Is this the most decorated coaching group of Euro 2024? Croatia’s staff include a Champions League winner, Bayern Munich cult hero and ex-Tottenham stalwart with more than 100 top flight games

In the quest to emerge victorious at Euro 2024, teams are calling on some of their country’s best footballing minds in a bid to lead them to victory.

A number of legendary ex-professionals are set to serve as head coaches in the tournament, including France’s 1998 World Cup hero Didier Deschamps and two-time Champions League winner Ronald Koeman.

However, when it comes to a combined staff, perhaps no nation has a coaches quite as accomplished as that of Croatia.

While their manager, Zlatko Dalic, had a solid, if unremarkable playing career appearing for the likes of Varteks and Hajduk Split in the country, his assistants more than make up for his lack of top-level experience as a player.

One of Dalic’s three assistants in Germany is former Bayern Munich star and two-time Croatian footballer of the year Ivica Olic. 

Former Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic (right) will serve as one of Dalic’s assistants for the national team

Dalic will also be able to rely on the vast experience of Mario Mandzukic (left) and Vedran Corluka (right) in Germany

After emerging as a dangerous forward in his native country, Olic enjoyed a stint at Spartak Moscow before becoming a Bundesliga stalwart, making more than 200 appearances in the German top flight Bayern, Hamburger and Wolfsburg.

Olic is joined in Dalic’s technical staff by Vedran Corluka, who spent five years in the Premier League with Manchester City and Tottenham.

After leaving North London, Corluka would spent nearly a decade in the Russian Premier League with Lokomotiv Moscow, and was part of Dalic’s side that reached the World Cup final in 2018 before hanging up his boots in 2021.

The final notable name to feature as part of Dalic’s illustrious assistants is that of Mario Mandzukic. 

Arguably the owner of the most distinguished career of the trio, Mandzukic featured for a number of Europe’s top clubs whilst becoming his country’s second-highest goalscorer at international level behind only the great Davor Suker.

Mandzukic was twice part of a Bundesliga-winning side during his time at Bayern Munich and enshrined himself permanently in the club’s folklore with a goal in their 2013 Champions League final triumph at Wembley.

After leaving Die Roten, the prolific striker would spent a year at Atletico Madrid before going on to win Serie A four times during a glittering spell at Juventus.