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UEFA - Zlatko Kranjcar has been confirmed
as the new Croatia coach, replacing Otto Baric who resigned after their
first-round exit at UEFA EURO 2004™.
Two-year contract
Vlatko Markovic, the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) president, announced
today that Kranjcar had agreed a two-year contract up to the 2006 FIFA World
Cup finals. The executive board members of the HNS selected Kranjcar ahead
of Martin Novoselac, the other remaining candidate, who will serve as his
assistant.
Other contenders
The two other serious contenders for the role, Srecko Katanec and Branko
Ivankovic, had earlier withdrawn their candidatures. Katanec, the former
Slovenia coach, withdrew in the face of public opposition while Ivankovic
has taken the job of Iran's national coach.
'The best choice'
"This was the best choice we could have made," said Markovic. "Kranjcar and
Novoselac are excellent coaches and we think very highly of both of them.
Kranjcar will have a contract ending with the World Cup in Germany 2006,
just like Baric's contract ended with EURO 2004™."
'Ready for this task'
Croatia's rivals in their World Cup qualifying group include Sweden and
Bulgaria and they begin their campaign at home to Hungary on 4 September.
Before that there is a friendly game against Israel in Varazdin on 18 August
and Kranjcar said: "I must start work immediately, we have our first World
Cup qualifying game in September. I am very happy to have this honour. I
know what they are expecting from me and I am ready for this task."
Title winner
Kranjcar, 47, has won the Croatian league championship twice as a coach,
with NK Dinamo Zagreb and also with NK Zagreb where he famously broke the
dominance of Dinamo and HNK Hajduk Split by taking the title in 2001/02.
Born in Zagreb, he played in his home city for Dinamo and also in Austria
for SK Rapid Wien, where his coach was Baric, the man he now succeeds. |
