December 14, 2021 - Dinamo and Sevilla will meet in the Europa League knockout round playoffs in February after the draw was held in Nyon, France, on Monday. 

Dinamo Zagreb will play against Sevilla and Ivan Rakitić in the Europa League round of 16 playoffs. The draw was held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Monday. 

Sevilla will host the first match on February 17, 2022,  and the return match will be played a week later in Zagreb.

After being relegated from the Champions League, Sevilla has hopes to win the Europa League as they will host the final and have been successful in this competition in recent years. Namely, Sevilla won the Europa League in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020.

"We have difficult matches ahead of us, but I hope we will learn something from playing in the Champions League," said former Croatia national team player Ivan Rakitić on Tuesday after being knocked out of the Champions League.

"We will play again in the Europa League, a competition that we are good at and will enjoy," added Rakitić, who is the captain of Sevilla until the injured Jesús Navas returns.

Sevilla is currently the second-placed team in La Liga and will be a tough rival for the Croatian champions, who were threatened by other greats in the draw, such as Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

"What to say about the draw? I am delighted and proud; it will be two big and difficult games. It is nice on the one hand to play against our club, against Dinamo, but also difficult because I have to fight against our club. I would like it better that we see each other in the quarterfinals or semifinals, not now. I am happy to come to Croatia for the first time in the club competition against our club, and it will be exciting in any case," said Rakitić after the draw. 

"We will have to play our best football, quite clearly, because Dinamo is a great European team that knows how to play such games. I know them very well; there will certainly be a lot of conversations with the coach and the club about the game; I am happy to come home and play at my Maksimir. It will be nice, but also strange, for the first time as a guest, but it will be a very nice and emotional experience for sure."

He was asked what kind of welcome he expects at Maksimir as a former national team player.

"Let it be however they want it to be. I hope for a very nice and good welcome; everyone knows how much Croatia, our football and our clubs mean to me. That is why I am very sorry that I have to fight against Dinamo. I can't wait to be home again, in Zagreb and Maksimir, and I believe that everything will be good and positive; I can't wait for the game."

The most exciting playoff pair is Barcelona and Napoli, and Dani Olmo and his RB Leipzig will play against Real Sociedad.

The Croatian champion is among 16 clubs in the second round of the Europa League. The winners of the groups Lyon, Monaco, Spartak, Eintracht, Galatasaray, Red Star, Bayer Leverkusen, and West Ham won a direct place in the round of 16. At the same time, eight second-placed teams (Dinamo, Rangers, Sociedad, Napoli, Olympiakos, Lazio, Braga, and Betis) play in the playoffs against third-placed teams from Champions League groups, namely Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig, Porto, Atalanta, Sevilla, and Zenik St. Petersburg.

EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF DRAW (ROUND OF 16):
SEVILLA - DINAMO

ATALANTA - OLYMPIAKOS

RB LEIPZIG - REAL SOCIEDAD

BARCELONA - NAPOLI

ZENIT ST. PETERSBURG - REAL BETIS

BORUSSIA DORTMUND - RANGERS

SHERIFF - BRAGA

PORTO - LAZIO

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 13, 2021 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 10 to 12, 2021. This round saw Lokomotiva and Hajduk finish 3:3, Rijeka lose to Gorica, and Osijek jump to first place. Here is our HNL Round 19 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Hr Dragovoljac (3:0)

Istra and Dragovoljac opened the 19th round on Friday, December 10, 2021, in Pula in front of 296 fans. 

Mahmoud opened the match with a goal for Istra in the 19th minute for 1:0. Bande increased Istra's lead to 2:0 eight minutes later. Lisica confirmed Istra's win with a goal in the 72nd minute for the final 3:0. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 18 points (and one game less), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 7. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (3:3)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk met in Zagreb on Saturday, December 13, 2021, in front of 2,776 fans. 

An own goal by Elez put Lokomotiva in the lead in the 11th minute. Livaja equalized for Hajduk in the 33rd for 1:1 at the half. Maric put Lokomotiva back in the lead in the 63rd minute, before Mlakar scored two goals in the 76th and 80th for the 2:3 Hajduk lead. A Katic own goal 6 minutes later gave Lokomotiva the 3:3 draw. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 24 points, while Hajduk is in 4th with 34 (and one game less).

Rijeka v. Gorica (1:2)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica on Saturday, December 11, 2021, in front of 3,082 fans. 

