Slaven Bilic
Encyclopedia
Slaven Bilić is a former Croatia
n football
er and current head coach of the Croatia national team
. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany
and England
. At national level, Bilić served as one of Croatia's most consistent defenders, primarily focused around his presence in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
foray.
On 30 April 2008, Bilić agreed to extend his contract for a further two years. The new deal is worth 1.2 million kuna
($340,000) a year and will take the former Croatia defender up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
finals in South Africa
. The National Team coach rankings has long recognised Bilić as the second best national team manager in the world, behind Dunga
of Brazil
.
Being the youngest manager Croatia has ever had, he also became the youngest manager to lead his side to the knockout stages of a major competition. He did this at UEFA Euro 2008.
, whom he joined at the age of nine. He rose through the youth ranks at Hajduk and as part of his football schooling he was loaned out to lower level sides Primorac
and Šibenik
. First he spent a half-season at Primorac in 1988 and then a season and a half at Šibenik, who were at the time one of the top teams in the Yugoslav Second League. Bilić played there as a centre-back and went on to score 7 goals in 33 appearances. Yugoslav regulations allowed for a player to be dually registered (and eligible to play for both clubs) so players would normally play most of the season at smaller clubs where they were loaned to, but were at the same time allowed a maximum of five appearances for the club they were loaned from during a season. Hajduk manager Petar Nadoveza
used this rule and called him up from Šibenik for three matches in the 1988–89 season. He appeared in away games against Vardar
, Radnički Niš and Velež
, where he scored two goals and was named man of the match in all three appearances.
His performances attracted a lot of attention and other clubs of the Yugoslav big four (Dinamo Zagreb, Crvena Zvezda and Partizan
) all expressed interest in bringing him in, but to no effect. He was returned from loan and immediately joined Hajduk's squad for the next season where he quickly established himself as a first-team regular. During the next few years at Hajduk he shared the dressing room with some of the most prominent Hajduk players of that time (such as Ivan Pudar
, Jerko Tipurić
, Branko Karačić
, Nenad Gračan
and Bernard Barnjak
), as well as other promising young players who would later go on to have successful careers (such as Alen Bokšić
, Goran Vučević
, Joško Jeličić
and Robert Jarni
).
in a £750,000 deal in 1993. His performances earned him much praise very early on and he soon became the club's captain (the first ever foreign player to be named club captain in Bundesliga history). After reaching the semi-final of the 1993–94 UEFA Cup with Karlsruhe, he was voted the best centre-back in the Bundesliga. In January 1996 Harry Redknapp
, manager of Premier League side West Ham United
, brought him to the club for a fee of £1.3 million, setting the club's record for highest fee paid for an incoming player.
His form for the Hammers saw him selected for the Croatian national team for the UEFA Euro 1996 held in England. He shone on the international stage as Croatia made their way to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they were beaten by eventual winners Germany
.
His displays in the tournament led to Joe Royle
brokering a £4.5M move to Everton
in March 1997, but Bilić claimed he had a debt of loyalty to West Ham that saw him stay with the club until the end of the season to ensure they were not relegated. He turned out for Everton in August 1997, after assuring himself of new manager Howard Kendall
's full support, he initially brought some class to Toffee's backline but his season was marred by bookings that saw him miss several games through suspension.
It looked like his Everton career was over but he went into the 1998 FIFA World Cup
with Croatia and the team were the surprise package of the tournament, reaching the semi-finals, where they were beaten by hosts France
. Croatia finished in third place after winning the playoff game.
Bilić was involved in controversy during the tournament for the role he played in the dismissal of Laurent Blanc
in the semi-final with France. With Croatia behind, a free kick was awarded which saw Slaven marking the French defender. Bilić held Blanc and to free himself, Blanc pushed Bilić, making contact with his chin and chest. Bilić fell to the ground clutching his forehead. Bilić later admitted that he was acting, and went down only after encouragement from teammate Igor Štimac
. Blanc was sent off and missed the World Cup final through suspension. Bilić did not apologize but did say, "I swear if I could change that so [Blanc] could play in the final, I would."
