He was the actual trainer in Croatian national team U-20 (players born 01.01.1984.) In spring year 2004. as a trainer in Croatian national team U-20 (players born 01.01.1984.) he leads team in new period Alpe Adria Mirop Cup (11.05) against National team of Štajerska U-20 (1:0) in Ogulin and 18.05 against National team of Slovenia U-20 in Ljubljana (2:2). He was also as a trainer in Headquarters new team of U-21 (players born 01.01.83.) which is preparing for qualification for Euro 2006 for U-21 National teams. New team of U-21 played this spring two international matches: 28.02.04. in Kostrena against U-23 National team of Croatia (1:0) and 31.03. against Turkey in Velika Gorica (0:0), and 27.04. against Sweden in Velika Gorica (0:2)

Croatian National Team U-21 (players born 01.01.83.)

Headquarters U-21 (Mladen Frančić, Martin Novoselac, Stanko Mršić, Branko Kajfeš)

In fall year 2003. as a trainer Croatian National team U-20 he lead team with selector Martin Novoselac in matches (Italia, Hungary, Slovenia...) in Alpe Adria Mirop Cup. He observed also for Croatian Footbal Federation (10. and 11. 10. 03.) in Cardiff match between Wales and Serbia & Montenegro U-21 (0:1), and A-team match between Wales and Serbia & Montenegro (2:3).

Croatian National Team U-20 (players born 01.01.82.)

Is the current trainer in the Croatian football team U-20. In 2001-2002 this category played the Alpe Adria Microp Cup and placed second next to Italy. In 2003/2004 the competition in the same Cup is still going on. During the year 2002 he observed the "A" team for the selector Otto Barić for the European Championship 2004 in Portugal as follows: Bulgaria-Germany in Sofia (2:2), then Belgium - Bulgaria (0:2) in Brussel. In Belgium he observed the football matches of the young teams U-21 for the European Championship Belgium-Bulgaria 3:1.

On the initiative of the "trainer of all trainers" Miroslav Blažević - Ćiro he observed all the rivals of the Cratian Champion "Dinamo" in the UEFE Cup (ZTE Hungaria, Fulham England). He observed for Mr. Blažević four matches of the Hungarian championship with ZTE from Zalaegerszeg and two matches of the Prime league in England between Fulham and Manchester United 1:1, and Southampton - Fulham 4:2. During the championship of the 1st Croatian Football League (CROATIA) 2002/2003 he had observed all the rivals of the top-placed "Dinamo" Zagreb.

Miroslav Čiro Blažević and Mladen Frančić in Press conference

In the years 2002 and 2003 he was a subcontractor - lecturer at the third and fourth semester for EURO-PRO trainers at the Football Academy of the Croatian Football Union. The topics were: Expert analysis of the World Championship 2002 Korea-Japan, Expert analysis of the finalist teams of Germany and Brazil in relation to France in 1998, and Planning and programming of sporting preparations of footballers in the two-year course training (Croatian model). He was take part in work of CFF camps as expert co-operator for testing players, also as expert education coaches at Football academy of the Croatian Football Union, selection of players and reprograming trening proceses which are import for players development.  Prof. Pero Dujmović and Mladen Frančić

Headquarters U-20 National team

In the years 2002 and 2003 as a trainer of U-20 he had expert lectures for younger category trainers of the 1.st and 2nd Croatian National League in winter camps. Topics: Individual work as an important factor in the trainings process and in the development of players, Supporting games in the training process and the influence on players, Speed as an important factor in the selection of young-category players. Metodology of movement techniques of players, Metodology of dribbling with the inside and outside part of the foot.

The current coach in the Croatian national football team U – 20. In 2001 he was an expert observer of the professional «A» team at the qualification matches for the Championship 2002 Korea und Japan: Czech Rrepublic – Bulgaria 6:0 in Prague, Ukraine –Germany 1:1 in Kiev and Germany – Ukraine 4:1 in Dortmund. Apart from the mentioned activities he used to be a selector in junior cathegories for four years in the County Football Association of Koprivnica and Križevci. He also used to take a part in all end-selections of the CNL. As a professional cooperator he took a part in testing of the players, team selectioning and programming of the trainings process important for the development of the players.

His greatest coach success was achieved in 2000 with the FC "SLAVEN-BELUPO" by getting as high as the 5th position in the Premiership of the 1st Croatian League in the season of 1999/2000. This result enabled him a breakthrough to the top of the Croatian Premiership football, since the results achieved were much better that expected from a club which ended 7th in the league in 1999, and had been in the "survival zone" within the 1th Croatian League for two years in a row. This was the first time since FC "Slaven-Belupo" had played the 1th national league, to win its survival in the league as early as seven rounds before the finals.

They also achieved their greatest success in the history of the club by entering the INTER-TOTO Cup as the 5th club in the Croatian National League. In the spring part of the premiership (3rd round), FC "Slaven-Belupo" with their coach, were the best scoring team according to the number of points (29), just like the winning team FC "Dinamo" (29 points), while the second was FC "Osijek" (16), the third FC "Cibalija" (18), the fourth FC "Rijeka" (7) and FC "Hajduk" was the fifth (13).

