Croatia appoints Slaven Bilić as coach amid West Brom exit

Inside a modest office in Zagreb, the Croatian football federation unveiled Slaven Bilić as the new head coach, a move forced by Zlatko Dalić’s World Cup exit. The announcement came just hours after the national side’s disappointment in the tournament.

Mike Egerton/Pool via AP reported from ZAGREB that West Bromwich Albion have dismissed Bilić, ending his Premier League spell with the English club. The firing confirms the conclusion of his tenure at West Brom after a brief stint in the Premier League.

Bilić returns to a role he left fourteen years ago, having previously managed Croatia for six years. His earlier spell saw him guide the Croatian team through multiple campaigns before stepping down.

His résumé features Premier League experience with West Ham and West Bromwich, as well as managerial periods in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. These diverse assignments have added to his tactical repertoire across the English, Turkish and Saudi leagues.

“I am genuinely happy to start this challenge and I feel fully prepared for it — as a more mature and experienced coach than in 2006, yet with the same motivation and desire to see Croatia stay powerful, bold, and successful,” Bilić said in a statement. The declaration underscores his renewed ambition for the Croatian side.

Croatia exited the World Cup after a 2-1 loss to Portugal in the round of 32, a decision confirmed by a sensor‑detected off‑side call that nullified a last‑gasp equaliser. Dalić’s nine‑year tenure ended with that defeat, having led the team to the 2018 final loss to France and a third‑place finish in 2022, earning the federation’s praise as the greatest Croatian coach of all time.

Bilić was a standout defender for the side that finished third at the 1998 World Cup, a landmark achievement for the newly independent nation. His most recent coaching role was with Al Fateh in Saudi Arabia, a contract that ran from July 2023 to August 2024.