Croatia no longer has a coach!

A saga that lasts for months

The story of Dali’s new contract is not new. At the end of last year, the leadership of HNS, in a meeting with the president Marijan Kusti, offered the coach an extension of cooperation until the European Championship in 2028. The goal was to ensure peace and continuity during the World Cup in North America. However, Dalić then refused to sign, insisting that it was not the time for that. He has repeatedly emphasized that his contract is only a formality and that his relationship with Kusti is such that everything can be agreed “in a minute”, but that at that moment all the focus was exclusively on preparations for the World Championship.

The pressure from the media and the public did not abate, and on the eve of a preparatory match in March, Dalić was visibly annoyed by the constant questions about his future and sent a clear message.

​- I’m not in a hurry and I don’t think you should be in a hurry either. Leave me alone to do my job, who cares about my contract. I guess after nine years and all the results, I deserved to be given peace, to do the World Championship and then sit down and decide. And now I won’t sign the contract because someone is forcing me.

His attitude was čkind: no negotiations should disturb the sanctity of preparations for the great competition. He postponed the decision until after the championship, and that time has just arrived.

Silence after a painful defeat

The 2-1 elimination from Portugal, after another drama and a controversial goal disallowed by Guardiola in stoppage time, was hard for everyone. After the match, the coach was visibly emotional and disappointed, but at the same time proud of his players. However, to the key question about staying, he offered an answer that revealed nothing.

​- I have no comment, we will talk about all this later – he said briefly.

That statement left all the doors open. In some other speeches, he hinted at a possible departure, mentioning “the end of an era” and “time for new beginnings”, which was interpreted by fans and the media as a farewell announcement. Many in the HNS Executive Board, given that he had the offer on the table for months, believe that he intended to raise the anchor. Additional uncertainty is introduced by the complete silence of President Kusti, who did not announce the status of the selectors after the relegation. Č it seems that at this moment only the two of them know what the plan is.

The decision is exclusively his

Zlatko Dalić led the national team in 111 matches in almost nine years on the bench of the “fire” and won three big medals: silver in Russia in 2018, bronze in Qatar in 2022 and silver in the League of Nations in 2023. He cemented his place as the greatest coach in history. Precisely because of this, HNS has no reason to replace him and it will certainly not happen. The decision is exclusively his: does he still have the motivation, energy and desire to lead Croatia into a new cycle. He faces the huge challenge of changing generations, as Croatia had one of the oldest teams at this championship, and the future of captain Luka Modric is once again uncertain.

Didć has proven over the years that money is not his main motive. He refused fabulous offers, such as the one from China that offered him around 30 million euros for three seasons, with the legendary statement: “Money is not everything.” If he decides to leave, HNS will face the difficult task of finding a successor, and in the backroom there will be more and more they mention names like Slaven Bilić and Ivica Olića. The Croatian football public is eagerly awaiting the outcome. The decision should be known very soon, because September and the beginning of the new cycle of the League of Nations is coming faster than it seems.