September 6, 2022 - Dinamo beat Chelsea 1-0 in the first round of the Champions League Group E at Maksimir Stadium in front of 20,607 spectators.

Dinamo Zagreb opened their eighth appearance in the Champions League group stage at Maksimir stadium with a victory against former European and English champions Chelsea. The deciding goal was scored by Mislav Oršić in the 13th minute.

Chelsea won direct placement in the Champions League after finishing third place in the Premier League last season. The Croatian champion played three qualifying rounds to secure a place among the European football elite. They clinched a spot in the group stage after beating Bodo/Glimt. 

Chelsea took the initiative from the first minute, but it didn't take long for Dinamo to answer back. In the 13th minute, Dinamo countered and converted the attack into a goal by Mislav Oršić.

The action started with Robert Ljubičić, who sent a long ball to Bruno Petković. Bruno passed it to Oršić, who dribbled past Wesley Fofana, a new Chelsea player who arrived from Leicester City for 82 million euros. Oršić ran about 50 meters and beat goalkeeper Kepa for 1:0!

Chelsea equalized in the 48th minute, but Aubameyang's goal was ultimately called offside. In the 56th minute, Dinamo was one step closer to a second goal, but Stefan Ristovski's fantastic shot hit the crossbar.

Reece James also hit the post in the 85th minute. Mateo Kovačić played for Chelsea until the 59th minute.

RB Salzburg and Milan meet in the second match from this group at 21:00.

Dinamo plays their next Champions League match on Wednesday, September 14, at San Siro against Milan. 

Lineups

DINAMO: Livaković - Ristovski, Perić, J. Šutalo - Moharrami, Mišić, Ademi, Ljubičić - Ivanušec - Petković, Oršić

CHELSEA: Arrizabalaga - Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Fofana - James, Kovačić, Mount, Chilwell - Havertz, Sterling - Aubameyang

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September 5, 2022 - Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić has announced the list of players for the September Denmark and Austria Nations League matches.

After four rounds, Croatia holds second place in the group with seven points, and with two wins, they would secure first place and thus a place in the Nations League final tournament. Croatia can reach the "Final Four" in other ways, and it needs a point to avoid the last place that leads to League B, reports HNS. 

Croatia will host Denmark at Maksimir on September 22 at 8:45 pm and play against Austria three days later at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna (8:45 pm). Tickets for both matches can be found HERE.

The 2018 World Cup finalists will gather on September 19 in Zagreb, and coach Dalić has invited 25 players with seven potential call-ups. 

"We still have two weeks until we reunite, and during that period, we will intensively monitor the reserve players and see who else we could call up. Also, in agreement with the U-21 national team coach, Igor Bišćan, we will consider whether any of the players invited here join the young national team for the crucial match against Denmark," said coach Dalić.

"As is usual at the start of the season, we have certain challenges - some have injury problems, some players have changed clubs, and some have changed status within the team. Clearly, this list largely reflects our thoughts ahead of the World Cup, but we have more than two months until then and, of course, the fight for certain positions is still open," said the coach.

"We did a great job with victories in Denmark and France; these were performances that boost confidence and confirm the high potential and quality of our national team. With these results, we put ourselves in a position to secure the final tournament, which would be an outstanding result in such a competition, but we know that it will not be easy. We saw at home against Austria what it means if we are not at one hundred percent from the first minute - the only way is maximum togetherness and compactness. We're going step by step, we value both opponents, but we believe in ourselves, and of course, we're going for two victories," coach Dalić is optimistic.

"First of all, given the calendar this year, we must see these matches as preparation for the World Cup. Therefore, we want to see a compact, competitive, and ready Croatia, and at the same time gain knowledge about what we still need to improve before Qatar," concluded Dalić.

