Igor Bišćan appointed UAE U-23 national team head coach

Igor Bišćan has been appointed as the new head coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) U-23 national team. The UAE Football Association officially confirmed the appointment via social media, stating, "Croatian coach Igor Bišćan has been appointed as the new coach of our U-23 representative team."

This role marks Bišćan's first independent national team position outside of Croatia. His previous experience includes coaching the Croatian U-21 team from 2019 to 2023, where he led them to the European Championship quarter-finals. His club career includes stints with Dinamo Zagreb, Rijeka, Olimpija Ljubljana, and Middle Eastern clubs Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia and Al Ahli in Qatar.

Bišćan's appointment is part of a broader strategic project by the UAE to develop its national football program. There are ongoing expectations that Zlatko Dalić, the current Croatian national team coach, may also join the project to take charge of the UAE senior national team, potentially creating a cohesive coaching structure led by Croatian expertise.