After his exertions in the World Cup, Bilić revealed a nagging groin strain that required rest and treatment, which he took back home in Croatia. After missing the first quarter of the season, Bilić was left wondering if he would get back into the Everton side managed by Walter Smith
. He did so and showed some good form but could never fully establish himself due to injuries and suspensions.
Everton decided to cut their losses on Bilić in July 1999, leaving him free to choose a new club but unwanted in England. He continued to play only for Croatia on a £27,000-a-week contract with Everton, while living in Zagreb
. The club eventually agreed to give Bilić a million-pound payoff, representing around half of the balance remaining on his lucrative contract which still had 28 months to run. Just two days later, Bilić signed up with his home club Hajduk Split where he briefly played until retiring.
and Marcello Lippi
.
Slaven Bilić, together with Aljoša Asanović
, managed the Croatian U-21 team
for two years during the qualification rounds for the U-21 European championship of 2006. Their team went through the group stage but lost in playoff to Serbia and Montenegro.
after the unsuccessful 2006 World Cup
. His assistants included former teammates Aljoša Asanović
, Robert Prosinečki
, Nikola Jurčević
, and Marijan Mrmić
. One of his first actions in charge of the squad for Slaven Bilić was the promotion of three players from the U-21 squad, who were Eduardo da Silva
, Luka Modrić
, and Vedran Ćorluka
, who would all eventually enjoy impressive success and make transfers to the Barclays Premier League. The team's first official game under Bilić was the 2–0 friendly win in Livorno
against Italy
, while Bilić's first competitive game was the 0–0 draw in Moscow
against Russia
in the opener for their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Many criticized this result due to Bilić's suspension of Dario Srna, Ivica Olić
and Boško Balaban
who were caught skipping training and therefore temporarily cut from the squad.
Further in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, he led Croatia to a very successful campaign in a group consisting of England
, Russia
, Israel
, Macedonia, Estonia
, and Andorra
. Bilić managed to lead Croatia to a first place finish in Group E, most notably masterminding home and away victories against England, who consequently didn't qualify and sacked their then-manager Steve McClaren
. It became England's first ever loss at the new Wembley Stadium
. Croatia also managed to equal their highest ever win record as they beat Andorra 7–0.
At the Euro 2008 tournament itself, where he was the youngest coach, Slaven and the rest of his squad had to participate with a "handicap" as they were without their star striker Eduardo
, who sustained a serious injury a few months earlier. Nonetheless, Bilić led his side to an outstanding achievement as they won all three group stage games of the competition, taking maximum points in the group for the first time in their history, which included an impressive 2–1 victory over eventual finalists Germany. Even his sides second string reserve side was seen to be too strong for their final group opponents Poland
, who they beat 1–0 due to an Ivan Klasnić
goal.
Croatia soon became labeled as favorites for the tournament, but they would soon suffer an exit in the quarter finals against Turkey
. Though he admitted that the defeat would haunt him and his squad for the rest of their lives, and having revealed thoughts of possible resignation, he eventually pledged to stay on with Croatia and stated that they would return bigger and stronger after the alarming defeat.
Croatia started their qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa as one of the favourites to qualify from Group 6
after a promising show at Euro 2008. Their group contained England, Ukraine
, Belarus
, Kazakhstan
, and Andorra. Croatia failed to qualify after finishing third, but Bilić has decided to stay with the team for at least two more years.
Known to be a big fan of music, Bilić relates his teams motivation to such, often encouraging them to listen to inspiring music before and after games. He went on to state "I cannot do my job without music, I need it to relax".
