Persepolis in advanced talks with ex-Tractor coach Skocic: Report
Persian Gulf Pro League club Persepolis is closing in on a deal to appoint Croatian coach Dragan Skocic as its new head coach ahead of the upcoming top-flight season, according to reports in the Iranian media.
Skocic, who led Iran to qualification for the 2022 World Cup but was replaced by Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz for the finals in Qatar, has been without a job since parting ways with Tractor SC in mid-February.
The 57-year-old Croatian etched his name into Tractor history after steering the northwestern Iranian club to its maiden league title in the 2024-25 campaign, before lifting the Iranian Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over Esteghlal ahead of last season.
Tractor was second in a tightly contested league table with 35 points from 20 matches, one point behind Golgohar with a game in hand, when Skocic walked away from his job.
The Tabriz-based side also impressed in the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite under the Croatian, securing a place in the round of 16 with two matches to spare.
However, local media reported that tensions between Skocic and several senior players following a 2-0 defeat to Al Sadd in an ACL Elite dead rubber may have contributed to his decision to leave.
Should the deal go through in the coming days, Skocic will replace Brazilian coach Osmar Loss Vieira on the Persepolis bench.
The Brazilian, who led Persepolis to the domestic league title in the 2023-24 season, endured a poor run of results after returning to the club for a second spell last November, managing just two wins in seven matches while suffering five defeats before the Iranian league was called off due to the country’s war with the United States and Israel in February.
Persepolis, which was sixth in the table when the league was suspended, hit a new low under Osmar on Friday, falling 2-1 to Chadormalou after extra time in a domestic playoff for a place in next season’s AFC Champions League Two.