Khaldiya usher in Tomić era ahead of new season
TDT | Manama
Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com
Al Khaldiya officially began a new chapter yesterday after confirming the appointment of Croatian coach Goran Tomić as the club's new head coach, with the team already in Turkey for a pre-season training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
The overseas camp, which runs until August 19, forms a key part of Khaldiya's preparations for the new season following another campaign in which they challenged for major domestic honours.
Tomić arrives with experience across Europe, Asia and the Gulf, having previously managed Croatian clubs HNK Šibenik, NK Istra 1961, NK Lokomotiva Zagreb and HNK Rijeka, as well as China's Beijing Baxy, Tianjin Songjiang and Zhejiang Yiteng. He also enjoyed spells in the UAE with Al Nasr Dubai and Al Bataeh.
He takes over from Tunisian coach Lassad Al Chabbi, who guided Khaldiya throughout last season.
Khaldiya finished second in the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, ending the campaign just one point behind champions Muharraq after remaining in the title race until the final day.
The club did, however, finish the season with silverware after defeating Muharraq 3-0 to lift the Bahrain Super Cup. They also reached the King's Cup quarter-finals, where they were edged out by Riffa on penalties following a 3-3 draw, while their Khalid bin Hamad Cup defence ended in the semi-finals against the same opponents.
The Turkey camp includes four friendly matches, beginning against UAE side Fujairah on August 8. Khaldiya will then face Kuwait's Kazma on August 10 before taking on an opponent yet to be confirmed on August 13. Their final warm-up fixture will be against Kuwaiti club Al Qadsia on August 17.
Founded in 2020, Khaldiya have quickly established themselves among Bahrain's leading clubs. They have won two Nasser bin Hamad Premier League titles, claiming back-to-back championships in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, along with two King's Cups, four Bahrain Super Cups and the inaugural Khalid bin Hamad Cup in 2025.
On the continental stage, Khaldiya featured in last season's AFC Champions League Two but exited in the group stage. Under Tomić, they will now be aiming to build on their recent success and mount another strong challenge on multiple fronts.
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