Rijeka was weakened when Ampem received his second yellow in the 34th minute, forcing Rijeka to play with a man down for the rest of the match. Lovric scored for the Gorica lead in the 64th minute, and Delfi made it 0:2 in the 75th. Drmic scored one for Rijeka three minutes later for the final 1:2. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 37 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 29. 

Osijek v. Sibenik (3:1)

Osijek and Sibenik met on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.

Mierez put Osijek in the lead from the 3rd minute, followed by a Bohar goal three minutes later for 2:0. Marin scored for Sibenik a minute after that for 2:1, though Kleinheisler scored in the 33rd for 3:1 at the half, which was also the final score.

Osijek has jumped to first place with 39 points, while Sibenik is in 7th place with 19. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Belupo closed out the 19th round on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

Andric put Dinamo in the lead in the 13th minute, followed by Orsic goals in the 19th and 25th minutes for the final 3:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 3rd place with 34 points (and two games less), while Belupo is in 9th with 16. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 9, 2021 - Dinamo beats West Ham 1:0 in London in the last round of Group H, thus securing second place of the group and the Europa League playoff round in the spring. 

Mislav Oršić secured the victory for the Blues with a fantastic goal in the 4th minute. The Croatian champion had many more opportunities to increase the score against West Ham, which played with a rather mixed squad, and only two permanent and two other occasional first-team players, among them former Hajduk Split star Nikola Vlašić.

Rapid's away victory against Genk (0:1) also helped Dinamo, but this result would only matter if Dinamo drew or lost. 

Dinamo secured either the Europa League or Conference League even before the match against West Ham. West Ham had secured first place before the match against Dinamo, and the Blues needed at least one point in London or for Genk to lose at home to confirm second place. 

The Europa League playoff matches are on February 17 next year, and the return matches are played seven days later.

In the end, West Ham won the group with 13 points, Dinamo is second with 10, Rapid is third with six and goes and will play in the Conference League in the spring, while Genk is at the back with five points.

West Ham as the winner of the group goes directly to the round of 16, Dinamo will play in the Europa League playoffs against one of the third-placed clubs in the Champions League, while Rapid moves to the Conference League playoffs. 

The Europa League playoff draw is on December 13 in Nyon at 1 pm. The Zagreb club could face RB Leipzig, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Sheriff, Barcelona, ​​Atalanta, Sevilla and Zenit St. Petersburg.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 6, 2021 - The 18th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 4 to 6, 2021. This round saw Hajduk win the 'Eternal Derby' against Dinamo, while Osijek and Gorica drew, and Istra and Belupo will close out the round tonight. Here is our HNL round 18 recap (so far). 

Gorica v. Osijek (1:1)

Gorica and Osijek opened the 18th round on Saturday, December 4, 2021, in Velika Gorica in front of 673 fans. 

Prsir scored for the Gorica lead in the 6th minute, which they maintained until the 3rd minute of stoppage time when Osijek's Hiros scored for 1:1 at the half. Kleinheisler was booked for his second yellow in the 61st minute, forcing Osijek to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 26 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 35 (and one game less). 

Rijeka v. Hr. Dragovoljac (4:1)

Rijeka and Dragovoljac met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, December 4, 2021. 

Rijeka's scoring spree started in the 16th minute when Obregon found the back of the net for 1:0. Muric increased Rijeka's lead to 2:0 in the 44th minute. Muric scored again in the 47th minute to increase Rijeka's lead to 3:0, but Petkovic gave Dragovoljac some hope with a goal in the 67th minute for 3:1. Muric secured his hattrick with his third goal in the 80th minute for the final 4:1. 

Rijeka is currently in first place with 36 points (and one game less), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 7. 

Lokomotiva and Sibenik (1:1)

Lokomotiva and Sibenik met in Zagreb on Sunday, December 5, 2021. 

Gorican put Lokomotiva in the lead in the 39th minute with a goal for 1:0 at the half. Curic equalized for Sibenik in the 66th minute for 1:1. which was the final score. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 23 points, while Sibenik is in 7th with 19. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (0:2)

Dinamo and Hajduk met in the 'Eternal Derby' on Sunday, December 5, 2021, in front of around 10,000 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Hajduk's king Marko Livaja chipped Livakovic for 0:1 in the 60th minute. Then, Livaja assisted Sahiti at the top of the box for a late-match screamer in the 4th minute of stoppage time and the final 0:2 for Hajduk. 

Dinamo is currently in 4th place with 31 points (and two games less), while Hajduk is in 3rd with 34 (and one game less). 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo - December 6, 2021, at 18:00.

