Neighbours and friends of Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic organised a hero's welcome in his hometown of Varazdin in northern Croatia on Tuesday.

In the street where Dalic family resides, there were celebrations, street soccer, and singing, and some of the revellers even put up a faux street sign reading “Zlatko Dalic Street”.

“My dear neighbours, I may have celebrated in front of 100,000 people, but this is so touching and moving. They wouldn’t tell me beforehand what was being prepared in my own street, but I am so touched by all this. I knew I had good neighbours, but I did not expect anything like this. I’m pleased to see that you have recognised that we played for Croatia, that we gave all we had, and that this is something worth celebrating,” Dalic said, reported by the Vecernji List daily.

Originally from the city of Livno in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dalic had played for a number of clubs in Croatia and Bosnia before ending his playing career in 2000 at Varteks in Varazdin, where he stayed to live. It was also at Varteks that he got his first coaching job several years later, before taking over a number of clubs in Croatia, Albania, and the Middle East.

“What happened in Zagreb last night is unlikely ever to be repeated again, maybe if we ever manage to become champions. I said many times that I am not ashamed of my origin, of where I first started, but I also said many times that Varazdin gave me everything I have in my life, and helped me be what I am today and accomplish everything that I achieved,” Dalic said.

“That’s why I am proud to say that I am a Varazdin guy. This, these emotions and love, that I have felt from us, is something worth living for. I plan to continue having coffee at the same places I used to have it before. Nothing will change, we did this thing together,” Dalic told the crowd.

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