EXCLUSIVE: Former West Ham coach Jurcevic backs side to 'bounce back' following relegation
Speaking exclusively to Flashscore after West Ham were relegated on the final day of the 2025/26 season, losing to Tottenham despite amassing 39 points, the Croatian coach - who served as part of Slaven Bilic's backroom staff at Upton Park - believes their 'disastrous form' in the first half of the campaign sealed their fate.
In an interview with Flashscore’s Kresimir Karacic, he explained: "This season, they had a terrible first half of the league campaign and found themselves with a significant points deficit. It doesn't matter that from January to the end of the season they garnered enough points for a mid-table finish; it wasn't sufficient because the other sides fighting to stay up were also collecting points.
"What defines West Ham, even during my time there, is their lack of a consistent run of success. There is always a dip in form, a season where West Ham are battling to avoid relegation, and unfortunately, that is what happened this season…
"A similar situation occurred with us (Bilic and Jurcevic) when we were there; we had a season where we beat Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United, finished fifth, but a year later we were in a relegation scrap, which we ultimately managed to survive. That illustrates the lack of continuity I mentioned, and it persists to this day."
Jurcevic served as assistant manager under Bilic from 2015 to 2017, a figure he has worked closely with throughout his career, whether with the national team or at Besiktas.
Of the squad he oversaw a decade ago, none remain at West Ham. Unsurprisingly, given the passage of time, but this also reflects a side with a high turnover rate - using the transfer market to cover up cracks amidst a revolving door of managers dating back to Bilic's tenure.
Now, the 59-year-old believes West Ham's best chance of promotion next season lies in keeping their core group together by retaining players like Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek, particularly after the recent announcement that manager Nuno Espirito Santo will lead the team into the Championship campaign.
Jurcevic added: "Both players have carried West Ham for years; you could say they are the symbol of this generation, and it would be a shame if they departed. The key is for the club to initiate talks with them as soon as possible.
"It is crucial to keep the core of the squad intact. I believe if they retain these players, who form the backbone of the team, they can secure an immediate return to the Premier League. To my mind, they are certainly favourites to do so in their first season in the Championship."
Croatia 'very strong' ahead of World Cup
Away from his time at West Ham, Jurcevic has been most closely associated with his homeland and the national side.
Croatia, since gaining independence in 1991 and becoming a FIFA member in 1994, have punched above their weight, reaching a World Cup final in 2018.
Jurcevic earned 16 caps for his country between 1994 and 1996, before being involved with Bilic during the latter's tenure as national team coach.
In 2026, he is focusing on the next generation of Croatian superstars to follow in the footsteps of Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, and Ivan Rakitic, watching youth internationals and building a database of those who are on 'the Croatian Way'.
The senior men's side head into this year's World Cup as part of Group L, alongside England, Ghana, and Panama.
Emerging from this challenging-looking quartet will be their first task in the USA, before they aim for another deep run at an international tournament.
Speaking about his compatriots, he said: "I think we need to take it step by step. We have a very tough group, but our goal is to get through. In the knockout stages, many factors come into play; you have to be realistic: the opposition, player injuries, and you also need a bit of luck.
"The main thing is to get out of the group, which I am confident we have the quality to do, and then we will see. We are well covered in some positions; we may lack pace in others, but overall we are very strong."
He reserves special praise for Croatia's lynchpin and talisman, Modric. After a stunning career, filled with team and individual accolades, he is entering the twilight of his playing days. Now 40, this could be the deep-lying playmaker's final bow for a national side he has represented 196 times - his 200th cap is likely to come at the World Cup.
Speaking about 'the maestro', Jurcevic enthused: "He is a phenomenon. I remember Luka in his younger days, when he was extremely talented but also a hard-working player, and you could see that he could reach the highest levels of world football. At the time he was with us, you could see Luka had that great talent, but also great motivation, and, crucially, you could also see his special, winning character, which he has retained to this day.
"What is very important is that he had a proper development, where he progressed year on year, and he chose his clubs accordingly. For instance, when he outgrew Dinamo and the Croatian league, he moved to Tottenham, and then to Real Madrid, the biggest club of all. In the meantime, he has developed incredible leadership qualities; he is a great leader and has been the right-hand man for the Croatian manager for years in the national team.
"He also showed great leadership qualities at AC Milan, and the very fact that at 40 years old he is still playing for Milan at the highest level speaks volumes about what a phenomenon he is."
In 2018, with their run to the final, eventually losing 4-2 to France, Croatia were the perennial underdogs, a tag they seem to have embraced since their first tournament appearance in 1996.
But does Jurcevic feel there could be another side enjoying a fairytale run this summer?
"I have seen a bit of Uzbekistan's development; they have quite fast, athletic players, which I have noticed even at the youth level," he mused.
"They remind me a little of the Japanese national team - for example, they have a player at Manchester City and a few other European clubs, so they stand out to me."