Croatia squad

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Lovre Kalinić, Ivica Ivušić

Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren, Borna Barišić, Josip Juranović, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Martin Erlić, Josip Šutalo

Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Lovro Majer, Luka Sučić

Strikers: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Mislav Oršić, Ante Budimir, Marko Livaja

Reserves: Josip Brekalo, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Luka Ivanušec, Marin Pongračić, Kristijan Jakić, Antonio Mirko Čolak, Nediljko Labrović

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July 9, 2022 - Dinamo beat Hajduk 4:1 on penalties to win the SuperSport Superkup on Saturday in Zagreb. 

Dinamo and Hajduk opened the new season of Croatian football, fighting for the first trophy of the season - the SuperSport Superkup.

Around two and a half thousand Hajduk fans visited Maksimir for the first derby of the season, many of them on the 'Bili Vlak', or organized train transport that left this morning from Split. Around 17,000 spectators were expected at the match in total. 

Dinamo was said to have a slight advantage tonight playing at home, though we must remember that last season, Hajduk beat Dinamo twice, one match ended in a draw, while Dinamo celebrated in the last derby of the season. 

Dinamo has won six Superkups, Hajduk is close behind with five, while Rijeka has one. However, from 1995 to 2001, the Superkup was not played because Dinamo won the championship and the Cup, for the same reasons it was not played in 2008 and 2009, 2011 and 2012, as well as from 2015 to 2018, when they dominated again.

Lineups

Dinamo (4-3-3): Livaković - Moharrami, Lauritsen, Perić, Ljubičić - Ademi, Mišić, Ivanušec - Špikić, Petković, Drmić

Hajduk (4-3-3): L. Kalinić - Mikanović, Borevković, Simić, Melnjak - Vuković, Grgić, Krovinović - Livaja, N. Kalinić, Biuk

Match Report

Dinamo was more offensive in the first 5 minutes of the match before Livaja, Biuk, and Kalinić picked things up for Hajduk in the next few attacks. The closest call of the match so far was in the 10th minute when Livaja hit the net near post. 

Petković was dangerous for Dinamo in the 22nd minute with a brilliant Lovre Kalinić save for Hajduk to keep it 0:0. Mikanović hit the crossbar for Hajduk in the 30th minute. 

Petković took a dangerous free kick in the 37th minute which was shot over the goal. The first half ended 0:0. 

Hajduk was the first to be dangerous in the second half. Livaja shot powerfully from 18 meters but it went far to the right post. A minute later, Ademi shot from the edge of the penalty area which Kalinić deflected into the corner. Two minutes later, Ivanušec shot over the goal.

Biuk went up the right wing and tangled with Moharrami. Hajduk looked for a penalty, but the referee remained silent.

Biuk came off for Sahiti in the 58th minute. Kalinić continued to be outstanding in goal, with another superman save to keep Dinamo from scoring. What a match so far. 

Livaja had a chance in front of Dinamo's goal in the 62nd minute which Lauritsen managed to clear. Drmić missed directly in front of Hajduk's goal in the 66th minute. 

Kalinić was having the match of his life - saving yet another close call from Dinamo a minute later. Nikola Kalinić came out for Mlakar in the 70th minute. 

Ademi was dangerous dribbling into the penalty area which Kalinić ultimately stopped. Ademi was subbed off for Baturina in the 77th minute.

A Dinamo corner in the 82nd minute put Kalinić to work again and Sipic headed towards the goal. It was 0:0 with 5 minutes left.  

Livaja shot near post in the 84th minute before Dinamo attacked again. Menalo was subbed on for Spikic in the 87th minute. 

Orsic was one-on-one with Kalinić which he too managed to save. It was 0:0 in the 90th minute with four minutes of stoppage time added before penalties would decide the winner.  

Penalties

Bruno Petković was up first to score for Dinamo - 1:0.

Livaja scored for Hajduk - 1:1.

Orsic scored for Dinamo - 2:1. 

Mlakar shanked over the goal to keep Dinamo ahead 2:1. 

Ljubicic scored for Dinamo - 3:1. 

Vukovic's penalty was saved by Livakovic for 3:1. 

Ivanusec scored for Dinamo (4:1) and the SuperSport Superkup title in 2022. 

