The return of the rockstar manager

Slaven Bilic is back leading the Croatian national squad. If you were around for his first tenure as manager between 2006 and 2012, you know this isn't just a simple coaching hire. It is a full-blown reunion of the most chaotic era of Balkan football.

Bilic was the guy with the leather jacket and the electric guitar who somehow navigated a talented, rowdy generation of players. He made the bench look like a backstage pass at a festival while regularly dismantling teams like England in the process. Now, at 57, the former defender takes the job again with a very different roster.

Why this move smells like desperation

Let’s call this what it is: the Croatian Football Federation is banking on nostalgia to mask a lack of clear succession planning. Hiring a former hero is the classic move of a board terrified of public opinion after a rough patch of form.

Bringing back old favorites rarely works in the long run. Football evolves, and tactics that won games in 2008 often get shredded on the counter-attack in 2026. If he brings the same high-tempo, emotional energy he had during his first stint, he might get a spike in performance. But if he tries to recapture the magic by relying solely on vibes, he will be out the door by the next qualifying cycle.

The squad reality check

The talent pool is significantly thinner than the Modric-led glory years of the last decade. That generation defined an era, but aging stars don't stay at peak performance forever. Bilic is inheriting a team in transition, which is polite journalist speak for a squad currently lacking direction.

He has to decide immediately if he is going to build around the remnants of the current core or slash the roster and start from scratch. Starting from scratch with a manager who hasn't been a constant in the elite tactical conversations for years is a massive gamble. The decision to reappoint Bilic proves that experience is being valued over innovation in Zagreb. We have seen this movie before, and while it starts with a fanfare, it usually ends with a frustrated press conference in the rain.

What to watch for in the opening fixtures

Bilic needs points immediately to silence the inevitable doubters. His reputation is already baked into the culture, so the fans aren't going to give him a free pass just because of his checkered history with the team. He has to prove that he has updated his playbook for the modern game.

If his first few matches look like a rehash of 2010 tactics, the critics in the local press will sharpen their knives by the second half. Most managers who return to their former posts in international football see their influence wane faster than a budget battery. Unless he can strike a balance between his traditional intensity and a more pragmatic defensive structure, this is purely a short-term band-aid on a much larger injury.