Friday, 6 January 2023

Dinamo Star Mislav Oršić Signs for Southampton F.C. until 2025

January 6, 2023 - Mislav Oršić signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the English Premier League club Southampton F.C. on Friday. He thus leaves Dinamo Zagreb after four and a half seasons, where he scored 91 goals in 216 appearances.

Oršić is also Dinamo's top scorer in European competitions with 28 goals. He's won seven trophies with Dinamo - four Croatian championships, one Croatian Cup, and two Croatian Supercups.

"I will remember every moment I experienced in these four and a half years. Today is tough for me, although I believe everyone understands my decision. The way to this English Premier League club opened up, where I always dreamed of playing, and I think that for every Croatian footballer, going to a club in a top league, and especially to England, is a great opportunity and privilege," said 30-year-old Mislav Oršić in Dinamo's official press release.

Dinamo thanked the player for his exceptional contribution since his arrival in 2018.

"On the professional side, I am happy about the move to Southampton and all the new challenges that lie ahead of me. I will do my best for my new club every moment I'm on the pitch. Nevertheless, today I am parting with my Dinamo, and it is not easy for me at all. However, I am leaving just as sincerely and immeasurably proud and happy that I was part of the Dinamo club and team, had so much support from the fans, and achieved the most beautiful, valuable, and special moments in my career and life. I lived my dream," Oršić said at his farewell to the club, in which he wished his teammates, coach Čačić, and the coaching staff all the luck to defend the Croatian championship title and win the Cup.

He also addressed Dinamo's fans.

"There are no words to describe how grateful I am for that special bond we created, for the tremendous support and special emotions. Thank you for recognizing that I give my whole self for Dinamo; our mutual love will continue, and you all remain in my heart forever."

Oršić earned an invitation from Zlatko Dalić to play for Croatia and was part of the team that won the bronze medal at this year's World Cup. He assisted Lovro Majer for Croatia's fourth goal against Canada (4-1), assisted Bruno Petković for the equalizing goal in the quarter-final against Brazil, scored a penalty in the shootout, and scored the winning goal against Morocco (2-1) in the match for 3rd place.

Source: HRT

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Wednesday, 8 June 2022

2021/22 HNL Second Highest Scorer Josip Drmić Signs with Dinamo from Rijeka

June 8, 2022 -  Josip Drmić is a new Dinamo player. The 29-year-old striker has signed a professional contract with the Croatian champions and will join the first team at a gathering in mid-June.

Drmić arrived at Dinamo as the second scorer of the HNL last season with 21 goals in the Rijeka jersey. Until 2019, the talented offensive player wore the Norwich jersey while he arrived on loan to Rijeka in February 2021. He played 55 games for Rijeka, with 32 goals and five assists, announces Dinamo.

 

In the last season, he made 30 appearances in the HNL, three in the Croatian Cup, and four in the qualifications for the UEFA Conference League. He scored a total of 25 goals in all three competitions.

Earlier in his career, he gained extensive international playing experience with FC Zürich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Nuremberg, Hamburger SV, and Norwich. In the recently concluded 2021/22 season, the experienced goal scorer was close to the title of the league's top scorer. With a handful of fantastic actions and goals, his hat-trick against Šibenik at the end of the season stands out. 

With the experience gained in playing in the Bundesliga earlier in his career, Drmić has proved his exceptional quality, excellent playing skills, and certainly a desirable class in scoring goals during his time in Croatia. 

In addition to his club career, Drmić has been a member of the Swiss national team since 2012, for which he scored 10 goals in 35 games.

"I am thrilled and proud of this moment. Dinamo is the best Croatian club, the Croatian champion continuously wins trophies in domestic competitions, and performs regularly in European competitions. This season, the championship was extremely tense, the quality of players and teams was raised, and the final was very interesting and a bit uncertain, but in the end, Dinamo deservedly celebrated the title and confirmed they are the best in Croatia. I will personally do my best to thank the club for the trust they have gained in their games and goals. I believe that Dinamo will continue with good results in the new season through the Super Cup match, then the Championship and the Cup, and through the qualifications for the Champions League. The goals of the club are very high, but the quality of the players, staff, and the whole team is also high. With the support of Dinamo fans, as it was especially this season, I am sure that success will not be lacking," said Josip Drmić after signing the contract.