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July 8, 2022 - Hajduk and Dinamo will meet in the SuperSport Superkup match at Maksimir Stadium at 20:00 on Saturday.

At the first official press conference this season, Hajduk coach Valdas Dambrauskas and striker Nikola Kalinić gave their views on the upcoming match and answered numerous questions.

The Hajduk coach first reflected on the recent preparations in which four games were played against strong rivals:

"We are satisfied with our preparations; we have fulfilled the set goals and played matches against solid rivals. Therefore, in the pre-season, I don't worry about results, we are focused on progress, and I am sure the team will be at the right level soon. We also brought in a new player during the preparations; he played in a strong league, he plays in the style we want to play, and he is fast and will get in shape in a few games.

The season is just starting, the game will undoubtedly be challenging for both teams, and I think derbies are rarely attractive. Both teams will try to limit each other, and I think a moment of individual quality will decide the game. We have prepared well for this match, and we want to prove to everyone that we are ready," said the coach of Hajduk.

Asked about the expectations for the next season and the importance of support from the stands, striker Nikola Kalinić said:

"We play for the biggest Croatian club, and we have to fight for every trophy. Last year we won the Cup and were second; we are expected to be in a higher position this season. There are many games ahead of us; others have the same goals, and we can only promise the fans that we will do our best. Our fans are the best in the country and show it at every game. There will certainly be a lot of them in Zagreb, and I hope that we will repay them on the field, and in the end, we will all celebrate together," concluded Kalinić.

Dinamo Zagreb is also ready and presented their new jersey before the Superkup against Hajduk. Arijan Ademi, Josip Drmić, Luka Ivanušec, and Dario Špikić appeared in front of the press on Friday. 

"We went through a lot of difficult preparations, worked hard, and are satisfied with how it all ended. We hope to be successful in the new season," said captain Ademi and revealed the expectations for the new season.

"It's just the beginning of the season, and it's hard to predict how the championship will end. Anyway, we'll do our best not to make it so dramatic. I hope we will be good and win the championship."

Ademi spoke about Dinamo's new additions - forward Josip Drmić and midfielder Robert Ljubičić.

"Both are excellent. We already saw last season what kind of player Drmić is, a real 'killer.' Ljubičić already showed us that he is a great player. They will be reinforcements for sure", concluded Ademi.

Drmić had a very good last season in Rijeka. He was the club's top scorer, but the expectations are even higher at Dinamo. 

"It's hard to say what awaits us against Hajduk; I hope it will be a good match. The derby is already at the start; it will show where we are and what form we are. I'm looking forward to the match; we'll be ready," said Drmić.

"I'm not thinking about the goal; the most important thing is that we win and present ourselves well in the new shirt. If I manage to score, it will be great."

Bruno Petković will be his biggest competitor for that position. 

"Bruno is a top player and top quality. He is one of the best players on our team. I think we can present ourselves well as a tandem. We complement each other well, each has his qualities, and we can make a good mix. The coach will decide whether we will play together, but we will certainly do our best."

Drmić is aware of the pressure at Dinamo and the high expectations.

"I always say that I work best under pressure. So it is important that teammates help, and then we will handle it well in the future and be successful if we work together," concluded Drmić.

After several months of problems with his abdominal wall, Luka Ivanušec is fully ready for the new season. He commented on the speculation that he could leave Dinamo in the summer transfer window.

"At the moment, I am focused only on Dinamo, and there are always stories and interests. I'm preparing for the season as if I'm staying at Dinamo, and then we'll see what happens."

Dario Špikić said that Dinamo had prepared well for the new season.

"We are ready for Hajduk; I believe in victory," said Špikić.

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August 25, 2021 - Dinamo loses to Sheriff in the Champions League playoffs and will compete in the Europe League competition instead. 

Dinamo failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage after playing 0:0 against Sheriff in the return match of the playoffs in Zagreb. Sheriff won the first leg 3:0 in Tiraspol.

