SHORT BIO

Dean Klafurić is a Croatian football head coach (UEFA PRO Licence) with coaching experience in top clubs worldwide. He worked on 2 continents in 4 different leagues and has vas experience in coaching clubs with the highest expectations in winning throphies and developing young players.
Coach Klafurić also worked in one of the best European football academies (Dinamo Zageb), where he set up a success level that is a benchmark for muerous acadamies and football schools.

Dinamo Zagreb

CROATIA
Croatian champion

Legia Warsaw

POLAND
Polish champion

Al Ain

UAE champion,
“Asian Real Madrid”

Al Nassr

SAUDI ARABIA
Top leauge club

TESTIMONIALS

 

„I value Dean both as a coach and as a person for his integrity, his passion for the job, his commitment and hard work. I believe that he has the potential to be a really good coach at international level”.

Dariusz Mioduski

Owner of Legia Warszawa

 

 “Klaf, a football addict with a very clear idea of what to do and how to do it. He transfers his idea and passion onto the players very well, follows the evolution of training and adapts it to the players with great quality. I am very lucky that I was able to work with him.”

Zoran Mamić

Sporting director Dinamo Zagreb

 

“A coach with a vision, a man who lives football 24/7. Innovative, positively curious, has the courage to share his often out of the norm ideas and make them reality through training. Very meticoulus and methodical, armed with knowledge.”

Damir Krznar

Academy director of GNK Dinmo Zagreb

 “I want to highlight his professionalism, commitment and love towards football and the coaching job. I think he has a very strong competitive and winning spirit which gets transfered onto the team and staff. He has a great knowledge and feel for the game, great preparation and leading during the game. …”

Aleksandar Vuković

Head Coach Legia Warsaw

WIDE EXPERTISE

Klafurić coached all the categories in football from U-12 to senior teams, both in men’s and women’s football.
In youth categories he coached at the highest level: Dinamo Zagreb, HNK Gorica and Croatian national teams (U-20 & U-15), as well as women’s national teams (U-17, U-19 & A team).As assistant coach of Croatia U-20 he was at the U-20 Wold Cup in Turkey 2013. In senior football he worked as a head coach in 4.HNL, 3.HNL, 2.HNL, Ekstraklasa (Polish 1 st tier) and Champions League Qualifications and also as an assistant in 1.HNL, Saudi Premier League, UAE League, Champions League group stage and Asian Champions league. He worked at the best clubs in the above mentioned countries (Dinamo Zagreb, Legia Warsaw, Al Ain, Al Nassr) and has a multinational and multicultural experience in his work on two continents and with players all around the world.
At the Dinamo academy Klafurić coached players born from years 1994. to 2000. he guided and developed them in their most sensible phase, in the categories U15, U17, and U 19, and when they were entering into senior football he worked with them in the first team as an assistent to Zoran Mamić.

ACHIEVEMENTS

2018 POLISH CHAMPION

2018 POLISH CUP WINNER

2016 CROATIAN CHAMPION

2016 CROATIAN CUP WINNER

Numerous  champion and cup winner in youth selections

APPROACH AND MINDSET

GAME PHILOSOPHY 

 

Johan Cruyff philosophy
Progressive ball possession trough tree zones and team defending tough tree zones
T.ogheter
E.veryone
A.achives
M.ore
“Playing for yourself you play against a team, but playing for a team you play for yourself”
Ivan Đalma Marković

KEY FEATURES

 

Persistence
Powerful cooperation with his staff
High moral values
Friendly coach
Human approach 
High emotional intelligence
Team oriented Leader
Extremely well-organized practicioner
Has great relationship with his players

Team tactical demands are more improtant than formation
Preferred formations: 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1
Alternative formations: 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1

MANAGER ATTRIBUTES

    TACTICS

    LONGTERM WORK

    ORGANIZING

    DECISION MAKING

METHODICAL

AUTONOMY

TEAMWORK

PLAYERS GROWTH

LAST TWO SEASONS ( HNK GORICA, CROATIA AND LEGIA WARSAW, POLAND)

ACCUMULATED STATS: 21, MATCHES, 16 W, 1 D, 4L

GOAL DIFFERENCE: 37:14

  • LEADERSHIP 100% 100%
  • POSITIVITY 100% 100%
  • COMMUNICATION 100% 100%
  • PASSION 100% 100%