You can watch a video presentation and a short conversation with the new Dinamo player below:

 

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated sports section

Thursday, 21 April 2022

Željko Kopić Sacked as Dinamo Coach after Hajduk Loss

April 21, 2022 - Željko Kopić is no longer the coach of Dinamo Zagreb after losing to Hajduk at Poljud on Wednesday.

Last night, the 9th-round makeup match was played between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud in Split. The loss leaves Dinamo in first place with only two points more than Osijek and four more than Hajduk. Dinamo issued a short statement on their official channels, reports Index.hr.

"GNK Dinamo hereby informs the public that Mr. Željko Kopić is no longer the first team coach. Željko Kopić took over the first team's bench in December 2021 and led Dinamo in a total of 19 official matches, with five friendly matches played. In official matches in the HNL and Europa League with the Blues, he recorded 13 wins, two draws, and four defeats with a goal difference of 27:10. We especially emphasize the fantastic victories against West Ham United and Sevilla in the Europa League."

Kopić commented after his dismissal:

"I would like to thank the club's management, players, professional staff, coaches, and all club employees for the successful and quality cooperation we have had for the last two years. From the first day I became director of the Football School and later sports director and coach of the first team, the club is progressing, and I hope that I have achieved that in one part. I wish the club a successful end to the season, and the most important thing is to win the title."

Kopić took over Dinamo on December 2, 2021. He debuted with a defeat against Hajduk, a club from which he was also fired in 2018. He led Dinamo in the Europa League round of 16, where they lost to Sevilla, and his most notable victory on the bench of the Blues was against West Ham in London. 

In his career, he also led Lučko, Cibalia, NK Zagreb, Slaven Belupo, and Paphos in Cyprus. He has been with Dinamo since April 27, 2020. He then took over the role of head of the Academy, and in December last year, he succeeded Damir Krznar as the first coach.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

 

Friday, 27 August 2021

Europa League Draw: Dinamo in Group H against West Ham

August 27, 2021 - The Europa League draw was held today in Istanbul, with Dinamo in Group H against Genk, West Ham, and Rapid Wien. 

After being relegated from the Champions League playoffs by Moldovan club Sheriff (0-3, 0-0), Dinamo was placed in the first strong group of the Europa League draw and today learned the rivals that stand in their way to a new European spring.

The draw in Istanbul on Friday decided that Dinamo will play in Group H of the Europa League. The Zagreb club has thus drawn Group H with Genk, West Ham, and Rapid Wien. The first match of the group stage is scheduled for September 16.

Dinamo could have had a much worse draw, and a clash against Crvena Zvezda has been avoided. Rapid will threaten Damir Krznar's team from the fourth strong group of the team, West Ham from the third, while Genk, which knocked out Osijek and Lokomotiva from European competitions in previous years, come from the second.

EUROPE LEAGUE GROUP DRAW:

Group A
Lyon
Rangers
Sparta Prague
Brondby

Group B
Monaco
PSV Eindhoven
Real Sociedad
Sturm Graz

Group C
Napoli
Leicester City
Spartak Moscow
Legia Warsaw

Group D
Olympiakos
Eintracht Frankfurt
Fenerbahce
Royal Antwerp

Group E
Lazio
Lokomotiv Moscow
Marseille
Galatasaray

Group F
Braga
Red Star Belgrade
Ludogorets
Midtjylland

Group G
Bayer Leverkusen
Celtic
Real Betis
Ferencvaros

Group H
Dinamo Zagreb
Genk
West Ham
Rapid Vienna

Match dates: September 16 and 30, October 21, November 4 and 25, December 9

The knockout round playoffs are held on February 17 and 24 before the last 16 draw on February 25. The round of 16 is played on March 10 and 17, the quarter-finals on April 7 and 14, and the semis on April 28 and May 5. The Europa League final is on May 18 in Seville. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

Friday, 2 July 2021

Fans at Maksimir Stadium Allowed for Champions League Qualifier with EU Digital Covid Certificate

July 2, 2021 - Fans at Maksimir Stadium will be allowed for the 1st qualifying round of the Champions League only if they have an EU digital Covid certificate, which is a prerequisite for purchasing tickets. 

GNK Dinamo has decided that in the 1st qualifying round of the Champions League between Dinamo and Valur on July 7, starting at 7 pm at Maksimir Stadium, fans will be allowed to come to the stadium in compliance with all the above measures and conditions, which means mandatory EU digital Covid certificate, published the Croatian First League on the official website, as reported by HRT.