Dinamo failed to make up for the three-goal deficit, and the Moldovan club thus qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time.

Dinamo did not find a way to break through the Sheriff's defense led by goalkeeper Athanasiadis, whom Dinamo failed to get by in both matches.

Sheriff unexpectedly started attacking from the first minute, and in the 4th minute, Thill hit the post.

Dinamo had their first chance only after ten minutes. However, Ivanušec missed a good opportunity, and Petković's attempts were defended by the Moldovan goalkeeper Athanasiadis, and the teams went into halftime without goals. 

Sheriff's goalkeeper defended Oršić's shot in the 52nd minute, after which the match calmed down completely. Dinamo's attacks could not penetrate Sheriff's defense.

"We did our best, but we failed. I’m sorry to the wonderful fans, but hopefully, there will be a win in the Europa League. We knew we had to put more pressure than in the first game, but Sheriff deserved the Champions League," Duje Cop said after the game.

Mislav Oršić thanked the fans for their support.

"I don't know what to say; it's hard to analyze the game. They were better; that’s the only thing that matters. After that, we have to turn to the Europa League, and the HNL," said Oršić.

"We reached the last third, but in the end, there was always something missing," added Dinamo's winger.

"Maybe someone will say that this is a failure, but we are in the Europa League in which we did great things last year," concluded Oršić.

Daniele Orsato from Italy refereed in front of 8,100 spectators at the Maksimir Stadium.

Source: HRT

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July 21, 2021 - Dinamo defeats Omonia at Maksimir in the first match of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round.

Shocked after losing at home to Slaven Belupo to open the new HNL season, Dinamo set off on Tuesday against Omonia looking for redemption and to continue on the road that leads to the Champions League group stage. However, the experienced Nicosia team proved to be a powerful opponent, although Damir Krznar sent out the Croatian champion's strongest lineup.

Fortunately, Dinamo defeated Cypriot club Omonia 2:0 (0:0) in the first match of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round on Tuesday at Maksimir.

Lovro Majer scored the leading goal for Dinamo in the 65th minute. Kristijan Jakić increased Dinamo's lead with a header in the 81st minute. The return match is scheduled for one week, July 27. 

Coach Damir Krznar can be happy with the win and worried about the injured Ademi and Ivanušec. How serious their injuries are will be shown by additional tests.

"Behind us is the first half that we finished with a 2:0 lead, but the game is still going on. Therefore, our advantage is grateful, but we will have to do our best to keep it in the second game, but the aim is to increase ou advantage," Krznar said at the press conference and added:

"Omonia did not surprise us. They did what they normally do, extremely organized in the 4-4-2 system on the defensive; throughout the week, the basic instruction was - be patient. We are a better team, but every team against such teams can have problems. Ademi's injury also contributed to the weaker first half.

Ivanušec is fine, Ademi does not look good at first glance, but we will know more after the examination. He is tormented by his quadriceps and limp, and Ivanušec received a blow to the chest and ran out of air. It's okay now. Ademi did not recognize whether it was from a tackle or the muscle gave way," said Krznar.

The winner of this round will advance to the 3rd qualifying round and play against the winner of Polish club Legia and the Estonian champion Flora, while the defeated teams will move to the Europa League's 3rd qualifying round. 

Source: HRT

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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.

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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.

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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

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December 23, 2020 – On Thursday, December 24, the Zagreb City Museum opens an exhibition about Maksimir Stadium by Hela Vukadin-Doronjga, also dedicated to the sports architecture of Vladimir Turina, one of the most influential Croatian architects.

As the Museum reports, by fitting into the situation of a relatively cramped plot along Maksimirska Cesta, opening an extraordinary view of the Maksimir forest and Medvednica in the distance, and with the high level of design and details, Maksimir Stadium is an exceptional work of sports architecture.

The exhibition aims to give a historical exhibition, contextualize and emphasize Maksimir Stadium's importance and the surrounding area as an inspiring environment. The goal is to affirm this space as the source point of Zagreb sports, its architecture and urbanism, connection with the club, fans, man, city, and the forest-park Maksimir.

