Zlatko Dalić officially named new UAE national team head coach

Zlatko Dalić

Zlatko Dalić has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the United Arab Emirates national football team, with the Croatian coach set to lead the side until 2030.

The UAE Football Association confirmed the appointment on its official channels, welcoming Dalić as the new head coach and unveiling him with a graphic carrying the message: “Zlatko Dalić – until 2030 – official.”

The announcement formally confirms a move that had been widely reported in recent weeks. Dalić left his position as Croatia national team coach this summer after almost nine years in charge.

The 59-year-old coach takes up a role in a country where he previously enjoyed a successful spell at club level. Between 2014 and 2017, Dalić managed Al-Ain, guiding the club to the UAE league title and the final of the AFC Champions League.

It was following his time in the UAE that Dalić took charge of Croatia in October 2017.

His tenure with the Croatian national team became the most successful coaching period in the country’s history. He led Croatia to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, where they won silver, followed by a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup.

Under Dalić, Croatia also reached the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2023, securing another silver medal.

His departure this summer brought an end to a period of almost nine years in which he established himself as Croatia’s longest-serving and most successful national team coach.

Dalić now begins a new international chapter in the UAE, with the long-term agreement signalling plans for him to lead the national side through the next major international cycle.

The UAE appointment also marks a return to familiar surroundings for the Croatian coach, who already has extensive experience of football in the country.