Every fan is obliged to present the EU digital Covid certificate when buying a ticket because it is a condition to purchase the ticket, while it is mandatory to have the same certificate (in printed or digital form) when entering Maksimir Stadium and during the match due to possible supervision of competent institutions. The procedure applies to each individual match of GNK Dinamo.

Tickets for the lower north stands are on sale at a price of 80 kuna and upper north stands. Ticket prices for the upper west stands will be 100 kuna, and the lower west stands 120 kuna.

One person can buy a maximum of five tickets upon presenting an EU digital Covid certificate for each individual person for whom they buy a ticket. The data on the ticket and the data on the EU digital Covid certificate must be identical.

A prerequisite for purchasing tickets for all fans will be presenting a valid identity document (identity card or passport, birth certificate or passport for children) and an EU digital Covid certificate. Furthermore, all tickets are personalized and read the name and surname, announced GNK Dinamo with detailed instructions.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE

Sunday, 11 April 2021

New Maksimir: Dinamo Presents Vision for EUR 60 million Stadium

April 11, 2021 - GNK Dinamo presented their vision for a new Maksimir stadium on Saturday, designed by famous Zagreb architect Otto Barić.

The club pointed out that they want a new Maksimir stadium, a place where club history was created and where thousands of fans celebrated victories, mourned defeats, and where all Dinamo fans' emotions are written in the frozen sequences of legendary victories.

"Based on materials made by the club, and in line with UEFA standards, the visual appearance of the stadium in Maksimir was made by the famous Zagreb architect Otto Barić, with his partners from the specialized company Polymachine who translated the idea and vision into these photos," published the club.

It is a proposal to build a stadium with a capacity of 34,000 seats, with large parking capacities - 300 VIP parking spaces and 30 VIP spaces, then PRESS parking and parking for spectators. All seats in the stadium are seated and covered, with a fan shop and a club museum, and additional commercial facilities on the north stand. Modern hospitality is planned in the entire stadium, as well as a state-of-the-art media complex. Of the ceremonial lodges, there are 2,000 VIP seats in the west and 1,000 VIP seats in the east, behind which is the camp of Dinamo's football school with the necessary infrastructure. The guest tribune would be in the southern part of the stadium.

The new Maksimir stadium would be fully accessible, in line with all UEFA and FIFA recommendations, and the construction of facilities for spectators with disabilities is planned. On 1,000 individual seats, 5 places are provided to accommodate spectators with disabilities and their companions, with accessible entrances and other services.

The club estimates that the construction would cost around 60 million euros, and Dinamo says that they want to participate in constructing a new stadium with a strategic partner in the project - the City of Zagreb.

Source: HRT

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Zdravko Mamić Press Conference in Mostar: "Lovren and Modrić are Accomplices!"

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.

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

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Zoran Mamić Resigns as Dinamo Coach after Supreme Court Verdict

March 16, 2021 - The latest football news in Croatia as Zoran Mamić resigns as Dinamo coach after the verdict was confirmed in the 'Mamić trial' on Monday.

On Monday, the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict against Zdravko and Zoran Mamić and former Dinamo director Damir Vrbanović.

Zdravko Mamić has now been sentenced to six and a half years in prison, and his brother Zoran Mamić, Dinamo's coach until last night, was sentenced to four years eight months in prison by the decision of the Supreme Court. Damir Vrbanović was sentenced to three years in prison.

After the verdict was announced, the question arose of whether Zoran Mamić could remain the coach of Dinamo. According to the letter of the law, he must leave the bench of the Croatian champion immediately. 

A few hours after the verdict was announced, the Dinamo coach also spoke.

"Although I do not feel guilty, as I announced earlier, if the verdict is final, I accept it as such and resign from the position of the GNK Dinamo head coach and sports director. I wish the club a lot of luck and sporting success in its future work," Mamić said.

At Monday's session of the GNK Dinamo Management Board, the current head coach and sports director's resignation was accepted. Damir Krznar was appointed to the head coach of Dinamo's first team, and will also serve as the club's sports director.

If Mamić had not resigned himself, Dinamo would have had to terminate his contract under the Sports Act, which states that no person who has been sentenced to more than six months can lead or organize sports competitions or perform professional sports activities.

Dinamo will play the return match of the Europa League round of 16 against Tottenham Hotspur in three days. In the Croatian championship, they hold first place with two points more and a game less than Osijek in second. 

