TEHRAN – Former Iran U23 football team head coach Zlatko Kranjcar passed away on Monday.

He died at the age of 64 at Merkur Clinical Hospital in Zagreb, Croatia due to severe illness.

The Croatian coach was named as Persepolis coach in 2009 but left the team to head Montenegro a year later.

Kranjcar has also coached Iranian team Sepahan in two stint and helped the Isfahan based football team win Iran Professional league and Hazfi Cup.

He was appointed as Iran U23 football team head coach in 2019.

Kranjcar collected 11 caps and scored 3 goals for Yugoslavia from 1977 to 1983. He also has two caps and scored one goal for the Croatian national team and is notable as the first team captain of the Croatian team in their first international match against the United States on 17 October 1990 in Zagreb.