ZAGREB, June 16: Croatian coach Mirko Jozic said Sunday he will step down when he returns from the World Cup where his team failed to qualify for the second round.
Croatia, who finished third at France 98, missed out on the last 16 after crashing 1-0 to Ecuador, missing a golden chance to qualify for the second phase at the expense of Group G rivals Italy.
“My contract expires on July 31 and after that I will withdraw from the position of the coach,” the Sportske Novosti daily quoted 62-year-old Jozic as saying.
He added that he had decided to quit after the World Cup “regardless of our result.”
Media here has speculated that his successor could be either former Austrian coach Otto Baric or Zlatko Kranjcar, coach of Croatian first division club Rijeka.
After losing their opening game 1-0 to Mexico, Croatia unexpectedly beat Italy before losing to Ecuador.
OITA: Henrik Larsson announced his retirement from international football.
“I’m finished, there will be no more,” the 30-year-old striker, who has scored 24 goals in 72 appearances for his country, told reporters.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and now my family must come first.”
Larsson, who will continue to play club football with Scottish premier league champions Celtic, revealed his decision to his team mates and coaches Lars Lagerback and Tommy Soderberg amid emotional dressing room scenes after the match.
He said he did not want to stay on for the European championship in 2004.
“It’s too far away to the next big event,” said Larsson, who has two young children.
WAKAYAMA: Danish midfielder Stig Tofting announced here on Sunday he was also retiring.`
Tofting, who plays for English Premiership side Bolton, said he had decided that Saturday’s match in Niigata would be his last for his country.
“I wanted to make the decision myself and not let the coach make it for me,” said the shaven-headed 32-year-old.
He joins 38-year-old Jan Heintze, Brian Steen Nielsen and reserve goalkeeper Peter Kjaer to announce their retirement from the national side.—AFP