March 19, 2021 - The Europa League draw on Friday revealed that it will be Dinamo against Villarreal in the quarterfinal!

The Europa League quarterfinal draw was held in Nyon on Friday afternoon. Croatian champion Dinamo is among the eight clubs that will compete in the quarterfinals. 

Arsenal, Manchester United, Roma, Granada, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, and Ajax also reached the quarterfinals. There were no restrictions in the quarterfinals and all clubs could play each other. The pairs were drawn by former Arsenal and City player Gael Clichy.

After the draw for the quarterfinals, a draw for the semifinals was held.

Quarterfinal draw: 

Granada - Manchester United

Arsenal - Slavia

Ajax - Roma

Dinamo - Villarreal

Semifinal draw:

Granada / Manchester United - Ajax / Roma

DINAMO / Villarreal - Arsenal / Slavia

If Dinamo passes Villarreal, they will play with the better team from the clash between Arsenal and Slavia in the semis. The Croatian champion was lucky in the draw because they avoided any Premier League sides in the quarterfinals, but also the mighty Ajax.

Dinamo will thus play against the seventh-placed team of the Spanish championship, which isn't having the greater season. Villarreal knocked out Dynamo Kyiv (4:0) and Red Bull Salzburg (4:1) on the way to the quarterfinals.

According to Transfermarkt, Villarreal is worth 250 million euros and the most expensive player is stopper Pau Torres (50 million euros). The biggest stars are Spanish strikers Gerard Moreno and Paco Alcacer, and last year the great midfielder Dani Parejo from Valencia arrived.

Dinamo and Villarreal played 10 years ago in the group stage of the same competition. Dinamo won 2:0 in the first round at Maksimir and lost 0:3 in the return match in Spain.

The first quarterfinal matches are on April 8, and the return matches on April 15, while the semifinals are played on April 29 and May 6. Dinamo will host the first match in the quarterfinal and in the eventual semifinal.

The Europa League final is on May 26 in Gdansk. The winner Europa League winner will win a direct place in the group stage of the Champions League next season.

Source: Index.hr

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March 18, 2021 - In a wild comeback, Dinamo tops Tottenham thanks to an Oršić hattrick and books a spot in the Europa League quarterfinal! The match ended 3-0 after extra time at Maksimir Stadium on Thursday night. 

Croatian champions Dinamo met Premier League side Tottenham in the Europa League round of 16 return match at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Thursday. In the first match in London, Tottenham won 2-0 with goals from Harry Kane.

Dinamo's backline changed compared to the first game. From the first minute, Franjić started instead of Leovac. On the other side, Son was not available to Jose Mourinho due to injury.

DINAMO: Livaković - Ristovski, Lauritsen, Theophile-Catherine, Franjić - Majer, Jakić, Ademi - Ivanušec, Petković, Oršić

TOTTENHAM: Lloris - Davies, Dier, Sanchez, Aurier - Winks, Sissoko - Moura, Alli, Lamela - Kane

After the Croatian Supreme Court upheld his verdict and imprisonment, Zoran Mamić resigned as coach of Dinamo earlier this week. Dinamo was thus led by former assistant Damir Krznar in tonight's match. 

Dinamo v. Tottenham Recap

Dinamo came out hungry to get a result that would keep them in the Europa League this season, which was evident from the start. However, there were not really dangerous opportunities from either side until the 30th-minute mark. 

The best chance of the match came from Lovro Majer who shot from the edge of the penalty area just outside the near post. One minute later, Dinamo threatened Tottenham's net again.

After two great opportunities for Dinamo, both sides calmed. Tottenham managed to win the ball again and keep possession. 

Tottenham's best chance came from Kane who was 1-on-1 with Livaković in the 44th minute, but the Dinamo goalkeeper acted brilliantly to keep the score level at the half. 

The second half saw no lineup changes. 

Dinamo's first attempt of the second half came in the 58th minute. Majer and Oršić saw their chances blocked, and Petković faked the Spurs defender only to shoot over the goal.

Gareth Bale was subbed on for Lamela two minutes later. 