Stadiums and their "spatial enormity" contain a collective, urban identity, emotional factors. Football club Dinamo Zagreb is a sports symbol of Zagreb and much more than that because football is a universal value today. Dinamo is a record holder in the history of the World Cup finals in terms of the number of its former and active players.

The exhibition is a result of many years of scientific research by the author Hela Vukadin-Doronjga, museum advisor. It presents the Maksimir Stadium through history and today, emphasizing the projects of architect Vladimir Turina (1913-1968), and especially his projects of sports architecture.

The exhibition consists of original drawings, photographs, and publications of designing and constructing Maksimir Stadium (1945-1969) and other sports architecture buildings by Vladimir Turina. Also, the exhibition presents various objects that explain the mentioned material: useful items that belonged to Turina, GNK Dinamo trophies, plastic chairs from the stands, grass, "puppets" for free kicks, projections of mythical matches, posters, and catalogs of two big concerts of David Bowie and U2 held at the stadium, etc.

Models of the west and east stands were made for the exhibition. A model of the entire stadium was borrowed from the Faculty of Architecture.

As Hina reports, the architectural legacy of Vladimir Turina is still an inspiration today because his language of architecture is understandable, real, simple, emotional, and strong. Professor Turina looked at architecture decades in advance. After the Second World War, he devoted himself intensively to sports architecture, especially the design of stadiums and swimming pools.

He has won numerous awards and recognitions in Croatia and abroad. As an architectural design professor, he raised generations of students at the Zagreb, then the only Croatian Faculty of Architecture.

The exhibition will be on display until March 28, 2021.

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March 12, 2020 - The city of Zagreb plans to demolish the existing Dinamo stadium in Maksimir and build a new one with 30,000 seats, with an auxiliary stadium of 3,000 - 4,000 seats, and athletic fields and various outdoor courts alongside the pool complex.

Gol.hr reports that the head of Zagreb's Office for Strategic Planning and Development, Sanja Jerkovic, said Wednesday at the presentation of a public urban-architectural competition program for SRC Svetice that matches at all European and world standards could be played at the new Dinamo stadium, which has not been the case so far.

"As this is an extremely important city facility, it is a priority to embark on the construction of a new stadium systematically. Delaying such a decision has led to a disrupted static state of the stadium and an inability to bring any changes to the standards required by FIFA and UEFA, that is why it is inevitable that we must demolish the current stadium and design a new one,” Jerkovic told reporters.

Asked if Zagreb would be a partner to Dinamo in the construction of the new stadium, she said that "Dinamo and Zagreb are inseparable" and she cannot say anything about the value of the project.

The meeting is one of the last to prepare a call for proposals for an urban-architectural solution for the entire Svetica zone, covering about 23 hectares in the narrow area and 32 hectares in the wider range.

"A new football stadium is planned along with ancillary grounds and office space, and a large athletic grandstand with athletic fields and various outdoor courts will be planned in addition to the pool complex," Jerkovic says.

Because it is one of the most demanding competitions, it will last six months, and Jerkovic believes that by the end of the year, there will be known results. Construction on the new stadium should begin in 2022.

Asked about the planned construction of the football stadium in Kajzerica and Blato, Jerkovic said that these were other projects related to the construction of the national football stadium.

GNK Dinamo President Vlatka Peras recalled that on March 9, the Dinamo Assembly unanimously adopted a decision to demolish the existing Maksimir Stadium structure.

When the Maksimir stadium is demolished, Dinamo will play on Rujevica or at the stadium in Osijek, if it is built by then.

"We are looking forward to a partnership and a new stadium," Peras said, adding that they would like the stadium built as soon as possible, but they can't speculate on whether it will open in 2023 or 2024.

When asked how they would finance the construction of the Dinamo stadium, she said that they had to negotiate a partnership with the City, but they still needed to define it.

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