​Slaven Bilic has returned to coach Croatia, stepping into a role left vacant by Zlatko Dalic, whose remarkable tenure culminated after the World Cup. Bilic comes back to a post he previously held more than a decade ago, having spent six years at the helm during his first spell. His career includes notable coaching stints in the Premier League with West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion, as well as managerial spells in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, enriching his resume with a breadth of international experience.
“I am genuinely happy to start this challenge and I feel fully prepared for it — as a more mature and experienced coach than in 2006, yet with the same motivation and desire to see Croatia stay powerful, bold, and successful,” Bilic stated, expressing his readiness to guide the national team once again.
The national side Bilic inherits faces a recent setback from the World Cup, where Croatia exited at the Round of 32 after a 2-1 defeat to Portugal. A last-gasp equaliser for Croatia was controversially ruled offside due to a barely detectable touch recorded by a ball sensor, a decision that sparked widespread debate and recrimination among fans and pundits.
Dalic’s departure marked the end of a transformative era. He had been Croatia’s manager for nine years, delivering the country’s best-ever World Cup run by reaching the final in 2018 and following it with a third-place finish in 2022. The national federation lauded him as the “greatest Croatian coach of all time” upon his resignation last week, underscoring the weight of the legacy Bilic now inherits.
Bilic is no stranger to delivering memorable results for Croatia. A former standout defender for the side that achieved third place at the 1998 World Cup—an early milestone for the then-newly independent nation—he would later become Croatia manager for the first time in 2006. During that initial tenure, he oversaw 65 matches, guiding the team to 42 victories, while experiencing nine defeats and 14 draws. His strong impact included a famous victory over England at Wembley in October 2007, when Croatia clinched a dramatic 3-2 win in a rain-soaked clash. That result effectively ended England’s hopes of qualification for that European Championship, precipitating Steve McClaren’s resignation in the wake of the upset.
Bilic’s most recent club role was with Saudi side Al Fateh, a position he held from July 2023 to August 2024. After nearly two years away from competitive management, he now returns to the Croatia job with a focus on building toward Euro 2028, a tournament staged across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The cycle toward Euro 2028 represents a critical window for Croatia as they seek to recapture the momentum that defined Dalic’s era and to establish a fresh blueprint under Bilic’s leadership.
With Bilic reinstated as head coach, Croatia aims to restore their standing as a competitive force on the continental and international stages. Thetask ahead includes recalibrating the squad, integrating emerging talents with experienced veterans, and crafting a tactical approach that sustains Croatia’s bold, robust playing style. The appointment signals a commitment to continuity within a national program that has proven capable of punching above its weight on the world stage, while also marking a new chapter after Dalic’s long and influential tenure. As the team plans its path toward Euro 2028, Bilic’s Portugal defeat and the controversial offside decision from the World Cup linger as reminders of the margins that separate triumph from disappointment in modern football, reinforcing the urgency of preparing a resilient and flexible Croatia side under a coach with both international exposure and a deep connection to Croatian football’s past.