Zlatko Kranjcar lands Croatia job

An underrated coach intent on proving his worth

Ozren Podnar reports...

Zlatko "Cico" Kranjcar is an unlikely successor to the veteran Otto Baric at the helm of the Croatian national team. Unlikely not because of his lack of results or experience, but rather due to his image of a soft, sociable, good-humoured coach incapable of projecting real authority onto his footballers.

The very election for national team coach was marred by controversy. FA chairman Vlatko Markovic supported by the best part of the relevant sporting press lobbied for the Slovene Srecko Katanec, the creator of the "Slovenian miracle" between 1998-2002. Incredibly, part of the media and the domestic coaching community started a smear campaign against Katanec, calling him "authoritarian" and more importantly – "a Slovene" (!).
"We don't need a foreigner, what's wrong with Croatian coaches," was a unanimous war cry of "patriots" from the domestic football scene.

Not even the fact that Katanec is a 100% ethnic Croat born of Croatian parents in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana appeased the spirits and the Slovene pulled out of the race on the eve of the voting in the FA assembly.

As former selector Miroslav Blazevic was vetoed by chairman Markovic himself, Kranjcar remained the only candidate and was named coach to the dismay of some sceptics who do not consider him up to the job.

The 47-year-old father of Niko Kranjcar, the hottest young player in the Croatian League, defends the FA's choice by reminding his critics of his great achievements as a player and as a coach at club level.

"It is hard for me to understand why some people do not recognize my worth. I had an impeccable playing career, and then I coached Dinamo Zagreb to two League-and-Cup doubles and NK Zagreb to their only League title in their 100-year history. "

"The appointment to the national team has been yet another recognition for my work, and shows what the responsible people in the FA think of my abilities."

Soft? Just civilized!

Asked about his alleged "softness" with players, he said that the rumours of his players' lack of respect for him were all wrong.
"If I didn't have any authority over them, I would not have won five trophies. I do wield authority, but not based on an iron hand, but on the mastery of the trade. My players have always obeyed me and I have never had any problems with maintaining discipline. On the other hand, if I come off as a gentleman off the field, it is a different matter. I cannot help being polite and forthcoming with the press and fans, that's who I am."

Kranjcar believes his civilized manners with players are partly accountable for his coaching results.
"Players are welcome to voice their comments either during the preparations for a game, or when we analyze what we did in a game. But, the last word is always mine, make no mistake."

The new Croatia coach boasts several amazing coaching facts which could earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Indeed he won the League three times, but on two occasions he was immediately sacked, and once he kept his job for just three months of the following season.

"It could be that some people underrate my results because I always left in the wake of those achievements. But what do they think? That somebody else managed the teams that won those trophies?" winks Kranjcar senior.

As for Kranjcar junior, who turned 20 on the day of the opening of the Olympic games in Athens, he will finally get his chance as a full international – under his father's command.

No privileges for Kranjcar jr

"Niko wil not have any privileges over his teammates whatsoever. For me, he is just another player on the team," promises the new coach, somewhat irritated by comments that it would be during his tenure that Niko would earn his first cap (probably against Israel on August 18th in Varazdin).

"Croatian public opinion is calling for him. Indeed he should have been at Euro 2004 in Portugal judging on his play last season. He is a good choice for the playmaker, behind two strikers," says Kranjcar, who has pledged to reintroduce the attacking style characteristic of Blazevic's side during the nineties. His preferred tactical scheme is 1-2-4-1-2 – "three man defence with a libero, probably Robert Kovac, behind two stoppers, two central holding midfielders, two wide midfielders operating back and forth, one creative midfielder, and two strikers."

While upfront (Prso, Olic, Klasnic, Balaban, Sokota) or in the defence (Robert Kovac, Tudor, Simic, Simunic, Tomas) Kranjcar has plenty of good options, midfield will be a sore spot yet again, as ever, since the demise of Boban, Prosinecki and Asanovic.

Kranjcar's first competitive match will be the Group 8 World Cup qualifier against Lothar Matthaus's Hungary in Zagreb in on September 4th, followed by a nasty trip to Sweden a few days later. A tough, evenly balanced group that also includes Bulgaria, Iceland and Malta offers both the prospect of direct qualification, and also that of fourth place.

A failure to qualify for a World Cup "next door" in friendly Germany where about 600.000 Croats live and work would be a major footballing disaster, and a cruel end to all speculations whether Kranjcar is a good coach, or a coaching amateur.

Ozren Podnar

Zlatko KRANJCAR Factfile

A solid, muscular centerforward in the mould of Jean-Pierre Papin, Kranjcar (pronounced CRUNCH-ar) could also fill in the role of a supporting striker or an offensive midfielder. Kranjcar made his debut before his 17th birthday in Dinamo Zagreb's senior squad, was one of the most popular Yugoslav players of the era and gave his image to Dinamo's mascot doll. Known by the nickname of Cico (pronounced TSEE-tsoh, not "psycho").

Scored in two Dinamo's Yugoslav Cup-winning finals, starred in the championship-winning team of 1981/82, but never really made it in the national team playing sporadically over a six-year span. After scoring 99 League goals for the Croatians, went on to shine in Rapid Vienna alongside Hansi Krankl and Antonin Panenka, adding 115 league goals and eight different trophies to his tally. Was a starter in the 1985 Cup Winners' Cup finals against Everton in Rotterdam.

Birth date: 15th November 1956
Birth place: Zagreb (CRO)
Playing career:
1973-83 Dinamo Zagreb
1984-90 Rapid Vienna
1990/91 St. Polten
1977-83 Yugoslavia 11 aps, 3 goals
1990 Croatia 2 aps, 0 goals
Playing honours:
1 Yugoslav League (1982)
2 Yugoslav Cups (1980 and 1983)
2 Austrian League Championships (1987 and 1988)
3 Austrian Cups (1984, 1985 and 1987)
3 Austrian Super-Cups (1984, 1986 and 1987)
1 Cup Winners' Cup finals (1985)
Coaching career:
1993/94 Segesta
1994/95 Segesta
1995/96 Dinamo Zagreb
1996/97 Linz (AUT)
1997 Slaven Belupo
1997/98 Samobor
1998/99 Dinamo Zagreb
1999/00 Al Massry (EGY)
2000/01 Mura (SLO)
2001 Marsonia
2001/02 NK Zagreb
2002/03 Rijeka
2003/04 NK Zagreb
2004-? Croatia
Coaching honours:
3 Croatian Leagues (1996 and 1998 with Dinamo, 2002 with Zagreb)
2 Croatian Cups (1996 and 1998 with Dinamo)

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