Istra and Belupo will close out the 18th round on Monday evening. Istra is currently in 8th place with two games behind, while Belupo is in 9th place with one game behind.  We will update this article once the match finishes. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 2, 2021 - After Rijeka won in the Croatian Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, the coach of the Croatian champion Dinamo, Damir Krznar, has resigned.

Krznar took over Dinamo in mid-March this year after being assistant to former coach Zoran Mamić. Recall, Mamić had to leave the Dinamo bench due to a final conviction. Krznar led the team in a 3:0 victory against Tottenham in the Europa League round of 16, reported HRT.

Dinamo has been in a crisis and lost 1:3 to Rijeka under Krznar's leadership in the Croatian Cup on Wednesday. 

Dinamo on Sunday expects the eternal derby against Hajduk in the 18th round of the First HNL and in eight days a visit to West Ham United in the last, 6th round of Europa League. 

Krznar took responsibility in a statement after the relegation in the Cup, 

"The fact that the result was not obtained, that the result was not delivered, both in the Cup and in the championship - we are limping. We have an extremely tough game against Hajduk; we enter it shaken. My moral act is to do everything for the team. Dinamo has always been in the first place. It is the team that comes first. I assess that at this moment, the team needs a positive shock. Maybe it is a good opportunity, as I address our fans, to thank them for their support, those who gave their support, and to apologize to those who did not have enough and who are dissatisfied with the reason. Right now, I may still be a little hot, but I don't think the situation will change tomorrow either. I am resigning from this position for the team to make one positive step, one mental shock, which is needed. I wish luck to the new coach; I wish luck to Dinamo," said Krznar.

Who will lead Dinamo in their next two key games will be known today after an 11 am press conference.

Željko Kopić, the head of Dinamo's football school and the most experienced of the remaining experts employed in Maksimir, should lead the team in the derby on Sunday. But, depending on that outcome, he may end the winter season on the bench.

Dinamo's management is expected to appoint a new head coach during the winter break, but more will be known after today's conference.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 1, 2021 - The Croatian Cup quarterfinals came to an end on Wednesday as Osijek topped Slaven Belupo on penalties and Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1 at Maksimir to secure their spots in the semifinals. 

Osijek became the third semifinalist of this season's Croatian Cup on Wednesday, beating Slaven Belupo 5:4 on penalties after no goals were scored in 120 minutes at City Garden Stadium. 

Although there were no goals, this quarterfinal match was full of events, as both teams missed a penalty during regulation time and both finished the match with 10 players in extra time. 

In the 94th minute, Žaper received a direct red card, and in the 108th minute, Kvržić was booked for his second yellow card. 

During the penalty shootout, Belupo was first to gain the advantage after Osijek captain Škorić shook the crossbar, but Goda missed immediately after. In the sixth round, Zirdum hit the crossbar, and Daku was precise for Osijek to push them into the top four.

Osijek thus joined Gorica and Hajduk, which reached the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Gorica beat Istra 1961 on penalties, and Hajduk defeated Lokomotiva 6-3 in Zagreb. 

Dinamo and Rijeka met in the last quarterfinal match at Maksimir on Wednesday. 

Obregon scored Rijeka's first goal in the 27th minute for the 0:1 lead. Josip Drmić scored three minutes later to make it 0:2 for Rijeka at the half. 

Dinamo couldn't score until the 73rd minute when Marko Tolić gave the home team hope for 1:2. 

Dinamo could not equalize even in the nearly 8 minutes of stoppage time added by the referee, and after putting in a last-minute effort, it was Rijeka to secure the last Croatian Cup semifinal spot with a goal in the 98th minute for 1:3. 

Rijeka, Gorica, Osijek, and Hajduk will fight in the Croatian Cup semifinals in the spring of 2022.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 29, 2021 - The 17th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 26 to 28, 2021. This round saw Osijek, Rijeka, Dinamo, and Hajduk record victories, keeping the top of the standings tight. Here's our HNL round 17 recap. 

Osijek v. Lokomotiva (2:1)

Osijek and Lokomotiva opened the 17th round on Friday, November 26, 2021, at City Garden Stadium in front of 1,083 fans. 

Kulenovic put Lokomotiva in the lead with a goal in the 9th minute for 0:1, though Nejasmic equalized for 1:1 in the 40th. Lokomotiva's Ibrahim was booked for his second yellow in the 72nd minute, forcing them to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. Daku scored for Osijek to put them in the lead (2:1). Lokomotiva had another player sent off the pitch in the final minutes of stoppage time as Cojak was shown his second yellow. Fiolic scored in the 6th minute of added time for the final 3:1. 

