World Cup 2018: Vladimir Putin ‘proud of heroes’ Russia despite penalty exit to Croatia
Hosts Russia came agonisingly close to a remarkable World Cup final as they crashed out to Croatia on penalties
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin called the national side "heroes" as they fell agonisingly short of a World Cup semi-final.
The hosts massively exceeded expectations before crashing out of the tournament on penalties to England's next opponents Croatia.
Putin continued to show his support throughout their World Cup campaign.
And after their 4-3 penalty heartbreak, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said: "[Putin] watched, he was rooting for the team.
"We lost in a fair and great game. They are still great guys for us, they are heroes.
"They were dying on the pitch, we are proud with them."
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Russia headed into the tournament with the country on their back following no wins in seven.
The national press had even described the squad as one of the worst that has entered a major tournament.
But now boss Stanislav Cherchesov believes the "whole country is in love with us".
He told reporters: "We trusted ourselves. We could only prove our worth by working hard. I believe that people did not only start trusting us but they are in love with us,
"The entire country of Russia is in love with us. They know what the Russian national team is worth. We hope we have turned the situation for the better."