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MOSCOW (AP) – In a training trip across Croatia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Zlatko Dalic's belief in his own abilities has never diminished [19659002] "I said," Give me a Barcelona or Real Madrid. and I will win titles, "Dalic recalled Thursday.
Such jobs no longer seem so inaccessible, especially if Dalic collects the biggest prize on Sunday. Croatia will win the World Cup for the first time if the Dalic team can take the best over France and coach Didier Deschamps.
Receiving trophies is not new to Deschamps. As a player, the midfielder won titles in clubs in France, Italy and England, as well as the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship with France. As a coach, he led France to the Euro 2016 finals, losing against Portugal.
But 51-year-old Dalic had an unusual career before going to training in his native Croatia
. I've always taken the path more difficult, I had to fight for everything myself, "Dalic said through a translator at the Luzhniki stadium." I started at the bottom of the # Scale. "
The rise required a leap into the unknown with a move towards the Middle East in 2010.
" I did not want to stay in Croatia and be a mediocre trainer and live from distribution, "said Dalic." I went abroad whenever it was possible to find a job. "
Dalic finally landed at Al-Hilal, where he won the Saudi Crown Prince Cup, then reached the final of the Asian Champions League with Al-Ain. "We can not sneeze. These are major competitions, "Dalic said." That brought me a huge experience … and I built a name for myself. It was a difficult road but I believed in myself. When Croatia called, I never had any doubts. "
The call that ended Dalic's seven-year nomadic journey came last year, while there remained a party to Croatia to recover the qualification. the Croatian federation, Davor Suker, said: "We gave him the chance."
Dalic led Croatia in the World Cup qualifiers, where she beat Ukraine on two matches. Now he has taken his country farther than ever in a big football competition, eclipsing Suker's semi-finalists in 1998.
Dalic brand grows after Croatia beat England 2-1 in the semifinal on Wednesday in Moscow. "The coach has created a special atmosphere," said Croatian defender Dejan Lovren, who plays for Liverpool. "He knows exactly how to interact with players and the fact a unique way. "
Dalic also enjoyed interacting with the media on Thursday in the stage where Croatia plays its biggest game of all time, Sunday. The very ambitious coach took advantage of his moment to highlight his references.
"Nothing has ever been given on a plate, unlike some managers in Europe who can be given positions to manage a big club because of their names of players. Dalic said.
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More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup
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Rob Harris is at https: / /twitter.com/RobHarris and https: //facebook.com/RobHarrisReports
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