"If I had gone after the money then, what kind of message would I have sent?" - Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic reveals he turned down staggering €30m offer from China
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic has revealed that he snubbed a gargantuan €30 million offer from China to continue managing the national team. He received the offer following their record-breaking run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Expanding on the subject, the tactician revealed that a Chinese club offered to pay him a staggering €10 million net per year on a three-year contract. That would have seen him pocket €30 million in total over the course of the contract if he had left Croatia to join them.
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Despite the tempting offer, Dalic decided to snub the opportunity and continue managing the national team. Opening up on his decision, he explained that he was concerned about what message he'd be passing across if he decided to go with money.
He said on HRT's show 'U svom filmu':
"When the rich offers arrived, they told me to take advantage of the situation and take the money. After the World Cup, I stayed because I talked all the time about unity and patriotism and I propagated that. If I had gone after the money then, what kind of message would I have sent and young people and everyone in Croatia? I say one thing, I do another."
Dalic went on to explain that it wasn't very difficult to make that decision. He claimed that he has everything sorted in his life, hence money couldn't dominate his reasoning.
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He said:
"I'm a rich enough man, I don't mean materially, but I have everything sorted out in my life, a family, two sons with faculties. There was no such situation, although there were terrible offers, especially from one Chinese club."
The tactician concluded:
"I was offered a contract of 10 million euros net per year and a three-year contract. I thanked him. The president of the club returned after half a year. I said again that I don't have that money to leave the Croatian national team. I was never sorry, I'm proud of this decision."
Dalic has been Croatia's manager since 2017 and helped them reach the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they lost out to France.
Zlatko Dalic and Croatia back in the World Cup this year
After finishing as runners-up during the 2018 edition, Dalic and his men have made it into the prestigious tournament once again this year. They'll surely have all eyes on them when the competition kicks off in Qatar this Sunday (November 20).
They have been drawn into Group F, alongside Morocco, Canada, and Belgium. They will play their opening fixture against Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium on November 23.