A priest from Split criticized coach Dalić: “God does not support Croatia” – World Cup 2026

Žderić reacted after Dalić, known for publicly emphasizing his religiosity, spoke again about religion in the context of the participation of the Croatian national team. The Croatian coach often emphasizes the importance of faith in his life, and before major competitions he traditionally goes on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.

In a Facebook post titled “Our sport”the priest from Split pointed out that the purpose of faith is not sports success, but spiritual salvation.

“No, faith does not lead to victory at the World Football Championship, but to eternal salvation and seeing God’s glory. The sacralization of sports and the national team leads to a mythological view of the sports competition, which instead of objective and professional reasoning leads to subjectivization and irrationalization,” stated Žderić.

He warned that the excessive association of religion and sports can lead to the creation of idols and unrealistic expectations, pointing out that victories cause euphoria, while defeats often lead to a sudden rejection of sports heroes.

In his message, Žderić went one step further, assessing that football should not serve as a substitute for solving social and historical problems, nor as a means of political populism.

“We are not a nation chosen from heaven, and a football coach is not a life coach, nor should it be. Let’s return sports to the athletes,” said the priest.

The Croatian national team is at the start of the World Cup defeated by England with a score of 4:2, and in the continuation of the group stage, matches against Ghana and Panama.

Žderić’s statement attracted the attention of the public because it comes from church circles and represents an open criticism of the increasingly present connection of national identity, religion and sports success.

Bonus video: Jovo Lukić after BiH’s defeat by Switzerland