Dinamo finally saw the back of the net in the 62nd minute - a stunning (and classic) Oršić shot from outside the box nailed the upper corner for the Dinamo lead! It was 1-0 with 28 minutes to go. 

Dinamo continued to attack in the remainder of the second half, giving Tottenham little chance of equalizing.

And then it happened - Atiemwen served Oršić who scored his second goal for 2-0 and extra time!

Leovac had a great chance for Dinamo in the 95th minute but served Gavranović a tough ball in front of the goal to keep the score even. Bale missed near post in the 102nd. 

The man of the hour started the second half of extra time with the unthinkable - Mislav Oršić scored a hattrick for 3-0 Dinamo! 

In the final minutes of extra time, a series of stellar saves by Livaković kept Dinamo ahead. A nail-biting ending, and the ref added two minutes of injury time. But Dinamo held on to win 3-0!

Dinamo will learn their quarter-final opponent after the Europa League draw tomorrow.

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March 16, 2021 - A Zdravko Mamić press conference was held in Mostar on Tuesday after the Croatian Supreme Court confirmed the verdict and thus a prison sentence that will send the fugitive to jail for 6.5 years.

The country's largest judicial institution has handed down a disgraceful verdict, Zdravko Mamić said at a press conference in Mostar, a day after the Supreme Court upheld an Osijek County Court ruling that the fugitive Dinamo leader was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for extracting HRK 116 from Dinamo, reports Jutarnji List and Index.hr.

In his lengthy statement, Mamić accused several judges, including Supreme Court President Djuro Sessa, of corruption and bribery. He pointed out that he will serve his prison sentence exclusively in BiH, adding that he has resigned from all positions in Dinamo.

"The largest judicial institution in the country has passed a shameful verdict. People will remain registered as criminals. There have been many political trials and staged trials in history, and this is one of them. We have not been convicted of tax evasion; it is nowhere written in the verdict. There is not a single euro of money laundering, and Dinamo, which is claimed to be damaged, claims that it is not damaged," Mamić said.

"My brother and I have not been convicted of a single kuna in taxes. Through Luka Modrić and Dejan Lovren, they have received the amounts charged to me. Luka Modrić still has millions of euros in that account, which he shared with me as an investor through a private contract. I took him as a refugee. We met and signed a money-sharing agreement; he withdrew the money, gave a part to me. No player in history has ever paid a single penny of tax. The only one in history to have paid is Dinamo," he said, adding:

"If the Mamić brothers have to return the money to the state budget, then Dejan Lovren and Luka Modrić must return it. To be fair, they are accomplices; they have the money, they came to court, we signed the annexes. Either we are in action together, or no one is in action. What kind of intelligence is needed, what kind of science is needed? How is it possible that 93 prosecution witnesses who came to Osijek testified in favor of Mamić? All 93 witnesses testified in favor of the Mamić brothers," he said.

"And the court during the trial, when it saw that everything was falling into the water, filed an indictment through its daughter company against Lovren and Modrić for false testimony." 

He accused Supreme Court President Djuro Sessa of being a criminal and a fraud.

"The man is a kleptomaniac, a criminal, and a fraud, a man who decides the law in a sovereign state of the Republic of Croatia. I am ready to put myself at the disposal of the State Attorney's Office and USKOK to prove that Sessa is a criminal and that I personally brought him money. I am ready to cooperate in proving that he is a criminal and a kidnapper of citizens' money," he said.

Mamić also accused the Osijek County Court judge Zvonko Vekić, judge Darko Krušlin, and the High Misdemeanor Court judge in Zagreb Nedjeljko Boban, of bribery.

"Vekić racketeered me, asked me to appoint him president of the court in Osijek. I paid him over EUR 500,000, and I have evidence for that," Mamić said, adding: "I have all the evidence against these thieves and criminals. There are others. The president of the court, Zvonko Vrban, is the biggest criminal who will be fired at some point," he said, emphasizing that he had informed the State Attorney's Office about everything.

Mamić emphasized that he would serve his prison sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina if that happened.

