Ante Čačić (; born 29 September 1953) is a Croatian professional

football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...

who was most recently manager of

Croatian Football League The Hrvatska nogometna liga (; ), abbreviated as HNL and also known for sponsorship reasons as the SuperSport HNL, is a professional association football league in Croatia and the highest level of the Croatian football league system. Establish ...

club

Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb (), commonly referred to as simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Cr ...

. Čačić graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education at the

University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb (, ) is a public university, public research university in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest Croatian university and one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Europe. The University of Zagreb and the Unive ...

. He was one of the first ten football coaches in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

to get the

UEFA Pro Licence The UEFA coaching licences are documents testifying credentials of manager (association football), managers/ coach (sport), coaches among members of UEFA. The governing body for association football, football in Europe mandates several licences, e ...

Managerial career

During his career, Čačić successfully achieved promotion to the top division with

Inter Zaprešić Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * Inter Playa del Carmen, a Mexican club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, a Fi ...

and Dubrava. He also managed

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

Slaven Belupo Nogometni klub Slaven Belupo (), often referred to as Slaven Belupo, is a Croatian professional football club based in the city of Koprivnica in the north of Croatia. They play their home matches at Gradski stadion in Koprivnica. They play in ...

Kamen Ingrad NK Kamen Ingrad was a Croatian football club from Velika, a small town near Požega in the northeast of Croatia. The club was dissolved in July 2008 after serious financial problems. History The club was formed as NK Velika in 1929. After Wor ...

Croatia Sesvete NK Croatia Sesvete was a Croatian football club based in the Sesvete district of the City of Zagreb. Previous club names: NK Sljeme (1957–1988), NK Sesvete (1988–1996), NK Badel Sesvete (1996–1997), NK Sesvete (1997–1998). The club was ...

and

Lokomotiva Zagreb Nogometni klub Lokomotiva Zagreb (), commonly known as Lokomotiva Zagreb or simply Lokomotiva, is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. It competes in the Croatian First Football League, the country's top division. Founded in 1 ...

Inter Zaprešić

In the 2002–03 season, Čačić was at the helm of Inter Zaprešić in the south division in

Druga HNL The Prva nogometna liga (), commonly Prva NL or 1. NL, is the second tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was formed in 1991 with the breakup of Yugoslavia and the dissolution of the Yugoslav Second League. The 1. NL is ope ...

. In March 2003, he resigned after losing to the first-placed team

Uljanik Uljanik was a shipbuilding company in Pula, Croatia. History Uljanik was founded in 1856, in the carefully selected bay of Pula as a shipyard of the Austro-Venetian Navy (from 1867 to 1918 Austro-Hungarian Navy). The foundation stone was laid ...

, leaving Inter at the second place in the table and five points behind the leaders. He was replaced with

Ilija Lončarević Ilija Lončarević (born 8 October 1944) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Croatian Second Football League club Kustošija. Managerial career Lončarević led Inker Zaprešić to t ...

, who achieved promotion to Prva HNL.

Libya

When Lončarević was appointed manager of the

Libya national football team The Libya national football team () represents Libya in men's international football and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation. The team has never qualified for FIFA World Cup but has qualified for editions of the Africa Cup of Nations ...

, he named Čačić as his assistant. During his time at Libya, he was chosen to lead their under-20 squad at the

2005 Mediterranean Games The XVth Mediterranean Games Almería 2005 (XV Juegos del Mediterráneo 2005 in Spanish), commonly known as the 2005 Mediterranean Games, were the 15th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Almería, Spain over 10 days, from 24 June to 3 Ju ...

held in Spain. After losing to the hosts in the semi-finals, they won the bronze medal after defeating Morocco in the penalty shoot-out.

Kamen Ingrad

In June 2006, Čačić returned to Croatia and was appointed manager of

, but after only three months he terminated his contract.

Return to Inter Zaprešić

In October 2006, he again took over the helm of Inter Zaprešić after they sacked

Srećko Bogdan Srećko Bogdan (born 5 January 1957) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played a defender. He is now a youth coach in NK Inter Zaprešić. Club career Bogdan was born in Mursko Središće, Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia. He started his ...

. Čačić led Inter to the first place in the 2006–07 Druga HNL and the team was promoted to Prva HNL. After a disappointing start in the following season, he was sacked in August 2007.

Lokomotiva

In October 2011, Čačić was appointed manager of

. They finished in the sixth place at the winter break, undefeated in four games led by Čačić.

Dinamo Zagreb

On 23 December 2011, it was announced that Čačić had signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with

. He was sacked from Dinamo in November 2012.

Radnik Sesvete

Čačić was without assignment until April 2013 when he took over as manager of Radnik Sesvete.

Maribor

Čačić left Radnik Sesvete in early June 2013, when he accepted an offer from Slovenian champions

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

Slaven Belupo

Čačić became manager of

on 4 November 2014 and the club finished sixth in his only season at the helm of the club.

Return to Lokomotiva

Čačić again became manager of Lokomotiva on 3 June 2015 and was with the club for only three months before being selected as head coach of the

Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team () represents Croatia in men's international Association football, football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a member of UEF ...

Croatia

Euro 2016: Qualifying and finals

Following the sacking of

Niko Kovač Niko Kovač (; born 15 October 1971) is a professional Association football, football manager and former player. He is the manager of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. Born and raised in West Germany, Kovač was the long-standing captain of th ...

