Zlatko Dalić steps down as Croatia coach after nine‑year reign

Zlatko Dalić left his post as head coach of the Croatian national football team, ending a nine‑year period that produced three international medals, including a silver at the 2023 World Cup in Qatar. While his tenure brought unprecedented success for a nation of Croatia’s size, officials and local observers noted that promised investments in new stadiums across Zagreb, Split and Rijeka never materialised. The only major venue opened during his era was the Opus Arena in Osijek in 2023.

Neighbors and commentators wrote that Dalić left “with bitterness”, recalling promises of "miracles" after historic achievements that were never fulfilled. The coach’s departure comes after a public reception for more than half a million supporters in Zagreb, during which politicians announced further sports projects that, according to critics, remained unrealised.