Dragan Skočić
Dragan Skočić (born 3 September 1968) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Iran national team. Prior to his coaching career, Skočić started his playing career with the local club Rijeka and then abroad when he signed for Las Palmas in Spain. Playing career. Skočić, a midfielder, played professional club football in Croatia for Rijeka and NK Novalja, in Spain for Las Palmas and Compostela, and in the UAE for Al-Ittihad Kalba. He was the first player from the Croatian football league who went abroad to play professionally. Coaching  career. Early career. After his playing career, Skočić went on to complete the Football Academy at the Croatian Football Academy and the Coach Education and Training Department at the Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology, receiving an UEFA-PRO Coach diploma and a Professional Bachelor of the Coaching Profession. Rijeka. He became manager of his hometown club, Rijeka, in 2005. Skočić secured one trophy for the club, winning the Croatian Cup for the 2005–06 season. Interblock Ljubljana. In 2007, he became the head coach of the Slovenian club Interblock Ljubljana, while the club was in a difficult situation on the league scale . Only two years after the club was founded and under the management of Skočić, the club achieved outstanding results in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. Not only did they manage to stay in the first league, but they also won two trophies in the 2007–08 season, the Slovenian Cup and a Super Cup. Al Arabi. Skočić took a year long sabbatical from coaching following his time at Interblock, and in the 2009–10 season, he took over the management of the Al-Arabi club in Kuwait. Under his leadership as head coach, the club played in two finals, the Crown Prince Cup and  the Federation Cup. Also under Skočić, Al-Arabi played in the AFC Cup quarter-finals. Al Nassr. Following Kuwait, in the 2010–11 season, Skočić was engaged by the Al Nassr football club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the most prominent football clubs in the Arab world. Under Skočić, Al Nassr qualified for the third round of the AFC Champions League, after having played a successful season of competitions within the group. On 25 May 2011, he was sacked after a disappointing 4–1 loss to 2010 AFC Champions League finalists Zob Ahan, and was replaced by Portuguese boss Eurico Gomes . Return to Rijeka. In March 2012 Skočić returned to take over the management of his hometown club Rijeka by replacing Ivo Ištuk as head coach, and became the third coach to take charge of the club in the 2010–11 Prva HNL season. Skočić inherited a defensively frail side that was 2 points off the relegation zone and was tasked with saving the team from relegation. Upon a 2-0 defeat to Cibalia, the club fell to the 12th place in the league. After just 43 days in charge, Skočić was relieved of his position, following a series of poor results , and was replaced by his assistant, Mladen Ivančić. Malavan. On 26 May 2013, Skočić was announced as head coach of Malavan for the upcoming season. He signed a two year contract with the club. He led the club to the seventh place, their best league finish since 2005. Foolad. On 23 May 2014, Skočić was named as new head coach of Iran Pro League title-holders Foolad, on a one-year contract, replacing Hossein Faraki who resigned on the following day. In May 2015, Skočić received the award for coach of the month and signed a two-year contract extension  to keep him at the club until July 2017. In November 2015 after poor scores with the club, Skočić was linked with the vacant head coach position at Sepahan F.C. but the job went to his compatriot, Igor Štimac. After an unsuccessful transfer to Sepahan, he remained as Foolad's head coach according to his contract. He left the club on 1 June 2016. Khooneh be Khooneh Babol. On 16 January 2018 he became manager of F.C. Khooneh be Khooneh (Rayka Babol) replacing formerly resigned Javad Nekounam. He soon went on a streak by getting 13 points out of his  first 5 games and also leading the second tier team into Hazfi Cup's final. Sanat Naft. In July 2019 he became manager of Sanat Naft. Iran national team. On 6 February 2020, Skočić was named head coach of the Iran national team.