MOSCOW: Not only did Zlatko Dalic take Croatia all the way to the World Cup final but he also proved that a route to top-level coaching can start in the Middle East, that is according to Khalin Ghadin of the Saudi Pro League.
Dalic was little known when he took charge of the Croatia team in October last year, replacing Ante Cacic who was axed on the eve of their final World Cup qualification match.
In Russia the former midfielder took his team, from a country of just over four million, to their first World Cup final, losing out 4-2 to France having beaten Argentina in the group, then Denmark, the hosts and then England in the knockout stages. While the run ensured that the 51-year-old made a global name for himself, he was already well-known in the Arab world.
Dalic arrived in Saudi Arabia as a little-known coach in 2010, first heading to Al-Faisaly and then Al-Hilal. After his spell with the Riyadh giants, he then took over at Al-Ain in 2014 where he won the United Arab Emirates league title. In November 2016, the Bosnian-born boss led the club to the final of the 2016 AFC Champions League, losing out narrowly to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea.
For Ghadin that illustrates that there is another route to reaching the top of the coaching tree. Traditionally, big clubs in the region have looked, when searching for overseas tacticians, for candidates with significant European experience.
“Most Saudi fans here are happy with what Zlatko achieved in the World Cup. It is incredible,” Saudi Pro League official Ghadin said.
“Many coaches start in Europe or South America then come to the Middle East with a great career behind them. What happened with Zlatko is the opposite. He started in the Middle East and then he left to Europe. So this is an interesting point for Saudi Arabian media and fans.”
It remains to be seen with the new season approaching whether clubs in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and elsewhere follow the “Dalic way” and look for unknown, hungry coaches with potential. It could be a turning point for the region.
“What happened with Zlatko means that many coaches now can start in the Middle East or come
in the middle of their career,” Ghadin said. “It means that coaches do not have to be afraid to come here and think that they will not be able to go back to Europe or South America.”
The Croatia boss returned to his home country on Monday to be given a hero’s welcome as thousands packed into Zagreb’s Bana Jelacica Square to celebrate the side’s remarkable march to the final. He was able to reflect on how his time in the Middle East helped his footballing and coaching education.
“It is great that there has been such support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” Dalic told Arab News.
“I have happy memories of my time there, they love their football and there is passion and a lot of talent too.”
Despite not having the European experience that many of his coaching counterparts in Russia have enjoyed, the time spent in region prepared Dalic to take a team all the way to the biggest game in world football.
“It is a very good place to grow as a coach and it was a very good learning experience,” Dalic said. “There is big pressure on a coach every week in Saudi Arabia and in the UAE too. You are always judged on your last game and you have to produce results. If you don’t get the results then you are out. You know what you have to do and it keeps you focused.”
He added that the change in culture can also be valuable.
“You are going far from home and the way of doing things is different in football and in life. Whatever happens on the pitch, you grow as a person.”
If Dalic chooses to leave his current post then he is sure to have numerous offers elsewhere after his exploits this summer. Wherever he goes, there will always be an appreciation for the Middle East and he has no hesitation in recommending that others follow his path.
“Football is not just about Europe and there are opportunities everywhere,” Dalic said.
“I would not change my coaching career and have no regrets.”
Zlatko Dalic and Croatia’s World Cup success proves path to glory can start in the Middle East
Zlatko Dalic and Croatia’s World Cup success proves path to glory can start in the Middle East
- Dalic's success in Russia could pave way for more unknown, hungry managers to coach in the region
- Croatian's time at Al-Hilal and Al-Ain crucial in his education and development as a coach
Top Pakistan medical official resigns for mishandling fast bowler’s elbow injury
- Dr. Sohail Saleem was the director of the Pakistan Cricket Board medical and sports sciences
- Medical committee said Saleem recommended an “inappropriate surgeon” to handle Ihsanullah’s injury
ISLAMABAD: A top medical official with the Pakistan Cricket Board resigned on Thursday after an independent investigation reported fast bowler Ihsanullah’s elbow injury was badly handled.
Dr. Sohail Saleem was the director of the PCB medical and sports sciences.
A three-member medical committee said in its report that Saleem recommended an “inappropriate surgeon, lacking the academics and experience in the field” to look after Ihsanullah’s injury.
Ihsanullah’s right elbow was hurt during the white-ball home series against New Zealand in April last year. The PCB initially believed Ihsanullah’s injury was not severe but the fast bowler was sidelined for almost a year.
The committee said Ihsanullah’s elbow pain was not addressed, treated and operated on appropriately, and there was also delay in reaching the clinical diagnoses.
“He (Ihsanullah) did not receive a formal rehabilitation process as required by his condition,” the committee said. “His surgery was planned hurriedly without any specialist review and preoperative assessment.”
The committee also highlighted “inappropriate prescription of treatment, as well as non-compliance by the fast bowler with the prescribed rehabilitation plan.”
Last month, Ihsanullah was sent to the UK where he met with an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports injuries.
The committee has recommended Ihsanullah should continue with aggressive physiotherapy and “surgery may be the last option if he does not recover in six-12 months.”
Ihsanullah has played four Twenty20s and one one-day international, all last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister describes Saudi Arabia as ‘safest place on earth’
- Katia Aviero posts message on Instagram in which she says of the Kingdom: ‘If there is a safe place to walk alone, it is here’
- Aviero, who joined her brother’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, to watch him play in the King’s Cup semifinal on Wednesday adds: ‘Nobody disrespects you here and there are no thefts’
RIYADH: While Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo was busy scoring a brace on Wednesday in a 3-1 victory over Al-Khaleej that earned his team a place in the King’s Cup final, his sister was praising Saudi Arabia and describing it as the “safest place on earth.”