With his team FC "Slaven-Belupo", he was the spring "hit" of 2000, because he had made the biggest leap since the previous autumn, of all other teams in the Croatian National League, climbing from the 7th to the 5th position, progressing two steps, while the goal of the club in the spring of 2000 was merely to survive in the league.He succeeded to play with FC "Slaven-Belupo" 12 subsequent winning matches that season in the premiership, breaking a record in the 1st CNL. From a time perspective, FC "Slaven-Belupo" had not lost a match for 71 days, not even a friendly one.

In the autumn part of the premiership of 2000/2001, coaching FC "Slaven-Belupo", he achieved the 6th place (6th place 18 7 5 6 25:21). This was done with record breaking 26 points (48%) which made FC "Slaven-Belupo" win the best position in the autumn part of the premiership since playing the 1st CNL, and the chances grew to play to become a champion of spring 2001. This goal was realized so that FC "Slaven-Belupo" for the first time played for "championship". They succeeded in the autumn part of the premiership of 2000 to win a record against FC "Varteks" by 7:1, making it the highest ever score of the club sincethey had started playing in the 1st CNL, as well as one of the highest scores in the CNL either.He also broke the tradition of invincibility of FC "Hajduk" from Split, who lost for the first time in the history of the club against "Slaven-Belupo" that autumn by 2:0.

Interview in newspaper with Mladen Frančić

In the UEFA INTERTOTO CUP, with NK "Slaven-Belupo", he played 6 historic offiicial international matches. He played against the Irish "Glenavon" from Lurgan (1:1, 3:0), the Polish club "Zaglebie" from Lubin (1:1, 0:0), and the Czech "Sigma" from Olomouc (1:1, 0:2). He made a brilliant success by breaking into the THIRD ROUND of INTERTOTO CUP, and completely justified investments of the sponsors - "Podravka" and "Belupo" – into the club. To the sponsors, he was a very successful promotor, while performance in Europe promoted the town of Koprivnica and the county as a whole. He succeeded twice in a row with FC "Slaven-Belupo" in the premiership of the 1st CNL to take the excellent fifth position (2000/2001 – scoring 44 points – 46%), achieving the same place as the previous season. The club also played in the play-off, getting into the "champion league" (among six other clubs) which was an unexpected result. He again won 12 subsequent matches without defeat.

One of his personal favourites was the placement of FC "PIK-Vrbovec" from the third CNL "North" in the season of 92/93, i.e. the first position won with only one match lost in 34 rounds. This has been his personal record, since he has not lost 33 matches in the league of 18 clubs (there used to be only one league in Croatia). He and FC "PIK-Vrbovec" were the autumn champions without a match lost. At the time, the national champion, FC "Croatia", within the 1st CNL lost two matches out of 30, while FC "PIK-Vrbovec" lost only one, out of 34, which is surely a record in Croatia (in 34 rounds, he had 24 wins, 9 draws, 1 lost match, scored 57 points or 84%).

In 1999, he was the coach of FC "Podravec" from Virje who competed in the 3rd CNL "North", and in the spring part of the season 98/99, they reached the excellent third place (out of maximum 45 points, he scored 36, which is 80%), while in the autumn part of the same season, he won the first place. Following that period, in the late 1999, he took over FC "Slaven-Belupo", in the first CNL.

In the beginning of his coach career, he led numerous clubs (8), five of which had won first places and got into the higher rank of competition (FC "Lipa" from Hlebine, FC "Osvit" from Đelekovec, FC"Slaven" from Koprivnica, FC "PIK-Vrbovec" from Vrbovec, FC "Mladost-Nada" from Hrastovec. He used to be the coach of FC "Podravina" from Ludbreg in the 2nd CNL "North" and FC "Graničar" from Đurđevac. Together with FC "Graničar" he won the presigeous 3rd place in the CNL "North", so that at taking over, the team was on the third place.

He got involved in football in 1968 as a player for the "Čelik", Križevci, and since 1974 he played for the FC "Slaven", Koprivnica and later also for the FC "Lokomotiva", Koprivnica, but in the autumn of 1981 he stopped his playing career. After this part of his career had ended, he first became a "trainee coach", then the football coach, and after that he graduated from the Higer Coach School in Zagreb, on 22nd December, 1989.

As a trainee-coach he was working with junior school children of FC "Slaven", Koprivnica in 1976, and led all cathegories of juniors of the club from 1976 to 1983. That autumn, in 1984, he was training the senior team of FC "Slaven", Koprivnica, as an assistant coach.

Mladen Frančić was born on 11th November, 1955 in Bjelovar (Croatia); spent his childhood in Križevci and since 1980 he has been living in Koprivnica. In 1976 he started working in "Podravka" plc. Koprivnica, playing, at the same time, football for the FC "Slaven". His father Josip is retired after having spent his career at the Veterinary Station in Križevci, while his mother Milka used to work at the Croatian Railway Company in Križevci. He is married to Dubravka and has two daughters Manuela and Mihaela.