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'Ainnawi' masterminds Argentina's downfall
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic during the press conference.
Dubai - Croatia coach Dalic was the manager of Arabian Gulf League club Al Ain for three seasons
The man who masterminded the famous 3-0 win for the Croatians, Argentina's heaviest defeat in the first-round group stages of a World Cup since losing 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958, was an 'Ainnawi' not so long ago.
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic was the manager of Arabian Gulf League club Al Ain for three seasons and it was a trophy-laden spell from 2014 to 2017 during which he won the Arabian Gulf League, the Arabian Gulf Super Cup, President's Cup and a runner-up finish in the AFC Champions League.
Dalic was instrumental in making Al Ain a cracking outfit it is today and who have come to be known as 'The Boss.'
The 51-year-old brought the best out of the likes of Omar Abdulrahman, Ismail Ahmed, Mohannad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ahmed Barman and many others during his time in the Garden City. He mixed an attacking brand of football with a sturdy defence, which came to be feared and became the envy of their opponents in the UAE top flight.
And it is a similar playbook which Dalic employed since answering his country's call last October. Croatia were precariously placed in World Cup qualifying, a 1-1 draw seeing Ante Cacic being axed. Dalic took charge and oversaw a 2-0 win over Ukraine after which The Blazers knocked Greece to punch their ticket to the World Cup.
And at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Thursday night, Dalic plotted a fine display by Croatia, which boasted the likes of captain and Real Madrid star Luka Modric, FC Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic and Juventus' Mario Mandzukic against a shambolic Argentina. It was a workmanlike performance from Croatia with defenders Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Strinic managing to keep none other than Lionel Messi quiet during the game. The fact that Messi had just 20 touches as compared to 51 touches against Iceland, in the first half, speaks volumes of Croatia's stellar backline.
And 'Ainnawis' here would have been proud of their man Dalic.
james@khaleejtimes.com
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