The Lebanese Football Federation has mutually agreed to end its contract with Serbian coach Aleksandar Ilievic. The federation has decided to hire Croatian coach Nikola Jurecevic to lead the national team in upcoming competitions, particularly the Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The federation is waiting for Jurecevic to arrive in Lebanon to finalize all details before the contract is signed.
Jurecevic (born 14/09/1966) has an extensive resume that includes both playing and coaching experiences, having played in England, Germany, Russia, and Croatia, as well as having stints in Turkey, Austria, and Azerbaijan. His first professional experience as a player was with Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb from 1984 to 1986, before moving to several clubs including Austrian Salzburg, German Freiburg, and Belgian Royal Antwerp. He also represented the Croatian national team from 1990 to 1996.
In his coaching career, Jurecevic has managed numerous clubs, including Dinamo Zagreb and Salzburg. He served as an assistant coach at West Ham in England, Turkish Beşiktaş, and Russian Lokomotiv. At the international level, he worked as an assistant coach for the Croatian national team from 2006 to 2012 and then as the head coach of the Azerbaijani national team in 2019 and 2020.
The executive committee's decision to contract Jurecevic came after reviewing numerous resumes from coaches of Arab, European, and American nationalities before choosing the Croatian coach.
