Croatia’s former Coach Zlatko Kranjcar dies

Croatia’s former coach and Dinamo Zagreb star Zlatko Kranjcar has died  at the age of 64.

“Kranjcar, legendary Croatian footballer, and coach … has died in Zagreb,” the National Football Federation (HNS) said in a statement without providing further details.

The Zagreb-born Kranjcar was hospitalised last month due to liver problems.

Kranjcar played for Dinamo in the 1970s and 1980s before joining Rapid Vienna, where he won the Austrian championship twice.

After retiring as a player Kranjcar returned to coach Dinamo, leading them to the league and cup double in 1996 and 1998.

He served as national team coach from 2004 to 2006 but was sacked after Croatia failed to make the knockout phase at the World Cup.

Kranjcar later had an 18-month spell in charge of Montenegro and stints with Iran’s Sepahan and Al Ahli of Qatar.

He briefly took over Dinamo again in 2016 and then Iran’s Under-23 side in 2018.

Kranjcar’s son Niko, 36, is also a former international footballer.

Channels Tv/Mercy Chukwudiebere