Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić recently signed a new contract with the Croatian Football Federation. Dalić extended his cooperation until the European Championship, which will be played in the summer of 2024 in Germany. Shortly after signing the contract, he revealed his plans and expectations, reports Gol.hr.
What are your biggest motives?
“Now I am certainly much more motivated with the new contract because I want to prove again that we have quality and get the right results again. From that side, the motivation is really huge. We have a great team, great support from the Croatian Football Federation, my staff, and all prerequisites there,” Dalić said.
When asked about his next goal, the coach replied:
“My next goal is for Croatia to qualify for the Euros in Germany after Qatar, where we will have great support, I am sure of that.”
How do you deal with pressure?
“The pressure is welcome, but it must be positive. Every Croatia national team coach has one goal – to qualify for a big competition. You have to know how to deal with the pressure and keep your peace, and I somehow succeed in that.”
He recently strengthened his professional staff with Mario Mandžukić, who joined Ivica Olić and Vedran Ćorluka as former Vatreni assistants. What can they bring to the coaching staff?
“Well, my goal is for all former Vatreni who have merits in the national team, and who want to work as coaches, to be in the national team. Those with their knowledge and charisma can help a lot, Mario will certainly help a lot, we know what kind of player he was, and he will know how to pass that on to the players.”
How will you use this year until the World Cup?
“A year is a big period, but we are already preparing for Qatar. We will have two preparatory matches in March, then six more in the Nations League. We don’t have any big unknowns, I expect the players to confirm the quality they showed in the qualifiers. The door will be open for players who impose themselves with their game at their clubs.”
How difficult is it for you to lead the national team during a pandemic?
“The match in Split against Russia or in Osijek against Slovakia showed how much the national team means to people. In Split, there was rain, bad weather, cold, and an almost full stadium. So, nothing prevented our people from coming to support the national team that serves to reunite us all. The national team brings us together and I think we are doing great things,” said Dalić.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=2D2aFnjSDrY
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