Zoran Mamić sat on the Dinamo bench on two occasions, winning four championship titles and two Cups.

Source: Index.hr

You can read more about the Supreme Court verdict HERE

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

Sunday, 17 January 2021

Manchester United Donates EUR 10,000 to Petrinja, Dinamo Donates 10 Containers and More

January 17, 2021 - The football world has come together from near and far to help in the aftermath of the Petrinja earthquake, as Manchester United donates EUR 10,000 to Petrinja through the Dinamo Foundation 'No Surrender'. 

On January 14, Croatian champion Dinamo fulfilled its promise in delivering ten fully equipped and furnished containers with eight toilets to the village of Pecki, about 15 kilometers from Petrinja.

 

This is a continuation of the Dinamo Foundation's 'No Surrender' action, which began on December 30, the day after the earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County. The next day, the club, led by the coach of the first team Zoran Mamic, brought the collected donations to the village of Pecki, where most houses were partially or entirely destroyed. 

Another 27 sets of work clothes and rubber boots will arrive in the village of 100 inhabitants, which was also severely affected by the Homeland War.

Pecki was visited by representatives of the 'No Surrender' Foundation, including the Dinamo Management Board, represented by President Vlatka Peras, the first team by coach Zoran Mamic, and numerous players led by captain Arijan Ademi.

"I thank all our fans and citizens who made purchasing these containers possible with their donations to the foundation, and I invite all of them to continue donating to the foundation with us because this area will still need help," said Dinamo captain Arijan Ademi, while coach Zoran Mamic added:

"The history of this village, the Homeland War, the first line of defense. This gives another special motive to do our best to help these people as soon as possible and as efficiently and generously as possible."

Manchester United also took part with a donation
The Manchester United Foundation even joined the Zagreb club with a donation of EUR 10,000, while the Scottish giant Celtic and numerous Italian and German clubs also came forward. To date, more than HRK 667,000 has been donated to Dinamo's campaign. 

The value of Dinamo's donation to the village of Pecki is HRK 450,000, and the rest of the donation will be used to help those in Banovina whose property was damaged in the earthquake. The next action carried out by Dinamo is purchasing a container for its former player Radimir Bobinac.

Numerous athletes and clubs in Croatia are coming together for Petrinja, including Split club Hajduk, which has already sent several donations to the earthquake-affected areas. In its latest action, Hajduk is selling shirts of their legendary players through an auction.

Source: Index.hr, 24 Sata

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

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Zoran Mamic and Several Dinamo Players Test Positive for COVID-19 Ahead of Europa League

November 4, 2020 - Coach Zoran Mamic and several Dinamo players test positive for COVID-19 ahead of Europa League on Thursday. 

On Tuesday, GNK Dinamo announced that coach Zoran Mamic and one player had tested positive for COVID-19. 

"GNK Dinamo hereby informs the public that COVID-19 testing resulted in one positive first-team player of GNK Dinamo and two members of the professional staff, including the head coach Zoran Mamic.

They felt mild symptoms upon their return from Russia and were referred for testing, which in their case turned out to be positive," Dinamo said in a statement.

Thus, Dinamo will play against Wolfsberger without coach Mamic on Thursday, and he will not be on the bench on Sunday in the home game match against Istria in the 11th round of the HNL. This is followed by a representative break.

Even before the game against CSKA, Dinamo had one infected player who did not travel with the team. Zoran Mamic noticed his first symptoms and fever on Monday, after which he went for testing and was positive.

Dinamo's coach did not appear at the presentation of Dinamo's "No Surrender" foundation, which was held before the news was announced that he was positive. 

But that's not the end of the bad news for Dinamo ahead of their 3rd round Europa League match on Thursday. 

The team was tested for COVID-19 again on Tuesday, according to the regular UEFA protocol. Thus, before the match against Austrian club Wolfsberger, four more players tested positive, bringing the number to five.

"With four positives from before, GNK Dinamo has a total of nine players on the UEFA list who will not play in the match due to COVID-19."

While assistant coach Damir Krznar should have been on the bench to replace Mamic, there has been a change there as well.

"The test results of several professional staff members are also positive, and Alen Peternac will lead the match from the bench," Dinamo announced.

Dinamo will play against Wolfsberger Thursday at 9 pm at Maksimir.

Source: GNK Dinamo website, HRT

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

 

Page 1 of 2

Search