, which was caused due to a poor run in the Euro 2016 qualifying, Ante Čačić was appointed as head coach of the Croatia national team. His appointment was very controversial and left fans of the national team in shock. Croatia finished second in their qualifying group, securing a place in the group stages of

Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...

in France. Croatia enjoyed a memorable

group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

run, topping their group after beating European champions

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

by a scoreline of 2–1 on 21 June, despite key-player

Luka Modrić Luka Modrić (; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder and Captain (association football), captains both La Liga club Real Madrid and the Croatia national football team, Cro ...

not playing due to injury problems. However, Croatian fans had earlier sparked controversy during a match against the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, which finished 2–2, when

flare A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala, bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illuminatio ...

s were lit at the near end of the match. After beating Spain, Croatia were tipped as one of the favorites to win the tournament, but they were knocked out by future winners

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

in the round of sixteen. Čačić was voted as the 7th Best National Team Coach by the

International Federation of Football History & Statistics The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...

FIFA World Cup 2018: Qualifying and sacking

Čačić took Croatia to a strong start in their qualifying campaign, with Croatia leading their group and remaining undefeated. However, defeats to

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, as well as a draw to

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

threatened their progression and caused a public outcry against Čačić, who was criticized for his poor team selection, decreasing player morale and losing support from players and fans. Čačić was also criticized by former Croatia head coach

Miroslav Blažević Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević (; 9 February 1935 – 8 February 2023) was a Bosnian-Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and Football player, player. A former right winger, his professional ...

. He was sacked on 7 October 2017, with

Zlatko Dalić Zlatko Dalić (; born 26 October 1966) is a Croatian people, Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player. He has been the manager of the Croatia national football ...

being named as his successor.

Pyramids

On 27 December 2019, he was appointed manager of Egyptian club

Pyramids FC Pyramids Football Club ( or ) is an Egyptian professional football club based in New Cairo, Cairo that competes in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest league in the Egyptian football league system. Formed in 2008 as Al Assiouty Sport in Ass ...

. He led his team to reach the 2020 CAF Confederation Cup Final, which they lost 0–1 against

RS Berkane Renaissance Sportive de Berkane () commonly referred to as Nahdat Berkane or RS Berkane for short, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Berkane, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football. Founded on 21 May 1938 a ...

. Later on, Pyramids decided to find a new coach, after they finished third in the

2019–20 Egyptian Premier League The 2019–20 Egyptian Premier League, also known as The WE League for sponsorship purposes, is the 61st season of the Egyptian Premier League, the top Egyptian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948. T ...

Return to Dinamo Zagreb

On 21 April 2022, Čačić became the manager of Dinamo Zagreb by the end of the 2021–22 season, in which he eventually led them to win their 23rd league title. Čačić successfully guided Dinamo back into the Champions League group stages the following season, beating Shkupi,

Ludogorets Professional Football Club Ludogorets 1945 (), commonly known as Ludogorets Razgrad or simply Ludogorets, is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Razgrad, which currently competes in the First Professional Football League, ...

and Bodø/Glimt in the qualification rounds. Dinamo won their opening match in the group stage against Chelsea at the

Maksimir Maksimir () is one of the districts of Zagreb, Croatia, population 48,902 (2011 census). Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named for Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac. The urban center of the Maksimir district is located a ...

, thanks to a goal from

Mislav Oršić Mislav Oršić (; born 29 December 1992) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Cypriot First Division club Pafos and the Croatia national team. Born in Zagreb, Oršić started his senior career at Inter Zapreši ...

. Chelsea boss

Thomas Tuchel Thomas Tuchel (; born 29 August 1973) is a German professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player who is the manager of the England national football team, England national team. Widely regarded as a forward-think ...

was subsequently sacked the following day.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Manager

Dinamo Zagreb *

: 2011–12, 2021–22 *

Croatian Cup Croatian Cup may refer to: *Croatian Football Cup *Croatian Football Super Cup *Croatian Women's Football Cup *Croatian Basketball Cup, also known as Krešimir Ćosić Cup *Croatian Handball Cup *Croatian Water Polo Cup The Croatian Water Polo C ...

: 2011–12 *

Croatian Supercup The Croatian Football Super Cup is a football match between the winners of the Croatian national top league and football cup. The Super Cup is always held at the beginning of a new football season, and is only held when different clubs win the tw ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

Maribor *

Slovenian Supercup The Slovenian Supercup () was a football match played between the Slovenian PrvaLiga champions and the Slovenian Cup winners. Prior 2007, the match was held only twice, in 1995 and 1996. The competition was resurrected in 2007 and was held annual ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Pyramids *

CAF Confederation Cup The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football football team, club competition established in 2004 and organized by Confederation of African Football, CAF ...

runners-up : 2019–20 Libya U20 *

Mediterranean Games The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The fi ...

third place:

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Individual * IFFHS World's 7th Best National Coach: 2016

References

External links

Ante Čačić
on

British Eurosport Eurosport 1 is a television sports network channel which is a division of Eurosport and a subsidiary of EMEA version of Warner Bros. Discovery. Discovery took a 20% minority interest share in December 2012, and became majority shareholder in the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Čačić, Ante 1953 births Living people Sportspeople from Zagreb Croatian football managers NK Zadar managers NK Inter Zaprešić managers NK Osijek managers NK Slaven Belupo managers NK Croatia Sesvete managers NK Kamen Ingrad managers NK Lokomotiva Zagreb managers GNK Dinamo Zagreb managers NK Maribor managers Croatia national football team managers Pyramids FC managers UEFA Euro 2016 managers Croatian Football League managers Croatian expatriate football managers Expatriate football managers in Libya Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Libya Expatriate football managers in Slovenia Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Slovenia Expatriate football managers in Egypt Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Egypt Slovenian PrvaLiga managers