Osijek is currently in first place with 34 points (and one game less), while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 22. 

Hajduk v. Istra 1961 (4:0)

Hajduk and Istra played the second Friday match on November 26, 2021, at Poljud in front of 4,560 fans. 

Ljubicic scored Hajduk's first goal for 1:0 in the 11th minute. A Fossati rocket hit with the outside of his boot made it 2:0 in the 27th minute. Krovinovic increased Hajduk's lead to 3:0 in the 70th, and Livaja got his chance to score for the final 4:0 in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 30 points (and one game less), while Istra is in 8th with 15 (and one game less).

Hr. Dragovoljac v Gorica (0:1)

Dragovoljac and Gorica met in Zagreb on Saturday, November 27, 2021, in front of 105 fans. 

The only goal of the match came in the 70th minute when Lovric scored for the Gorica win. 

Dragovoljac is currently in the last place with 7 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 25. 

Slaven Belupo v. Rijeka (1:2)

Slaven Belupo and Rijeka met in Koprivnica on Saturday, November 27, 2021, in front of 387 fans. 

Belupo's Krstanovic scored an own goal for the Rijeka lead in the 51st minute. Drmic increased Rijeka's lead to 0:2 in the 70th. Caimacov gave Belupo some hope with a goal in the 74th minute for 1:2, but Hadzic missed a penalty and their chance to equalize in the 86th. 

Belupo is currently in 9th place with 13 points, while Rijeka is in 2nd with 33 (and one game less). 

Sibenik v. Dinamo (1:2)

Sibenik and Dinamo closed out the 17th round on Sunday, November 28, 2021, in Sibenik in front of 831 fans. 

Ivanusec scored in the 19th minute for 0:1 Dinamo at the half. Jakolis equalized for Sibenik in the 75th minute, but a Peric own goal gave Dinamo the 1:2 win. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 18 points, while Dinamo is in 3rd with 31 (and two games less). 

You can see the HNL standings HERE.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 25, 2021 - Dinamo and Genk played 1:1 at Maksimir stadium on Thursday night in the 5th round of the Europe League Group H, securing at least a spot in the Conference League in the spring. If Dinamo does not lose to West Ham in the last round in London, they will play in the Europa League knockout phase. 

Dinamo and Genk met in the 5th round of the Europa League at Maksimir stadium on Thursday. A victory or a point would have brought Dinamo to the next stage of a European competition, meaning the Zagreb club would secure at least second place in the group with a new victory tonight. However, even with a defeat, the Croatian champion would not fall out completely. 

Looking only at the result of the first match against Genk, Dinamo was the absolute favorite tonight, defeating Genk away 3:0 in their first Europa League meeting at the end of September.

While both sides had their fair share of chances in the first half, Dinamo took the lead with a goal by Luka Menalo in the 35th minute. Thanks to a long ball by Theophile, Krznar's joker withstood pressure on his back to tap the ball into the back of the net for 1:0. 

Unfortunately, in the last seconds of the first half, Ugbo's crossbar shot went over the goal line to equalize at 1:1.

While there were a few close calls for both teams in the second half, neither team was able to score to keep the result even at 1:1. 

West Ham and Dinamo will face off in the final round in London on Thursday, December 9. If Dinamo does not lose to West Ham in the last round, they will play in the Europa League knockout phase. If they lose, they will move to the Conference League. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 24, 2021 - Pope Francis has been gifted a jersey of the Croatian champion Dinamo Zagreb as part of a Vatican trip that featured a friendly football match between the World Roma Organization in Croatia and the Pope's team Fratelli tutti, hosted by Italian club Lazio.

Croatian champion Dinamo was the main sponsor of a trip to the Vatican, organized by the Croatian delegation and the World Roma Organization in Croatia. The Zagreb club was represented by club president Mirko Barišić, reports HRT.

As part of the Vatican trip, a friendly football match was organized between the World Roma Organization in Croatia and the Pope's team Fratelli tutti, and the host of the match was the Italian club Lazio.

Before the match, the Holy Father received both teams and members of the delegations from Croatia and Italy, and on that occasion, Mirko Barišić presented the Holy Father with gifts, including the Dinamo jersey.

The event was organized by Msgr. Melchor Sanchez de Toca, head of the Vatican's Council for Culture and Sports, in collaboration with Nikola Kriković, Toti Dedić's assistant.