, Bilić is fluent in German
, Italian
, and English
, while he also holds a degree
in law
. As big fan of rock music
, he plays rhythm guitar with his favored red Gibson Explorer
and is a member of Rawbau, a Croatian rock group. In 2008, the band recorded a song for Croatia's performance at Euro 2008 called "Vatreno Ludilo" ("Fiery Madness"), which soon became a #1 hit.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er and current head coach of the Croatia national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. At national level, Bilić served as one of Croatia's most consistent defenders, primarily focused around his presence in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
foray.
On 30 April 2008, Bilić agreed to extend his contract for a further two years. The new deal is worth 1.2 million kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
($340,000) a year and will take the former Croatia defender up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
finals in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The National Team coach rankings has long recognised Bilić as the second best national team manager in the world, behind Dunga
Dunga
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri , commonly known as Dunga , is a former Brazilian football defensive midfielder and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Being the youngest manager Croatia has ever had, he also became the youngest manager to lead his side to the knockout stages of a major competition. He did this at UEFA Euro 2008.
Early years
Bilić began his career at his hometown club Hajduk SplitHNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
, whom he joined at the age of nine. He rose through the youth ranks at Hajduk and as part of his football schooling he was loaned out to lower level sides Primorac
NK Primorac 1929
NK Primorac 1929, commonly referred to as Primorac Stobreč, is a Croatian football club based in the small coastal town of Stobreč near the city of Split in central Dalmatia. They are members of the 3...
and Šibenik
HNK Šibenik
HNK Šibenik is a Croatian football club based in the city of Šibenik on the Croatian coast.The club was formed in 1932. In 2006 the club finished first in the Croatian Second League's southern division and was promoted to the Prva HNL...
. First he spent a half-season at Primorac in 1988 and then a season and a half at Šibenik, who were at the time one of the top teams in the Yugoslav Second League. Bilić played there as a centre-back and went on to score 7 goals in 33 appearances. Yugoslav regulations allowed for a player to be dually registered (and eligible to play for both clubs) so players would normally play most of the season at smaller clubs where they were loaned to, but were at the same time allowed a maximum of five appearances for the club they were loaned from during a season. Hajduk manager Petar Nadoveza
Petar Nadoveza
Petar Nadoveza is a Croatian former football player and manager. He was capped once for Yugoslavia.-External links:*...
used this rule and called him up from Šibenik for three matches in the 1988–89 season. He appeared in away games against Vardar
FK Vardar
FK Vardar Skopje is a Macedonian football club based in the capital city of Skopje. FK Vardar is currently a member of the 1-MFL. FK Vardar is the most popular and renowned Macedonian football club both domestically and abroad, having won 6 national championships and 6 national cups...
, Radnički Niš and Velež
FK Velež Mostar
FK Velež , successor of RŠD Velež, is a football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the city of Mostar, founded on June 22, 1922....
, where he scored two goals and was named man of the match in all three appearances.
His performances attracted a lot of attention and other clubs of the Yugoslav big four (Dinamo Zagreb, Crvena Zvezda and Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
) all expressed interest in bringing him in, but to no effect. He was returned from loan and immediately joined Hajduk's squad for the next season where he quickly established himself as a first-team regular. During the next few years at Hajduk he shared the dressing room with some of the most prominent Hajduk players of that time (such as Ivan Pudar
Ivan Pudar
Ivan Pudar is a former Croatian football goalkeeper.During his club career he played for Hajduk Split, Spartak Subotica and Boavista F.C....
, Jerko Tipurić
Jerko Tipuric
Jerko Tipurić is a Croatian former football defender and football manager. He also has Belgian nationality since 1998. He is known as a somewhat eccentric person. For example, he taught his players in which angle they had to look when they were dribbling the ball and he let his players wear...
, Branko Karačić
Branko Karacic
Branko Karačić is a Croatian retired footballer and football manager.Karačić turned professional in 1981 and spent the following six years with NK Osijek, where he appeared in a total of 300 matches for the club...
