Slaven Bilic returns as Croatia manager ahead of Nations League tie with England
Slaven Bilic is back as Croatia manager and will face England in Rijeka in the Nations League on Saturday. He replaces Zlatko Dalic.
Nine years after telling Croatian media "I don’t believe in comebacks." while sitting in a Canary Wharf hotel, Bilic has accepted the national job again; the original interview found him wearing a black Soundgarden T-shirt and dark denim and preparing for a third Premier League season as West Ham’s manager. He said at the time, "I have nice memories and wouldn’t want to spoil them," adding, "I don’t like coming back. It’s not the fear of failure, just the feeling that something has run its course."
Between his two Croatia spells Bilic worked in the Saudi Pro League and Chinese Super League and had managerial stints at West Brom and Watford; he was out of work for 23 months from August 2024. Age has altered his appearance, the article says, but he remains recognisably direct, eloquent and passionate.
The piece contrasts Bilic’s manner with that of his predecessor, describing Dalic’s persona as restrained and humble, "almost priest-like," and notes Bilic’s return was greeted with a sense of renewed energy when he made his first public appearance back in July. The write-up suggests Bilic played a formative role in earlier Croatian successes, citing the "famous 3-2 victory at Wembley in 2007" as a landmark when Croatia first felt fully confident in their strength.
Luka Modric, described in the article as 41 years old, scored the first goal of Bilic’s second spell in a 2-1 win in Prague against Czechia last Saturday and rushed to embrace his manager. "Luka is everything to us, he’s just incredible" Bilic said.
The new regime’s early results include that Prague win and a 4-1 away defeat by Spain in the second match, for which Bilic rotated heavily. The article contrasts Dalic’s tendency to set Croatia up as underdogs and to rely on counter-attacks with Bilic’s stated desire for his side to press high, take more risks, have centre-backs step into possession and for more players to arrive in the opposition area.
The report raises the question of whether Bilic can implement that approach with a squad still featuring veterans such as Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic, and notes Bilic’s long-standing belief in ambitious goals: "In 2012 he believed his Croatia could win the Euros (they went out in the group stage) and now he says he can match Dalic’s success."
The immediate test for Bilic is confirmed: Croatia will meet England in Rijeka in the Nations League on Saturday, a fixture portrayed in the article as a welcome test for the former West Ham coach.