"This was an extremely pleasant and beautiful trip. For me as a Christian and a Catholic, this moment of meeting the Pope means a lot, and it means a lot to Dinamo. I was pleasantly surprised that people around the Holy Father know the name Dinamo well from the sports world. Pope Francis is a very simple man, he is very careful, he cares and advocates that "small" people should not be excluded from society, and he especially cares about minorities such as the Roma. He is particularly sensitive to this topic, advocating for all people to be given equality and to be shown that they can participate equally in society. He was delighted with the role of Dinamo as a top football club that actively supported this match as a sponsor and who showed that in addition to sports results, he takes care to respect and appreciate everything that makes a man a man. Dinamo sticks not only to the results but also to the general social values. He gave us great recognition there," said the Dinamo president.

The Holy Father had a special message for the World Roma Organization, which is extremely active in Croatia and which makes great efforts to promote equal opportunities for all, and which Dinamo has repeatedly supported through various projects and cooperation over the years.

"Dear Roma friends, I know that in Croatia you are launching many sports inclusion initiatives to help each other know each other and friendship. It is a sign of hope because big childhood dreams cannot be limited by our barriers. All children have the right to grow up together, without obstacles and without discrimination. And sport is a place of encounter and equality and can build communities with bridges of friendship."

It should be reminded that Dinamo has supported the work of the World Roma Organization countless times by promoting the fight against racism and discrimination. Likewise, the club is continuously committed to providing equal opportunities for all regardless of diversity.

At the competition of the Foundation No surrender, entitled "Equal Opportunities for All", the World Roma Organization received a donation of HRK 40,000.00. The donation was given for the project of football camps for girls and boys belonging to racial and national minorities in several different parts of Croatia.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 22, 2021 - The 16th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 19 to 21, 2021. This round saw two of the biggest derbies in Croatian football, as Hajduk topped Rijeka at Rujevica and Dinamo and Osijek drew at Maksimir. Here is our HNL round 16 recap. 

Hr. Dragovoljac v. Slaven Belupo (1:2)

Dragovoljac and Belupo opened the 16th round on Friday, November 19, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Bosec opened the match for an early Belupo lead at 0:1 in the 3rd minute. Krstanovic increased their lead with a penalty in the 10th minute for 0:2. Majstorovic gave Dragovoljac some hope with a goal in the 73rd minute, but after a Lukic red card in the 87th minute, the match ended 1:2 for Belupo. 

Dragovoljac is currently in the last place with 7 points, while Belupo is in 9th with 13. 

Dinamo v. Osijek (1:1)

Dinamo and Osijek met on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

Fiolic put Osijek ahead in the 16th minute for 0:1 at the half. Petkovic equalized in the 80th minute for 1:1, which was the final score. 

Dinamo is currently in 3rd place with 28 points (and two games less), while Osijek is in 1st with 31 (and one game less).

Istra 1961 v. Sibenik (3:4) 

Istra and Sibenik met in Pula on November 20, 2021. 

Jakolis put Sibenik ahead in the 38th minute for 0:1, before Marin scored the equalizer 6 minutes later for 1:1 at the half. Beljo missed a penalty for Istra in the 59th minute, and Sibenik retook the lead thanks to Delic two minutes later (1:2). Delic scored again in the 72nd minute for 1:3, before Beljo redeemed himself and scored for 2:3 in the 82nd. Miskovic equalized 5 minutes later for 3:3, but it was Jakolis to score the winning goal for Sibenik in the 7th minute of stoppage time for the final 3:4. 

Istra is in 8th place with 15 points (and one game less), while Sibenik is in 7th with 18. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (2:2)

Gorica and Lokomotiva met in Velika Gorica on Sunday, November 21, 2021. 

Fruk put Gorica ahead in the 2nd minute for 1:0. Prsir increased Gorica's lead to 2:0 in the 24th. Ibrahim gave Lokomotiva hope before halftime, scoring in the 34th minute for 1:2. Pivaric scored the equalizer for Lokomotiva in the 60th minute and the final 2:2. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 22 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 22. 

Rijeka v. Hajduk (2:3)

Rijeka and Hajduk closed out the 16th round with the Adriatic Derby at Rujevica on Sunday, November 21, 2021. 

After his first goal was called offside, Livaja scored just before the halftime whistle to put Hajduk ahead 0:1. Drmic equalized in the 53rd minute for 1:1. Rijeka was awarded a penalty in the 79th minute, which Muric scored for 2:1. Hajduk followed suit with a penalty five minutes later. Livaja was solid for 2:2. Hajduk had a corner in the match's final play, which found Mlakar's head for the 2:3 Hajduk win. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 30 points (and one game less), while Hajduk is in 4th with 27 (and one game less). 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.  

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.