Dalić's €5 Million Salary Launches Him into the World Elite
The former Croatian coach becomes the highest-paid Croatian in history, ranking a lofty fifth among national team managers globally.
The former Croatian coach becomes the highest-paid Croatian in history, ranking a lofty fifth among national team managers globally.
It's now official, as Sportske novosti had earlier reported: Zlatko Dalić is definitively heading to the United Arab Emirates after bidding farewell to the Croatian bench. It's a country where he has already worked and achieved great success as the coach of Al-Ain, and now he will take charge of their national team. Although there was talk of a potential role in European club football, the Asian offer and, certainly, the financial component that's hard to ignore tipped the scales in that direction.
According to unofficial sources, Dalić will earn €5 million annually in the UAE, excluding bonuses. That figure is nearly three times his salary with the Croatian Football Federation, instantly making him the best-paid Croatian coach in history. Not only does this set a new Croatian record, but it also places Dalić on the prestigious global list.
While €5 million is an impressive sum, the top ten spots on the list of the world's highest-paid coaches remain out of reach for Dalić. At the very top are names whose salaries mostly exceed double-digit millions of euros. Leading the pack is Simone Inzaghi at Al Hilal with a whopping €26 million per year. He's followed by Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) with €23.6 million, Xabi Alonso (Chelsea) with €13.4 million, and José Mourinho (Real Madrid) with €12.06 million.
Also among the highest-paid are Luis Enrique (PSG) with €12 million, Andoni Iraola (Liverpool) and Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) with €11.65 million each, and Luciano Spalletti (Juventus) with €11.3 million. Rounding out the top ten are Carlo Ancelotti, now the Brazil coach, and Gian Piero Gasperini (Roma) with identical €9.44 million. Until recently, Matthias Jaissle was also in this elite group, earning €11.2 million from Saudi club Al-Ahli, but he has since taken over at Newcastle with a slightly lower salary.
Although not in the top 10, Dalić's €5 million salary positions him, according to estimates, somewhere between 20th and 30th place on the global list. Precise data isn't available, but a benchmark is provided by the fact that the top 20 earners are rounded out by David Moyes (Everton) and England manager Thomas Tuchel, who each earn €5.8 million annually. So Dalić isn't far behind them.
When looking exclusively at the list of the highest-paid national team coaches, the story is even more impressive for Dalić. With €5 million a year, he holds a lofty fifth place. The top two spots are held by the aforementioned Ancelotti (Brazil) and Tuchel (England). Third is USA coach Mauricio Pochettino with €5.28 million, and fourth is the newly appointed German coach Jürgen Klopp with €7 million annually.
Right behind Dalić are Fabio Cannavaro, the Uzbekistan coach, with a salary of €4.08 million, and Argentina's Lionel Scaloni with €3.04 million. Interestingly, Luis de la Fuente, the coach who brought Spain the titles of current European and world champions, earns 'only' €2.03 million per year under his current contract.