"If that happens, I will serve my prison sentence exclusively in BiH. Lawyers know that I was never formally a fugitive, nor am I a fugitive today. When the first verdict was announced, I stayed in my home country. How can I escape from my own country," he said.

Mamić pointed out that he resigned from all positions in the club.

"I resigned my membership in the Dinamo assembly and asked to be relieved of my duties as a Dinamo advisor. I am no longer a member of any body, nor am I in formal employment. My resignations are irrevocable," Mamić said.

He called on the leading people of Dinamo to "thank the Mamić brothers."

"I am asking the leading people of the club to technically invite auditors to the club and make an inventory because that would be the biggest thank you to the Mamić brothers. It is important to know when we left and what kind of club we left. This is a delusion that we are thieves and criminals. Dinamo does not owe a penny. The results are great, this is one of the best seasons in history, and our team is worth EUR 110 million. I claim that our team is worth EUR 300 million thanks to the young talent. Dinamo is moving forward, and the club will continue where I left off," he said, adding that he fears a“ black scenario.”

"It is possible that Dinamo will not exist in three months. Dinamo is financed based on bank loans and repays them with realized transfers or future income from transfers or appearances in Europe. Suppose Dinamo were left without a title and income from the Champions League. When salaries were not paid for three months, the club would go bankrupt. It would finish in the lowest tier of the competition. We leave the club in 35th place in the UEFA rankings, and the danger is that it will disappear after a few months. I will do my best not to let that happen, even though I am not part of Dinamo. If that happens, those who caused it will be held accountable," Mamić said.

"Dinamo pays more into the budget in one year than all of Croatian sport in five years. We, who have brought historic successes and a billion euros, are exiled and doomed," he said.

He also spoke about the problem with the stadium.

"Give us back the land, and you will stop these lies and deceptions about how Dinamo is financed with taxpayers' money. It is a lie. The city takes care of the property, and that is the stadium. Give us back the land, and the citizens of Zagreb will never invest in the club again. Dinamo will build the stadium itself. Give us a concession, give us the right to build. Dinamo would build a stadium within three years, but they don't want to."

In addition to Zdravko Mamić, whose sentence was upheld, the Supreme Court reduced his brother Zoran Mamić's prison sentence from four years and 11 months to four years and eight months, and former tax collector Milan Pernar from four years and two months to three years and two months. Also, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict regarding the accusation that Zoran Mamić incited Pernar to abuse, and a retrial was ordered, the highest court announced.

Former Dinamo director Damir Vrbanović was confirmed with a first-instance verdict, sentencing him to three years in prison, the Supreme Court added in a statement citing only the initials of the accused.

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March 11, 2021 - Tottenham tops Dinamo 2:0 in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 tonight in London.

The Croatian champion returned to Tottenham for the first time since 2008 when they lost 4:0 in Group D of the then Uefa Cup.

Jose Mourinho's side has been in great form lately with four consecutive championship victories and a 13:1 goal difference. Tottenham is now in the fight for the first four spots leading to the Champions League, which allowed Mourinho to rest some of his starters, even though Harry Kane and Heung-min Son began from the first minute on Thursday. Gareth Bale was on the bench.

Dinamo also came to London in great form and full of confidence after a great Europa League season thus far. Mamic's team finished the group stage undefeated and topped Krasnodar in the last 32. Zoran Mamić did not make significant changes to the starting 11.

Starting lineups

Tottenham: Lloris - Davies, Dier, Sanchez, Aurier - Ndombele, Alli, Sissoko - Son, Kane, Lamela

Dinamo: Livaković - Leovac, Theophile_Catherine, Lauritsen, Ristovski - Ivanušec, Ademi, Jakić, Majer - Oršić, Petković

Tottenham v Dinamo Recap

Dinamo entered the match with confidence, and even though Tottenham pressured Dinamo's defense more in the first 20 minutes, the Zagreb side held their own. 

That is, until the 25th minute, when Lamela danced through Dinamo's defense, hit the post, only for Kane to finish for 1:0 Tottenham. 

