​Slaven Bilic is set to return as Croatia’s head coach, the national football federation announced on Monday, taking over from Zlatko Dalic, who stepped down after the team’s exit from the World Cup. Dalic resigned following a tenure highlighted by a runners-up finish at the 2018 World Cup, but this year Croatia failed to advance from their group, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Bilic, a former Croatian international defender, previously led the national team from 2006 to 2012. The 57-year-old also has coaching experience in England, having managed West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, and Watford. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) said Bilic had been appointed “unanimously” to the post. HNS president Marijan Kustic praised Bilic’s “extensive coaching and managerial experience,” acknowledging that succeeding Dalic would be challenging but expressing confidence that Bilic is the right person for the job.
During his last spell in charge, Bilic accrued a higher winning percentage than Dalic, recording 42 wins, 15 draws, and eight defeats over 65 matches. Yet, the team’s best performance under Bilic remained the 2008 European Championship quarter-finals, where Croatia were eliminated on penalties by Turkey.
“I am extremely excited about this challenge, which I feel completely ready for as a more mature and experienced coach than I was in 2006, but with the same motivation and desire for Croatia to be strong, bold, and successful,” Bilic told a press conference.
The former Split-born coach also touched on the looming goal of achieving a strong result at the European Championship in 2028. When asked about Luka Modric’s international future, Bilic said the decision lay with the veteran captain, who will turn 41 in September, and emphasized that the final say rests with Modric himself. “He is much more to Croatia than just the best player. Modric has been asked whether he is retiring since 2018 … I would like him to continue playing for the national team.”
Bilic’s club career largely revolved around Hajduk Split, with notable spells in England at West Ham and Everton in the mid-1990s. His most recent coaching role was with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Fateh during the 2023-2024 season. Modric’s Croatia had fallen short against France in the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, and Dalic later steered the team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022 in Qatar and the last-16 at Euro 2020.
This move marks a new chapter for Croatia as they chart a course toward the European Championship in 2028, with Bilic eager to lead the team to notable success on the continental stage.