Zagreb: Croatia's Football Federation (HNS) on Wednesday sacked coach Niko Kovac on the back of poor results in qualifying for Euro 2016. The move came after Croatia slipped to third in qualifying Group H over the weekend, a 0-0 draw in Azerbaijan and a 2-0 loss to Norway jeopardising their chances of reaching the finals in France.


Niko Kovac. Pic/AFP 

"Before travelling to Baku and Oslo no one was even thinking that a day like this would come," HNS head Davor Suker said in a statement announcing the move. But, "results are always decisive," he stressed after the 43-year-old Kovac was sacked in the wake of a meeting of the HNS executive committee. A decision on Kovac's successor is to be taken by September 21, Suker said, although he refused to elaborate on who the new coach might be.