Tottenham ended the first half with 67% possession, though they had only two more shots than Dinamo (6/4), and Dinamo had more shots on goal (2/3). 

While Tottenham maintained their momentum at the start of the second half, Petković had Dinamo's best chance in the 59th minute, shooting just near post to keep Tottenham in the lead. 

Tottenham increased its lead in the 70th minute. Theophile-Catherine weakly cleared the ball out of the box to Kane who scored his second goal for 2:0. Dinamo was unable to come back. 

Dinamo and Tottenham will meet in the return match at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Thursday, March 18. 

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February 26, 2021 - Dinamo draws Tottenham in the Europa League round of 16!

Dinamo will play against Tottenham in the Europa League round of 16 after they knocked out Russian club Krasnodar at the start of the knockout phase. Interestingly, Tottenham knocked out Austrian club Wolfsberg, who Dinamo played in the group stage. 

The matches are played on March 11 and 18, and the draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals is on March 19. Dinamo will host the club led by Jose Mourinho in the first game. 

There were no winners in this phase of the competition and clubs from the same country and clubs that played in the same group stage group could meet. Tottenham is one of four clubs with Manchester United, Ajax, and Arsenal that the Croatian champion wanted to avoid.

Mourinho’s side got off to a great start to the season and was at the top of the Premier League, but are in poor form in 2021. Namely, Tottenham has lost five of their last six games in the league and has been knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton. The winner of the Europa League will win a place in the Champions League next season. Winning Europa League is Tottenham's biggest chance for the Champions League, as they are currently in 9th place in the Premier League. 

Tottenham’s biggest stars are Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. They have scored 13 goals each this season. Gareth Bale also returned to Tottenham from Real Madrid last summer.

According to Transfermarkt, Tottenham is worth as much as EUR 720 million, while the Croatian champion is exactly seven times less.

Last 16 Draw:

Granada - Molde

Slavia - Rangers

Manchester United - Milan

DINAMO - Tottenham

Olympiacos - Arsenal

Roma - Šahtar

Ajax - Young Boys

Dinamo Kijev - Villarreal

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February 25, 2021 - Dinamo advances to Europa League last 16 after defeating Krasnodar in the return match of the Europa League last 32 at Maksimir Stadium on Thursday.

In the first match played seven days ago in Russia, the Croatian champion won 3:2 and thus gained a big advantage before the return match in Zagreb.

Bruno Petković was brilliant with two goals, and the winning goal was the work of Iyayi Atiemwen. Marcus Berg and Victor Claesson scored for Krasnodar, though Berg did not arrive in Zagreb and did not play tonight.

Dinamo has been waiting to play a 'European spring' for 49 years. Now, for the second time in the last three seasons, they have reached the round of 16.

Recall, two years ago, Dinamo knocked out Victoria Plzen in the last 32, and then lost to Benfica in the round of 16.

Even with the advantage going into Thursday's return match, relaxing was not an option for the Zagreb club. Dinamo came out aggressively in the first half, with both dangerous attacking plays and solid defense. But Krasnodar maintained the same momentum, and possession was 50/50.

Krasnodar's keeper was brilliant in goal to keep the Russian side's net clear for most of the first half, while Livakovic was put to work, too. 

But Dinamo got their chance in the  31st minute. In a brilliant attacking play, Jakić found Oršić who scored from ten meters for 1:0! It was Oršić's 14th goal in European matches for Dinamo. 

The second half started with no changes for either side. Dinamo maintained their advantage in the second half, even though Krasnodar seemed to have more ball in possession. The Russian side, however, could not find the way to Livakovic's net.

The ref added three minutes to the end of the match, in which neither team was able to score. With this victory, Dinamo advances to the round of 16!

The last 16 draw will take place on Friday, February 26 in Nyon at 1 pm. 

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February 18, 2021 - Dinamo Zagreb tops Krasnodar in the first match of the Europa League round of 32. 

Dinamo and Krasnodar met for game one of the Europa League round of 32 in the Russian city of Krasnodar on Thursday evening. 

