Football World Cup: Dalic quits as Croatian national coach

“Coach, thank you for everything – the victories, the successes, the qualifications, the medals, the cohesion, the respect and your unwavering commitment to fighting for Croatia, both on and off the field,” the Croatian association wrote in a statement.

During his tenure, Dalic led Croatian football to the most successful era in its history. In 2018, the Croatians reached the World Cup final in Russia under Dalic and lost 4-2 to France. Four years later in Qatar, Croatia came third in the World Cup, and in the game for third place, Dalic’s team defeated Morocco 2-1. In 2023, Dalic and Croatia lost the Nations League final on penalties against Spain. At the current World Cup, Croatia was eliminated in the round of 16 against Portugal.

According to media reports, Dalic had already received a million-dollar offer from the United Arab Emirates before the World Cup. Ivica Olic and Slaven Bilic are considered possible successors.