, Nenad Gračan
Nenad Gracan
Nenad Gračan is a retired Croatian footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current coach.-Club career:...
and Bernard Barnjak
Bernard Barnjak
Bernard Barnjak is a retired Bosnian footballer who played as a centre forward.-Club career:Barnjak played for FK Sarajevo and Hajduk Split in the Yugoslav First League. In 1990, he moved abroad for the first time, joining CD Castellón in La Liga...
), as well as other promising young players who would later go on to have successful careers (such as Alen Bokšić
Alen Bokšic
Alen Bokšić is a former football attacker from Croatia. He was a renowned forward known for his technique.-Career:Bokšić was born in Makarska and started his career in the club Zmaj from Makarska. As a young player he moved to Hajduk Split and was introduced into the first team . With Hajduk, he...
, Goran Vučević
Goran Vucevic
Goran Vučević is a retired Croatian footballer who played as a central midfielder.-Football career:Born in Split, Vučević started his career at local HNK Hajduk, where he became a key player at only 18, eventually winning the 1992 Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award, issued to the best footballer...
, Joško Jeličić
Joško Jelicic
Joško Jeličić is a retired Croatian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had spells with Pohang Steelers in South Korea, NK Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla FC and Hajduk Split.- References :* at National football teams *...
and Robert Jarni
Robert Jarni
Robert Jarni is a retired Croatian footballer who played as left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010....
).
Moving abroad
After having spent six seasons with Hajduk, Bilić moved abroad to the Bundesliga side Karlsruher SCKarlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
in a £750,000 deal in 1993. His performances earned him much praise very early on and he soon became the club's captain (the first ever foreign player to be named club captain in Bundesliga history). After reaching the semi-final of the 1993–94 UEFA Cup with Karlsruhe, he was voted the best centre-back in the Bundesliga. In January 1996 Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
, manager of Premier League side West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, brought him to the club for a fee of £1.3 million, setting the club's record for highest fee paid for an incoming player.
His form for the Hammers saw him selected for the Croatian national team for the UEFA Euro 1996 held in England. He shone on the international stage as Croatia made their way to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they were beaten by eventual winners Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
His displays in the tournament led to Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
brokering a £4.5M move to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in March 1997, but Bilić claimed he had a debt of loyalty to West Ham that saw him stay with the club until the end of the season to ensure they were not relegated. He turned out for Everton in August 1997, after assuring himself of new manager Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
's full support, he initially brought some class to Toffee's backline but his season was marred by bookings that saw him miss several games through suspension.
It looked like his Everton career was over but he went into the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
with Croatia and the team were the surprise package of the tournament, reaching the semi-finals, where they were beaten by hosts France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Croatia finished in third place after winning the playoff game.
Bilić was involved in controversy during the tournament for the role he played in the dismissal of Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
in the semi-final with France. With Croatia behind, a free kick was awarded which saw Slaven marking the French defender. Bilić held Blanc and to free himself, Blanc pushed Bilić, making contact with his chin and chest. Bilić fell to the ground clutching his forehead. Bilić later admitted that he was acting, and went down only after encouragement from teammate Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac is a retired Croatian football player. He is now a football agent and a manager...
. Blanc was sent off and missed the World Cup final through suspension. Bilić did not apologize but did say, "I swear if I could change that so [Blanc] could play in the final, I would."
After his exertions in the World Cup, Bilić revealed a nagging groin strain that required rest and treatment, which he took back home in Croatia. After missing the first quarter of the season, Bilić was left wondering if he would get back into the Everton side managed by Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
. He did so and showed some good form but could never fully establish himself due to injuries and suspensions.
