This Sunday, the Croatian football team will play France in the final of the 2018 World Cup, after eliminating a series of famous teams in the tournament.
Croatia Coach and Rosary Here's one reason Catholics around the world cheer for this small Central European country: Croatia is a fervent Catholic country, and the team coach Their national soccer team, Zlatko Dalic, is a man of true faith.
Recently, Dalic said that his current success is due to his faith in God and that he always carries a rosary with him during difficult times.
Dalic said of his faith on Croatian Catholic radio at the start of the World Cup: “Everything I have in my life and in my career comes from my faith, and I am grateful to my God. ".
Croatia reached the final after beating England 2-1 in a game that lasted more than 120 minutes on 11 July.
“I could have been very happy with my life,” says Dalic, “without that strong faith and encouragement, it would have been very difficult to achieve.”
“When people lose all hope, they have to depend on a merciful God and on my faith,” he added.
In that vein, Dalic explains that “I always carry a rosary with me” and “when I feel like I’m going through a rough patch, I reach into my pocket, grab onto the rosary and then everything easier".
Regarding the Croats' expectations for the success of their selection at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he said that “I know what our people expect, so many football lovers. Croatia and our team.”
Croatia coach and rosary | Catholic Newspapers
He emphasized that “finding the good in life always brings satisfaction, happiness, success. One must always be honest with oneself and with others.”
Before the July 11 game, Dalic said of his "Cinderella" team: "we're not afraid of anyone, neither are England".
Dalic is 51 years old, married, and has two children. In his youth, he played for Croatian football teams, such as the Hajduk Split, Inter Zapresic and Varteks Varazdin teams.
In 2000, he stopped working as a player and started a career as a football coach with Croatian football teams. In 2010, he went to Saudi Arabia to guide the teams Al-Faisaly Harmah and then Al-Hilal. A year later, he moved to the United Arab Emirates to work as a coach for the Al-Ain club.
In October 2017 he was appointed as head coach of the Croatia national football team.