The Croatian champion arrived in a snowy Russia on Wednesday, where temperatures were around -10 degrees Celsius. The temperature during the match was expected to drop to -11 and even -13, though commentators said it was -6 in the first five minutes of the match. 

Recall, Krasnodar finished third in the Champions League group behind Chelsea and Sevilla and ahead of Rennes. Dinamo, on the other hand, was undefeated in their Europa League group and finished on top ahead of Wolfsberg, Feyenoord, and CSKA Moscow.

Dinamo entered this match without any surprises in the starting 11, while Krasnodar's starting lineup was without Wanderson, their best player. 

Lineups

Krasnodar: Gorodov, Smolnikov, Kaio, Martinovič, Černov, Olsson, Cabella, Vilhena, Sulejmanov, Berg, Claesson

Dinamo: Livaković, Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Lauritsen, Gvardiol, Majer, Jakić, Ademi, Ivanušec, Oršić, Petković

Krasnodar v Dinamo Recap

Dinamo was fierce at the start of the match, forcing plays up the wings for an early and dangerous corner kick. Without letting Krasnador taste too much of their half, both teams maintained much of the match in the middle of the pitch. 

It didn't take long for Dinamo to find the back of the net. In the 15th minute, Mislav Orsic's cross eventually found the head of Bruno Petkovic for 0:1.

Dinamo couldn't hold onto their lead for too long, and just under 15 minutes later, Krasnador's Berg equalized for 1:1, which was the halftime result. 

Krasnodar welcomed Wanderson to the starting lineup of the second half, though that didn't help their chances much. Eight minutes into the second half, Orsic nailed a corner to Petkovic, who scored his second goal of the match for the Dinamo lead (1:2). 

Krasnodar dominated in the minutes that followed and threatened Dinamo's goal more than a few times. They even scored from offside. 

But Krasnodar's moment finally came in the 69th minute when Claesson equalized for 2:2. 

Dinamo led for the third time of the match in the 74th minute thanks to the fancy footwork of Ivanusec and brilliant goal by Atiemwen (2:3). 

Four minutes were added by the ref at the end of the match, though neither team was able to score. 

Dinamo and Krasnodar will meet in Zagreb next week. 

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December 14, 2020 - Dinamo Zagreb meets Krasnodar in the last 32 of the Europa League competition. 

The Europa League round of 32 draw was held in Nyon on Monday, in which Dinamo drew Russian club Krasnodar as its opponent in the knockout phase of the competition.

As the winner of Group K, Dinamo had the seeded-status along with the other 11 group winners and the four best third-placed teams from the Champions League. As a seeded team, the Croatian champion will have the home-field-advantage so that the first match will be played in Russia on February 18, and the return match on February 25 at Maksimir Stadium.

Krasnodar is currently the eighth-ranked club in the Russian league. Krasnodar found a spot in the Europea League's round of 32 by finishing third in Group E of the Champions League, behind Chelsea and Sevilla, and ahead of Rennes. They won five points in that group, which was not enough for them to be seeded in today's draw.

This season's Europa League final is on May 26 in Gdansk.

Seeded Clubs: Roma, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Rangers, PSV, Napoli, Leicester City, Milan, Villarreal, Tottenham, DINAMO, Hoffenheim te Manchester United, Club Brugge, Shahktar, Ajax

Un-seeded clubs: Young Boys, Molde, Slavia, Benfica, Granada, Real Sociedad, Braga, Lille, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Royal Antwerp, Wolfsberger, Crvena zvezda te Krasnodar, RB Salzburg, Dynamo Kijev, Olympiakos

Round of 32 draw:

Wolfsberger - Tottenham
Dinamo Kijev - Club Brugge
Real Sociedad - Manchester United
Benfica - Arsenal
Crvena Zvezda - Milan
Royal Antwerp - Rangers
Slavia Prag - Leicester
Red Bull Salzburg - Villarreal
Braga - Roma
Krasnodar - Dinamo Zagreb
Young Boys - Bayern Leverkusen
Molde - Hoffenheim
Granada - Napoli
Maccabi Tel Aviv - Šahtar
Lille - Ajax
Olympiacos - PSV

Source: UEFA

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November 27, 2020 - In the 4th round of the Europa League on Thursday, Dinamo tops Wolfsberger AC and Rijeka falls to Napoli. 

