HNS have announced today that Zlatko Dalić is no longer the head coach of the Croatian national team.
The end of the greatest era in the history of the Vatreni. The end of the most successful coaching tenure Croatia has ever seen.
Dalić leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered forever:
Second place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Third place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Second place at the 2023 UEFA Nations League
His record as Croatia manager:
111 matches
62 wins
20 draws
29 losses
It may end with a heartbreaking final defeat, but Dalić’s achievements are nothing short of greatness. He transformed Croatia into a consistent force on the world stage and delivered some of the greatest moments in the history of the Vatreni.
From the unforgettable World Cup run in Russia in 2018 to another podium finish in Qatar four years later, Dalić created a legacy that will forever be remembered by Croatians around the world.
“I leave with a full heart, proud to have contributed to the greatest achievements in the history of Croatian football. I wish my successor, the Croatian national team, and Croatian football many more successes, and I truly believe those successes will come,” Zlatko Dalić concluded. (HNS)
A legendary chapter of Croatian football comes to an end. Zlatko Dalić will forever be remembered as one of the greatest figures in the history of Croatian sport.
Hvala ti za sve, legendo
Like all voices…Over a decade it becomes stale. He is bowing out at the right time. Phenomenal achievements in the world cup in 18 and 22 and Fifa cheated us from competing until the end in this turnir. Fantastic results in Nations League. He had very poor Euro results.
Slaven Bilic is best for the brand. Give him a 2 year run into Euro 2028. He is a wonderful motivator. Great with the media. We need to integrate younger legs like Vuskovic and perhaps even a Segecic if he continues to excel. Insure P. Sucic, Gvardiol and Baturina become our leaders. Lots to look forward to.
Funny enough saw these rumours months ago and didn’t think much of it, but given that they’re being brought up again now and given so much attention, maybe there was some truth to it lol…
https://www.jutarnji.hr/sportske/nogomet/zlatko-dalic-odlazi-nakon-3131-dan-radi-obitelji-i-pritisaka-15725975
If he is leaving for these reasons that is very, very sad. Never knew he was getting this treatment from his own country. I don’t blame him for leaving. Never heard about this before.
I’d try and pray Terzic away from Athletic Bilbao
This was someone the HNS should have reached out to BEFORE he signed a deal with Bilbao in May.
Very poor planning and due diligence by the HNS to just make an offer to Dalic, get turned down, and just sit on their hands for several months until after the World Cup to make a decision (with far fewer options available now).
Look at Portugal.
Once Martinez failed to qualify them for the quarters, they announced that they weren’t extending him and they had Jorge Jesus already lined up in case things went south.
We literally had two great coaching options (Terzic and Kek) available in May and the HNS just stood by without even reaching out to them as a Plan B if Dalic chose to leave.
Cacic was the worst, but he could get your broken down Vizio 42 inch good as new. Zlatko , good luck in your new gig, time for a change . HNS wasn’t going to pay him , they need to feed themselves first at the trough and if there wasn’t anything left over , it wasn’t going to Dali baby.
Cacic wasn’t the worst.
That’s just something people like to say, and it caught on and now everyone says it (along with the whole ‘tv repairman’ moniker).
Stimac and Kovac were far worse. Stimac had the worst results, and we played very poorly under Kovac (probably our worst style in the Modric era). Obviously we were poorer under Jozic and Baric, but the talent level available to those two coaches wasn’t as great as what was available for Stimac and Kovac.
Cacic did well in Euro2016 (we were the talk of the tournament), but things fell apart in WC2018 qualifying. He wasn’t great, but was better than Stimac and Kovac.
For me Niko kovac and Stimac Cacic are our worst coaches had basicially this same core even younger and didnt do shit where as dalic had them in prime and alttile past and got 2 medals
But No Modric for the next coach who ever that is but we need a new identity its rebuild time.
I think future is bright i dont see us falling off the map.
Also one thing so Dalic put words in his own mouth onky fit players will be called so Dcc erlic Krama Gvardiol all out of form and injured
Based on the news commentary leading up to the 3-hour long meeting, sure sounds like it came down to the final compensation package numbers, and it was up to him. It seems in this life, the zlato talks to us all. His primary allegiance like everyman, is to his family and god, no shame in that.
On the bright side, we are starting over, we will now know, if the Dalic era was really an anomaly, based on his singular genius efforts, that we will never recover from, or was it the players actually bubbling up continuously from the home ground spring and diaspora, providing an opportunity for anyone blessed to take the reins, who will work for love of the nation state, and a decent paid relative to the typical Croatian working man.
Let time past before we make him into a deity and put a statue in every Trg on the taxing paying Croatian public. True, the Kranjcar, Bilic, Kovac, Stimac, and Cacic were some very lean years. Let’s see where we go from here. One variable that the next generational coach won’t have is Modric in his prime, so it is hard to compare Apples to Apples, and ever really know cause and effect, although time shall tell.
I still ideally would like to make it more of a committee based coaching staff rather going from one big ego to the next, really only wanting a big cash out compensation package, ready to leave to the biggest non-Catholic cash laden country. Make it a group of guys, with the main motivation, love of country. There must be a group of people out there.
Personally, if he showed loyalty to Croatia for a decent pay compensation comparative to the average Croatian, I would have kept him and maybe even put a statute in his hometown.
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2074849087568900172?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Modric staying for another year at Milan
You would think it wouldn’t come to that … people spreading rumors and misinformation about Dalić to get him to leave …
Sad 😔
He is a legend in my books. Great man. Thank you Zlatko.
If I had to bet the rumours aren’t true. No way you can keep that under wraps. All the yugo scum hate Dalić and what he stands for, and want to see him fail. If true they would be all over this.
I think change is good as we need someone not loyal to old players. We need best 11 playing, however I’m not thrilled with Bilic. Guy is only coach to not qualify for a tournament to me Bilic isn’t an upgrade.
Now we know who was clutching his rosemary beads.
Those who claim to be the biggest Catholics and loudest about the familija are the biggest liars.
I have no idea about Dalic. But this is pro sports. Almost all of them have other women. And their wives all know about it.
You have no idea about Dalic, but you just rolled with the accusations of a mistress and extramarital child and are implying that Dalic being the biggest Catholic and loudest about the familja makes him a liar.
Every coach/manager, no matter how good, eventually reaches his best before date. Dalić expired long ago. Nobody can take away what was accomplished on his watch. With that being said, I’ve always believed that all that was achieved was not because of him, but in spite of him. I welcome Bilić’s return and feel that he’s perfect for this team. I also understand that that you must be careful what you wish for, as Olić could be his replacement.
Would be nice to see him in a different role within Croatian football (not as coach) rather than him going off to the Middle East somewhere (unless he can get some team into giving him a monster deal where he gets himself a $20 million contract).
Not sure if true or not but just read on Sporski Novesti
It seems he would have stayed and have the energy and ambition to stay on and lead the next generation…
But he made the decision due to family reasons…
Sporske Novesti was saying his family couldn’t deal with the rumours/ bullshit of Dalić have a mistress in Split and child out of wedlock …
So for family reasons, to save his family, he resigned (one of the reasons… Sporski Novesti was saying ..
The story was he had a mistress with a the varazdin tourist chairwoman.
So did he bang outside his marriage or not ?
Does he have a kid out of wedlock or not ?
Hopefully not – otherwise his “family first” “values” etc goes OUT THE WINDOW
Legend.