Everton decided to cut their losses on Bilić in July 1999, leaving him free to choose a new club but unwanted in England. He continued to play only for Croatia on a £27,000-a-week contract with Everton, while living in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. The club eventually agreed to give Bilić a million-pound payoff, representing around half of the balance remaining on his lucrative contract which still had 28 months to run. Just two days later, Bilić signed up with his home club Hajduk Split where he briefly played until retiring.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | 8 October 1996 | Renato Dall'Ara Stadio Renato Dall'Ara Stadio Renato Dall'Ara is a multi-purpose stadium in Bologna, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and the home of Bologna F.C. 1909. The stadium was built in 1927 and holds 38,279... , Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,... |
World Cup 1998 Qualifying 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification -Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:... |
|||
| 02. | 6 September 1997 | Maksimir, Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... |
World Cup 1998 Qualifying 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification -Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:... |
|||
| 03. | 29 October 1997 | Maksimir, Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... |
World Cup 1998 Qualifying 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification -Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:... |
Hajduk Split
- Yugoslav CupYugoslav CupThe Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
: 1991Yugoslav Cup 1990–91The Cup of Yugoslavia 1990-91 was the second last season of SFR Yugoslavia's football knockout competition. It was the last season that the cup was also known as the Marshal Tito Cup. It was also the last season in which Croatian and Slovenian teams participated, as the two countries seceded from... - Croatian First League: 1992
- Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
: 1992, 2000
Early days
As a shareholder in his hometown club, Hajduk Split, he temporarily agreed to manage them until the club found a replacement manager. Having admitted that the adrenaline inspired him, he reportedly received guidance after traveling Europe and visiting Arsène WengerArsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
and Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
.
Slaven Bilić, together with Aljoša Asanović
Aljoša Asanovic
Aljoša Asanović is a retired Croatian soccer player best known from his performances in the mid-to-late 90's when he played for Derby County and for Croatia during Euro 96 and World Cup 98...
, managed the Croatian U-21 team
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
for two years during the qualification rounds for the U-21 European championship of 2006. Their team went through the group stage but lost in playoff to Serbia and Montenegro.
Croatia
Bilić was appointed head coach of the main national team on 25 July 2006, succeeding Zlatko KranjčarZlatko Kranjcar
Zlatko "Cico" Kranjcar is a Croatian football manager and former striker. He is the currently head coach of Sepahan in Iran Pro League.-Club career:...
after the unsuccessful 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. His assistants included former teammates Aljoša Asanović
Aljoša Asanovic
Aljoša Asanović is a retired Croatian soccer player best known from his performances in the mid-to-late 90's when he played for Derby County and for Croatia during Euro 96 and World Cup 98...
, Robert Prosinečki
Robert Prosinecki
Robert Prosinečki is a Croatian football manager and former football midfielder. Prosinečki is regarded by many as the player with best technique that ever played in and for Croatia. Former national squad teammate Zvonimir Boban, humbly, also agreed with this. His dribbling is considered...
, Nikola Jurčević
Nikola Jurcevic
Nikola Jurčević is a retired Croatian football player who is now a coach.He played for clubs Dinamo Zagreb , in Belgium with R. Antwerp F.C. , NK Zagreb , in Austria with SV Austria Salzburg , and in German Bundesliga with SC Freiburg...
, and Marijan Mrmić
Marijan Mrmic
Marijan Mrmić is a retired Croatian football goalkeeper who is now a coach. He is currently the goalkeeping coach for both NK Varaždin and the Croatian national football team.-Club career:...
. One of his first actions in charge of the squad for Slaven Bilić was the promotion of three players from the U-21 squad, who were Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo Alves da Silva , commonly known as Eduardo, sometimes nicknamed as Dudu, is a Brazilian-born Croatian footballer who plays for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk and the Croatia national team...
, Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
, and Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Corluka
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a defender. He is also a part of the Croatia national team...
, who would all eventually enjoy impressive success and make transfers to the Barclays Premier League. The team's first official game under Bilić was the 2–0 friendly win in Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, while Bilić's first competitive game was the 0–0 draw in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
in the opener for their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Many criticized this result due to Bilić's suspension of Dario Srna, Ivica Olić
Ivica Olic
Ivica Olić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany and internationally for the Croatian national team.- Early career :Olić was born and raised in the village of Davor near Nova Gradiška, Croatia, Yugoslavia...
and Boško Balaban
Boško Balaban
Boško Balaban is a Croatian footballer who currently plays for Panionios in the Super League Greece as a striker. He is a former member of the Croatia national team.-Early career:...
who were caught skipping training and therefore temporarily cut from the squad.