Dinamo Zagreb is one step closer to placing in the Europa League round of 16. In the 4th round match of Group K as guests in Klagenfurt, they defeated Austrian club Wolfsberger 0:3 and thus stand out at the top of the table.

The scorers were Lovro Majer in the 60th minute, Bruno Petković in the 75th, and Luka Ivanušec in the first minute of the referee's added time.

Dinamo has yet to concede a goal, even after four rounds, and with eight points they lead this group. In the other match on Thursday, CSKA and Feyenoord played 0:0 in Moscow.

Nikola Vlašić played the whole match for CSKA, while Kristijan Bistrović entered the game in the 71st minute.

Two rounds before the end of the group competition, Dinamo is at the top of the table with eight points, in second is Feyenoord with five, Wolfsberger has four in third, and in last is CSKA with three.

In a week, Dinamo will play against Feyenoord in Rotterdam, while at the same time, CSKA will host Wolfsberger in Moscow.

Rijeka suffered their fourth defeat in Group F, losing 0-2 (0-1) away to Napoli in Naples.

Napoli came to victory with a goal by Politano in the 41st minute and onel by Hirving Lozano in the 75th minute.

With this defeat in Naples, Rijeka lost its theoretical chances of winning one of the first two places in the group leading in the round of 16 and remains in last without points. Rijeka will remain in last place at the end of the competition.

Rijeka played in Naples the day after the death of the great Diego Maradona, who was most responsible for the club's only two Italian championship titles (1987, 1990). Napoli came out on the pitch adorning the number 10 on their backs to honor the Argentine football legend. 

The second match of Group F between AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad ended without goals. Two rounds before the end, Napoli leads with nine points, followed by AZ and Real with seven points each, while Rijeka is last without points.

In the 5th round match in one week, Rijeka will play against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, while AZ and Napoli will play in Alkmaar at the same time.

Source: HRT

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ZAGREB November 12, 2020 - Just two days ago, he spoke at the commemoration of Dinamo Zagreb's Slaven Zambata. Today, the saddening news of his death was announced. Krasnodar Rora will be remembered as one of the greatest Dinamo players of all time.

As 24sata reports, in less than two weeks, football club Dinamo Zagreb has lost two legends who are credited with the club’s greatest successes. Following the death of Slaven Zambata, a former Dinamo football player and member of the Yugoslav national team, who died two weeks ago, the club announced today that Krasnodar Rora has also passed away.

Zambata and Rora used to be teammates, and just two days ago, Rora said goodbye to him at Zambata's commemoration in Maksimir Stadium and the Mirogoj Cemetery with an emotional speech.

"I was speechless when my wife told me. We were wedding godparents. He was our godfather," Rora told 24sata recently on the occasion of Slaven Zambata's death.

Rora died early in the morning on Thursday 12 November 2020, at the age of 75. He will be remembered as the popular left-wing of Dinamo's blue jersey from the end of the '60s to the beginning of the '70s when he played 459 games and scored 90 goals in 10 years. He took part in the club's greatest success in history in 1967 when Dinamo Zagreb won the Fair Cities Cup by defeating Leeds in the final. Rora was therefore one of the symbols of the 1967 generation.

Born on March 23, 1945, on Vis, he made his first footballing steps at the age of 14 in Šibenik. There he spent his childhood in the "football district" of Šubićevac, known for its football stadium. In 1964, he came to Dinamo Zagreb, where he inherited the number 11 jersey. Later, he played for Belgian team Standard Liège, then for Nancy Lorraine, where he played alongside legend of French and world football, Michel Platini. Platini himself, during his visit to the Croatian Football Association, pointed out: "I would not have become such a player if I had not stayed to work with Rora after training."

After his career as a football player, Rora was a coach at Dinamo's football school and held the position of assistant head coach. As an expert commentator, he also excelled in journalism.

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