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Zlatko Dalić is out as Croatia coach after a spell that included leading the team to two consecutive top-three finishes at World Cups.
“I leave with a satisfied heart, proud of my contribution to the greatest successes of Croatian football in history, and I wish my successor, the national team and Croatian football many new successes,” Dalić said in a statement posted by the national football federation on Instagram on Wednesday.
The announcement came less than a week after Croatia lost 2-1 to Portugal in the World Cup round of 32.
“I have always said that there is no greater honor than leading my national team and that I cannot have a more important, more responsible and more beautiful job than this,” said Dalić.
“The support of the last few days has led me to reconsider my decision to leave, but… it's time. As much as I still feel the ambition and desire to write new hits with Croatia, I feel that this is the right time to conclude this incredible era.”
The federation called Dalić's time at the helm an “unforgettable journey” and said his departure was a “proud farewell.”
“After almost nine years, coach Zlatko Dalić has decided to close his incredibly successful chapter with Croatia,” the federation said in
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“The results speak to your strengths as a coach. The respect you have earned from your players, staff and opponents says a lot about the person you are.”
Under Dalić, Croatia's so-called golden generation, which included star player Luka Modric, was runner-up in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and third in the 2022 edition in Qatar. They also finished runners-up in the 2023 Nations League.
The federation did not immediately announce a new coach.
Information from The Associated Press.