Further in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, he led Croatia to a very successful campaign in a group consisting of England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
, Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
, Macedonia, Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
, and Andorra
Andorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
. Bilić managed to lead Croatia to a first place finish in Group E, most notably masterminding home and away victories against England, who consequently didn't qualify and sacked their then-manager Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
. It became England's first ever loss at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. Croatia also managed to equal their highest ever win record as they beat Andorra 7–0.
At the Euro 2008 tournament itself, where he was the youngest coach, Slaven and the rest of his squad had to participate with a "handicap" as they were without their star striker Eduardo
Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo Alves da Silva , commonly known as Eduardo, sometimes nicknamed as Dudu, is a Brazilian-born Croatian footballer who plays for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk and the Croatia national team...
, who sustained a serious injury a few months earlier. Nonetheless, Bilić led his side to an outstanding achievement as they won all three group stage games of the competition, taking maximum points in the group for the first time in their history, which included an impressive 2–1 victory over eventual finalists Germany. Even his sides second string reserve side was seen to be too strong for their final group opponents Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, who they beat 1–0 due to an Ivan Klasnić
Ivan Klasnic
Ivan Klasnić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is a Croatian international. In 2007, Klasnić underwent a kidney transplant, and became the first player to participate in a major tournament after a transplant.-St. Pauli:Klasnić started his...
goal.
Croatia soon became labeled as favorites for the tournament, but they would soon suffer an exit in the quarter finals against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. Though he admitted that the defeat would haunt him and his squad for the rest of their lives, and having revealed thoughts of possible resignation, he eventually pledged to stay on with Croatia and stated that they would return bigger and stronger after the alarming defeat.
Croatia started their qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa as one of the favourites to qualify from Group 6
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 6
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 6 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.The group was won by England, who qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
after a promising show at Euro 2008. Their group contained England, Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
, Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
, and Andorra. Croatia failed to qualify after finishing third, but Bilić has decided to stay with the team for at least two more years.
Managerial statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and... |
21 November 2001 | 4 May 2002 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 64.70 |
| Croatia U21 Croatia national under-21 football team The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team.... |
18 August 2004 | 1 August 2006 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 55.55 |
| Croatia Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
1 August 2006 | Present | 59 | 40 | 13 | 6 | 67.80 |
Management style
Bilić has said in a post tournament interview that he and his players compiled and studied many games of their opponents to become very well prepared for tough matches.Known to be a big fan of music, Bilić relates his teams motivation to such, often encouraging them to listen to inspiring music before and after games. He went on to state "I cannot do my job without music, I need it to relax".
Quotes
- "Wake up! You did not score your two goals because you had two strikers up front, we were simply the better team." (During his post match interview after Croatia beat England 3–2 at Wembley)."
- "Only KakáKakáRicardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
is better than ModrićLuka ModricLuka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
. - "With the greatest respect to women, football is the most beautiful thing in the world."
- "I don't think it is an advantage to play against AustriaAustria national football teamThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
first. I would much rather have played against San MarinoSan Marino national football teamThe San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
first, with the greatest respect to them for not qualifying." - "Look at our qualifying record." (When Croatia's future success was doubted).
Personal life
Along with his native CroatianCroatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, Bilić is fluent in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, while he also holds a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. As big fan of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, he plays rhythm guitar with his favored red Gibson Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
and is a member of Rawbau, a Croatian rock group. In 2008, the band recorded a song for Croatia's performance at Euro 2008 called "Vatreno Ludilo" ("Fiery Madness"), which soon became a #1 hit.
External links
- Slaven Bilić at ToffeeWeb.com