June 1, 2022 - Zlatko Dalić's father Ivan Dalić has passed away in Livno. The Croatia team will be led by the coaching staff until Dalić's return. Croatia and Austria face off in Osijek on Friday, June 3.
Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić has traveled to Livno after the death of his father Ivan Dalić, reports HNS.
"We received this news with great sadness about Zlatko's father's passing. We express our deepest condolences to Zlatko and his family and tell him that the entire Croatian football family is standing by him in this difficult time.
We want him to find a little consolation in the fact that his father left extremely proud of everything that Zlatko has achieved in life, what kind of man he became and what kind of family he built. May Ivan rest in the peace," said the president of HNS, Marijan Kustić, calling on the media and the public to respect the privacy of coach Dalić at this time.
Kustić will lead the delegation of the Federation at the last farewell in Livno, and until the coach returns to the Croatia camp, the national team will be led by Dalić's professional coaching staff.
According to Sportske Novosti, Dalić plans to return to lead the national team in Osijek against Austria on Friday.
Dalić often visited his hometown in Livno and his parents' house as both Dalić's father Ivan and mother Kata had been ill for a long time. Ivan was hospitalized even before the 2018 World Cup in Russia when he experienced his son's greatest success.
"Son, be firm and your own, and stay as long as possible in Russia," he told him four years ago. Zlatko has never hidden his immense devotion to his father and family, so this is a tremendous loss for him.
It is an incredible coincidence that France coach Didier Deschamps also lost his father Pierre on the first day of the Nations League preparations for the France national team.
Dalić and Deschamps will face each other at Poljud in Split as Croatia and France meet in the Nations League on June 6 at 20:45.
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