Dalić Signs: Croats Take Over UAE National Team
Zlatko Dalić has been appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates, with Branko Ivanković and Igor Bišćan also brought in. Dalić will earn five million euros annually.
Zlatko Dalić has been appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates, with Branko Ivanković and Igor Bišćan also brought in. Dalić will earn five million euros annually.
Zlatko Dalić (59) was appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates national football team on Thursday, August 13, 2026, marking a Croatian takeover of key positions in the Middle Eastern country. According to 24sata, Branko Ivanković has become the director of national teams, while Igor Bišćan has taken on the role of head coach for the Olympic U-23 side. Alongside them, Danijel Subašić is expected to join as goalkeeper coach, and Branko Ivanković will also serve as a special advisor to the local football federation.
This is not Dalić's first stint in the UAE. He spent three years as coach at Al Ain, and now returns with ten more years of experience than during his previous stay in the country. In his address after signing the contract, Dalić did not hide his emotions.
"I'm glad to be in the UAE, my second home. I hope we can achieve great results again, this time with the national team. Thank you for your trust; I feel honored. I spent three years at Al Ain, did a great job with my team, but that's the past. My focus is on the future; it will be tough, but my goal is to build a strong and competitive team," Dalić told 24sata.
During his previous tenure at Al Ain from 2014 to 2017, he won the league and the President's Cup and reached the final of the Asian Champions League, experience that the Emiratis recognized when considering his new appointment.
The contract Dalić signed makes him the highest-paid Croatian coach in history and the fifth-highest-paid national team coach in world football, with an annual salary of five million euros. According to Sportske novosti, this amount does not include bonuses. Despite this, Dalić insists that money was not his primary motivation for coming.
"I didn't come here to enjoy the beaches but to work hard. We need the support of the entire nation and all media; we must be a team. If we're not, we'll achieve nothing. It was the same in Croatia," Dalić said.
He added that money was "the last thing on his mind" and that the most important thing is that he feels good in the UAE. He was even more direct in dismissing claims that the financial aspect was decisive: "I didn't come here for money but for hard work."
The main goal Dalić has set for himself and his coaching staff is success at the 2030 World Cup. He is aware that the path there will not be easy, but he believes in the potential of the young players he intends to visit and get to know.
"We will fight for this country and its people and give our all. We will visit all the players and talk to the coaches. There are many young players ready for new challenges," Dalić said.
As part of the new cycle, the UAE will face South Korea, Vietnam, and Yemen in Group E of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, which will be the first major test for Dalić's team.
