Dalić and Martinez: A friendship forged in football, tested on the pitch

Croatian national football team coach Zlatko Dalić and his Portuguese counterpart Roberto Martinez share a deep mutual respect, forged through a significant professional collaboration early in Dalić's tenure.

Martinez, now the coach of Portugal, previously provided Dalić with invaluable tactical insights into the Greek team before Croatia's crucial 2017 World Cup playoff. This assistance, offered without hesitation, was instrumental in Croatia's qualification for the Russia World Cup, a period when Dalić was still establishing his coaching credentials.

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I am a big supporter of Zlatko Dalić. I want to beat him, but I have great respect for his work. Croatia is an example to the football world.

The bond between the two managers extends beyond professional courtesy, with Dalić referring to the Spaniard as a friend. Martinez, in turn, has expressed admiration for Dalić's work, calling Croatia a model for world football. Their respect was evident even before their recent encounter in the Nations League, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Statistically, Martinez has a slight advantage in their head-to-head matches, with two wins to Dalić's one, and two draws across five encounters. Martinez coached Belgium in two of these games and Portugal in three, while Dalić has always been at the helm of Croatia. A notable Croatian victory was a 2-1 friendly win against Portugal before Euro 2024. However, a 0-0 draw against Martinez's Belgium in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage, which eliminated Belgium from the tournament, also holds a significant place in their shared history, leading to Martinez's resignation as Belgium's coach.

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Robert Martinez is a great coach, a great gentleman who helped me in my career.