Slaven Bilić is a beacon of football not only in his native Croatia, but also in the Premier League where he has both played for and been manager of West Ham. – He has also played for Everton and been manager of Watford, West Bromwich, Besiktas and Lokomotiv Moscow.
After only a year in his first managerial job, for Hajduk Split, he was brought to Croatia’s U21 team and then two years later took the job as national team manager. A job he held for six years.
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Slaven Bilic, who I have always thought is a bit scary, is back where it started as manager of Croatia, he takes over from Zlatko Dalić. (The first coaching job was not for the national team, therefore (almost))
“I know very well what is expected of me. It’s going to take a lot of community. I have come here to achieve great results with the national team. I feel like the time has come – that I’m in my prime. Not only in terms of experience, but also motivation, will and energy. I’m going to have a relationship with the players like I’ve always had – completely: To be able to take something from you, I also have to give you something back. This is not only how football works, but everything in life.
🎙️ Slaven Bilić after taking over Vatreni (The Burning) – Croatia’s national team.
The 57-year-old takes over as Croatia’s national team manager after Zlatko Dalić stepped down after nine years at the helm.
The Croatian Football Association (HNS) confirms that Slaven Bilić is the new national team manager. He takes over from Zlatko Dalić, who announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down after almost nine years in the job.
“I look forward to taking on this task again,” Bilić said in a statement from the federation.
It is not the first time Bilić has led Croatia. He held the same role between 2006 and 2012, leading the team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.
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Dalic’s Era: Final, Bronze – and a Dramatic Farewell
Dalić’s departure comes after a long and historic period for Croatian football. Under his leadership, Croatia reached the World Cup final in 2018 – where they lost to France. In Qatar in 2022, the team took bronze after beating Morocco in the battle for third place. In this year’s World Cup, however, it stopped in the round of 16 against Portugal.
Dalić himself made the decision to resign, the federation states. He has been the national team manager since 2017.
“I thank Zlatko for everything he has done for Croatian football. He has made history with this team,” says HUS president Marijan Kustić in a statement.
Bilić – the man who will carry on the legacy
Bilić takes over a changing team. Croatia’s generation of glory is about to change, and several profiles are nearing the end of their national team careers.
However, the 57-year-old is no stranger to the challenge. He has previously led Croatia through European Championship qualification and playoffs, and has since had a number of club assignments in England, Turkey, China and Russia.
Now he returns home – with one clear message:
“We have a strong starting point. I know what this team can do, and I will do everything to bring us back to the top.
