insist on organisation and planning", explaining that he was "raised and educated to do so."
"Fans will certainly not jeer my Croatia," he assured.
However, Kovac warned Croatia had no right to underestimate their opponents, especially considering their recent form.
Iceland were the surprise package of the qualifying campaign, finishing above Norway and Slovenia to reach the play-offs.
If they win, they will become the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup finals.
"I hear from my friends that we are favourites but there are no favourites," Kovac told national HRT television recently.
"We have to sweat heavily and be ready both in our minds and bodies, as only then will we have a good chance" of qualifying for Brazil, Kovac said.
He stressed that there was no time for any mistakes if the team wanted to qualify for the 2014 finals, saying: "We cannot lose a single moment ... We have to score in the first leg.
"We want to score at least one goal as that will be key ahead of the return match" he added, with the second leg to be played next Tuesday, November 19 in Zagreb.
Kovac, whose brother Robert was also a Croatian international, hung up his boots in 2009, having won 83 caps and scored 15 goals for his country between 1996 and 2008.
He had spells with Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Hamburg and Red Bull Salzburg.
Kovac captained his country from 2004 onwards, participating in the European Championship in Portugal that year and in Austria and Switzerland in 2008, as well as the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Having taken up coaching roles at Red Bull Salzburg following his retirement as a player, Kovac was named Croatia's under-21 coach in January.
His motivation and hard work are already being recognised by the players.
"He will provide a boost, and us players have to do everything in our minds to play as we know and do what we did not do in the last few games," midfielder Luka Modric of Real Madrid told reporters in Zagreb earlier this week.
Croatia finished their qualifying campaign with something of a whimper, coming in a distant second behind Belgium in Group A after taking just one point from their last four games.
That run included two defeats to Scotland, but Modric is looking forward rather than back.
"We should look forward, nothing is lost ... the players have to be the Croatia that people are used to," he stressed.
Kovac himself has labelled the atmosphere in the Croatian ranks as "excellent."
On Monday, the squad welcomed the arrival of Panathinaikos' Danijel Pranjic, who could replace injured midfielder Ivan Strinic of Dnipro.
Former Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic, now of Wolfsburg, has also been struggling with a muscle injury.
Meanwhile, some players and members of the media have voiced fears that the expected cold and windy weather conditions could give Iceland an advantage.
"We have all played in snow and rain many times, but I think that wind might be a problem ... We will have to be fully focused," goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa said.