Zlatko Dalic appointed United Arab Emirates head coach

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·12 August 2026

Zlatko Dalic has been appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates, the federation announced on Wednesday in a post on X.

The 59-year-old was out of contract after his Croatia tenure ended with a 2-1 defeat by Portugal in the 2026 World Cup round of 32.

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Dalic is no stranger to the country, having previously led Al-Aïn and won the national title in the 2014-2015 season.

He oversaw a standout period with Croatia, reaching the last four at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and losing the 2018 final to France 2-4.

At the 2027 Asian Cup, the UAE are in Group E with South Korea, Vietnam and Yemen.

Source: L'Équipe

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