On 15th July, Croatia’s soccer team will play France in the championship game of the 2018 World Cup, after running victoriously through a string of soccer powerhouses in the tournament. Here’s one reason Catholics in the US might be rooting for the small Central European country: Croatia is a deeply Catholic country, and the coach of its national team, Zlatko Dalic, is a man of sincere faith. Dalic said recently that his current success is due to his faith in God, and that he always carries a rosary to hold onto in difficult times.
Dalic spoke about his faith on Croatian Catholic radio when the World Cup began. As reported by CNA, Dalic remarked that “Everything I have done in my life and in my professional career I owe to my faith, and I am grateful to my Lord. I can be very happy with my life, without strong faith and that motivation, it would be very difficult to achieve it. When a man loses any hope, then he must depend on our merciful God and on our faith.” In that sense, Dalic explained that “I always carry a rosary with me” and “when I feel that I am going through a difficult time I put my hand in my pocket, I cling to it and then everything is easier.”
The coach is 51 years old, married and has two children. During his youth, he played in Croatian soccer teams, among them Hajduk Split, Inter Zapresic and Varteks Varazdin. In October 2017 he was appointed as the head coach of the Croatian national team. Croatia got a ticket to the final match of the World Cup after defeating England 2-1 in a game that went to overtime July 11.
Source: www.catholicnewsagency.com
