The former Vatreni head coach becomes the highest-paid Croatian coach in history and one of the best-paid national team managers in the world, and his success could boost demand for domestic experts in the region.
Zlatko Dalić is embarking on a new chapter in his career as the head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team, where he is set to earn five million euros annually, excluding bonuses, according to unofficial information from N1 BiH. This contract makes him the highest-paid Croatian coach in history, and the financial terms place him among the very top national team managers worldwide.
According to available data, only four national team coaches are ahead of Dalić in terms of earnings. At the top of the list is Carlo Ancelotti, who earns around 9.44 million euros annually as Brazil's head coach. He is followed by Jürgen Klopp at the helm of Germany with seven million euros, while Thomas Tuchel receives approximately 5.8 million euros per year for leading England.
Mauricio Pochettino also sits just above Dalić, with earnings of around 5.28 million euros as the head coach of the United States. Dalić's annual salary of five million euros exceeds that of Lionel Scaloni, the current World Cup runner-up with Argentina, who earns 3.04 million euros, as well as Fabio Cannavaro, who receives 4.08 million euros at the helm of Uzbekistan.
Dalić is expected to sign a contract with the UAE Football Association until the summer of 2030, and based solely on his fixed salary, the contract's total value is approximately 20 million euros. His final earnings could be significantly higher thanks to bonuses. The main task set by the association's leadership is to qualify for the 2030 World Cup. The UAE have only appeared at the World Cup once, back in 1990 in Italy.
In addition to the highly lucrative contract, Dalić will also enjoy considerable freedom in his work. He will personally select the members of his technical staff and will have a key role in the organization of the national team, as expected. Alongside him, several Croatian experts he has long worked with in the Croatian national team could also make the move to the Middle East.
Dalić will bring in a complete technical staff, with a large part of the project relying on Croatian experts. Branko Ivanković is expected to take on the role of advisor and coordinator for the A and Olympic teams, while Igor Bišćan is mentioned as a possible head coach for the Olympic squad. Interestingly, Dalić has been allowed to bring his own medical staff, which is unusual in the Emirates, as doctors typically remain within the Association regardless of coaching changes. This is clear evidence of how much the Emiratis value Dalić and how much they trust him to elevate their national football to a higher level.
Dalić's first major test will be the Gulf Cup, scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 6, 2026. In Group B, the Emirates will face Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen, while Group A includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Kuwait. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals, which will likely be the first goal set for the new head coach.
Dalić's arrival in the Emirates will have a much broader significance for Croatian football. Recently, coaches from Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands have been in highest demand in the Middle Eastern market, with significantly fewer Croatian experts at the top level than before. His potential success could increase demand for Croatian coaches and players throughout the region.
Dalić is now by far the highest-paid Croatian coach. Niko Kovač is second in terms of earnings, with an annual salary of four million euros at Borussia Dortmund. He is followed by Sergej Jakirović at Hull City with 2.4 million euros, Ivan Jurić at Monza with around two million euros per season, and Ivan Leko at Club Brugge with about 1.5 million euros. Slaven Bilić is expected to earn between 800,000 and one million euros annually at the helm of the Vatreni.
A large number of internationally recognized Croatian coaches are currently without a job, including Igor Tudor, Nenad Bjelica, Krune Jurčić, Igor Jovićević, Željko Kopić, Goran Tomić, Igor Štimac, Ivan Prelec, and Damir Krznar. Dalić's success in the Emirates could open doors for them in a market that has so far been relatively closed to Croatian experts.
Although Croatia undoubtedly produces quality coaches, not just players, domestic experts find it significantly harder to secure serious opportunities. Večernji list points out that Croatian football itself is partly responsible for this. In recent years, the HNL has often favored foreign coaching solutions of questionable value, such as Federico Coppitelli, Víctor Sánchez, Oriol Riera, Serse Cosmi, and even Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso, while undervaluing its own experts. These appointments ultimately yielded very little and may have slowed the development of some young domestic coaches.
Another major issue is the lack of a strong international network to promote Croatian coaches. While Portuguese, Italian, or Spanish experts often have powerful agents, sporting directors, and long-standing connections with top European clubs behind them, Croatian coaches are largely left to rely on their own results, which sometimes are no longer sufficient. Over the years, Croatia has shown that it can produce world-class players and achieve top results, but it has not yet managed to turn its coaching school into an internationally recognized brand. The problem for Croatian coaches is not a question of quality, but rather a combination of poor international positioning and insufficient promotion, concludes Večernji list.