Asked whether it was safe to walk alone in the Kingdom, Katia Aviero posted a message on Instagram in Portuguese in which she said of the Kingdom: “If there is a safe place to walk alone, it is here.”
She said: “Saudi Arabia is one of the best in the world in terms of safety. You can leave your phone on the table and go and come back without anything happening.”
She added that “nobody disrespects you here and there are no thefts,” and she feels secure at all times.
A Saudi sports website quoted Aviero as saying: “You can also leave your keys and wallet in the car.”
She also posted a photo of herself with Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, and another women watching the game on Wednesday from a VIP lounge at Al-Awwal Park stadium. She added a note, saying: “We came to give good luck for our king (Cristiano).”
Aviero, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Instagram, also added several posts to her Instagram Story on Wednesday featuring videos of Riyadh streets filmed from inside a car.
Ronaldo scored the first and third goals for Al-Nassr on Wednesday night, with Sadio Mane netting the second from the penalty spot.
The Portuguese star celebrated the semifinal victory with brief message on social media platform X in which he wrote: “The King’s Cup … let’s go.”
Al-Nassr will face fierce rivals Al-Hilal in the final on May 31.
Soccer jersey dispute between Algeria and Morocco clubs over Western Sahara goes to sports court
- The court said Thursday the two sides “are currently exchanging written submissions”
- The dispute already affected the teams’ semifinal of the CAF Confederation Cup
GENEVA: A soccer politics dispute between Algeria and Morocco over a map of disputed Western Sahara territory on a team jersey will go to a full appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The court said Thursday the two sides “are currently exchanging written submissions” and set no timetable for appointing a panel of judges and setting a date for a hearing.
The Algerian soccer federation and the USM Alger club from Algiers are challenging a decision by the Confederation of African Football to let Moroccan club RS Berkane wear a team jersey that includes disputed territory on a map of Morocco.
The dispute already affected the teams’ semifinal of the CAF Confederation Cup, in which USM Alger are the defending champion. Neither semifinal game scheduled on April 21 and 28 was played and both were awarded by CAF as 3-0 wins to Berkane.
Berkane are scheduled to play the two-leg final on May 12 and 19 — against Zamalek of Egypt — and the court did not indicate Thursday if the Algerian appeal will be judged before those games.
Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony annexed by Morocco in 1975. The United Nations brokered a ceasefire between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria, that held until four years ago.
Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021.
The laws of soccer state that “equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.”
Berkane arrived for the April 21 game in Algiers and had their team uniforms seized at the airport by Algerian authorities.
CAF refused an Algerian request to prohibit the shirts and, after Berkane refused to wear replacement shirts provided by USM Alger, the game did not go ahead.
CAF ruled the Algerian club were in breach of competition rules and Berkane were awarded a 3-0 win by default.
An urgent appeal by the Algerians to suspend CAF’s ruling on the shirt was denied last week by the sports court in Lausanne, Switzerland.
On April 28, USM Alger went to Berkane’s stadium for the second leg but refused to play if the hosts wore the jerseys with the map. CAF awarded a second default win to Berkane.
The full appeal in the case has now been brought against CAF, the Moroccan soccer federation and Berkane. One of the African soccer body’s most influential officials, FIFA Council member Fouzi Lekjaa, is president of the Moroccan federation and a former president of the Berkane club.
Saudi Smash 2024 draw held in Jeddah
- Ceremony signals start of weeklong table tennis competition
- ‘It is wonderful to be here in Saudi Arabia,’ Egyptian Omar Assar says
JEDDAH: The draw for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Saudi Smash 2024 took place on Thursday.
The draws for the men’s and women’s singles, each of which has 64 players, and the doubles categories, with 24 pairs in each, were held at the Infinity Arena, Sports Hall King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
The tournament, which opens on Saturday and runs through May 11, is part of the WTT Grand Smash series.
Among the notable names in the draw were the men’s and women’s world No. 1s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha of China, Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi and Egpyt’s Omar Assar.
Assar, who made history by becoming the first Egyptian player to reach the quarterfinals of a World Championship, said: “It is wonderful to be here in Saudi Arabia and looking forward to being part of this eagerly awaited tournament.”
Wang said: “It is really a tough competition but I am ready to compete until the end.”
The competition’s total prize pool of $2 million is the highest ever for an officially sanctioned event.
Other top players taking part include Felix Lebrun of France, Shin Yubin of South Korea, Hana Goda of Egypt and Dang Qiu of Germany.
Largest ever refugee team to compete at Paris Olympics-IOC
- The athletes, from countries including Syria, Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan, will compete across 12 sports in Paris
- IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world“
LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday unveiled its largest refugee Olympic team to date for the Paris 2024 Games, with 36 athletes from 11 different countries.
The athletes, from countries including Syria, Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan, will compete across 12 sports in Paris, the third time such a team has formed for the Summer Olympics.
“With your participation in the Olympic Games, you will demonstrate the human potential of resilience and excellence,” IOC President Thomas Bach said during the team’s announcement.
“This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.”
For the first time, the team will compete under its own emblem.
The IOC unveiled its first refugee team for the Rio 2016 Olympics with 10 athletes to raise awareness of the issue as hundreds of thousands of people were pouring into Europe from the Middle East and elsewhere escaping conflict and poverty.
The team that competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was already almost three times as big as the inaugural team at the Rio Games, with a total of 29 athletes competing in 12 sports.
The Paris Olympics refugee team announcement comes shortly after Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, who ran as a refugee athlete in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.
