November 3, 2022 -  Dinamo needed a miracle to continue playing in Europe this season, but a loss against Chelsea on Wednesday night in London resulted in a last-place finish in their Champions League group. 

Chelsea beat Dinamo 2-1 in the 6th round of Group E of the Champions League, thus eliminating the Zagreb team from playing in Europe this season. 

Dinamo could have finished 3rd in the standings and continued in the Europa League only by beating Chelsea and if Milan beat RB Salzburg. Milan did beat the Austrian champion 4-0 at home, but Dinamo could not do the same at Stamford Bridge. 

Bruno Petković put Dinamo in the lead in the seventh minute, but Chelsea turned the score around by the end of the first half. Raheem Sterling scored in the 18th minute and Denis Zakaria in the 30th.

Dinamo thus finished the competition with one win, one draw, and four losses.

Chelsea finished first in Group E and Milan in second, advancing to the Champions League round of 16. RB Salzburg will continue playing in the Europa League.

The Croatian champion secured huge earnings this European season, reports Index.hr. Entry into the Champions League group stage brought Dinamo a minimum of 15.64 million euros, and another 2.8 million was received after beating Chelsea at the start of the competition. Furthermore, a draw in the fourth round against Salzburg brought Dinamo another 930,000 euros.

But that's not all. Each participant in the Champions League will receive a share of 600.6 million euros, which UEFA will distribute based on the club's coefficient in the last ten years. This amount will be divided into "coefficient shares," and each share is worth 1,137 million euros.

The best-ranked club in the Champions League will receive 32 of these shares, and according to the club coefficient, the lowest-ranked club will receive one share. There, Dinamo will receive 6.28 million euros.

Money from the marketing pool also goes into this. UEFA has secured an additional 300.3 million euros for Champions League participants, which will be distributed by the proportional value of the market in each club's country. When everything is added up, Dinamo will earn more than 25 million euros in the Champions League this season.

Champions League Round of 16

Group winners: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Chelsea, FC Porto, Manchester City, Napoli, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur
Group runners-up: AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig

Drops into Europa League: Ajax, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Salzburg, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP

Eliminated from Europe: Atletico Madrid, Celtic, FC Copenhagen, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Haifa, Marseille. Rangers, Viktoria Plzen

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September 14, 2022 - AC Milan beat Dinamo in the second round of the Champions League Group E. The Italian champion defeated the Croatian champion 3:1 at San Siro Stadium. 

The Italian champion led 2:0 with goals from Olivier Giroud in the 45th minute and Alexis Saelemaekers in the 47th minute. After a great action with Petković, Mislav Oršić reduced the score to 1:2 in the 56th minute, but Tommaso Pobega brought Milan back in the 77th for 3:1. 

At the beginning of the game, Milan quickly tried to gain an early advantage, closing the Croatian champion into their penalty area. However, apart from Olivier Giroud's shot in the ninth minute, there were no dangerous shots for Livaković.

The game was pretty equal, though Milan had better chances. In the 28th minute, Moharrami tried to score, and Mislav Oršić came even closer to the goal in the 36th minute. 

Milan could have taken the lead in the 21st minute, but Moharrami reacted well before Rafael Leao and prevented a goal. Milan also tried a long-range shot without success. 

Milan took the lead before halftime, and in the last moments of the first half, the referee called a foul on Josip Šutalo for a Milan penalty. Giroud scored for 1:0 Milan.

At the start of the second half, Rafael Leao broke through the left side with ease, crossed, and found Alexis Saelemaekers, who headed under the crossbar for 2:0.

Dinamo came back into the game in the 56th minute after a great action by Oršić and Petković. Petković deceived Milan's defense, and Oršić scored for 2:1. 

Milan scored again in the 77th minute when Pobega fiercely scored from ten meters for 3:1.

With this victory, Milan takes first place in the group with four points. Dinamo has three points, while RB Salzburg is third with one point and a game in hand, and Chelsea is last with zero. 

Dinamo will visit RB Salzburg next on October 5 when Milan visits Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

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August 16, 2022 - Bodo/Glimt narrowly beats Dinamo 1:0 in Norway on Tuesday night in the first leg of the Champions League play-off round. 

Bodo/Glimt and Dinamo met in Bodo, Norway, on Tuesday night in the first of the last two battles to enter the Champions League. Aspmyra Stadium, which holds 8,300 spectators, was said to be nearly sold out.

Bodo/Glimt is the only obstacle between Dinamo and the elite football competition, which guarantees around 20 million euros. Dinamo says they have already achieved their first goal, which is playing in the Europa League group stage, but we all know the Champions League is the ultimate goal for any club. 

Bodo/Glimt is undoubtedly a dangerous opponent and was a hit in the last European season, meaning this match would be anything but easy. However, Dinamo was coming off of a 4:1 victory against their eternal rival Hajduk, which should have boosted their morale going into Tuesday's play-off. 

Lineups

BODO/GLIMT: Haikin – Wembangomo, Amundsen, Hoibraaten, Sampsted – Vetlesen, Hagen, Saltnes – Mvuka Mugisha, Salvesen, Pellegrino

DINAMO: Livaković – Ristovski, Šutalo, Lauritsen, Ljubičić – Ademi, Mišić – Špikić, Baturina, Oršić – Drmić

Match report

Bodo's first attempt of the match came in the 6th minute but was blocked by Dinamo's defense. Dinamo's first chance came a minute later when Drmić shot over the goal from the edge of the penalty area. A dangerous Bodo cross went into the box a minute after that but was cleared again by Dinamo's defense.

Bodo was hungry for a goal at the start of the first half and had their first shot on target in the 14th minute. Livaković was concentrated and easily defended the attempt. It had been a tough match so far without any major chances. 

Oršić shot from 25 meters in the 23rd minute, which went out for a Dinamo corner.

By the 36th minute, the possession was 51:49.

We saw the first goal of the match in the 37th minute. Pellegrino headed easily shot past Livaković for 1:0 Bodo. They also had a dangerous free kick from 22 meters out two minutes later, and hit the crossbar just a few minutes after that. 

It was 1:0 for Bodo at the half. 

Ivanušec and Petković entered the match for Drmić and Špikić to start the second half. 

Pellegrino had a golden opportunity in the 54th minute, which went just wide of the goal. 

Dinamo started picking up the pace nearing the 60th minute and pressed Bodo's defense. Petkovic had a chance that went a hair over the crossbar. 

Orsic had a chance in the next play and shot just wide of the far post. 

Orsic played through to Petkovic in the penalty area in the 63rd minute, but the Bodo keeper got to the ball first. 

Bodo was in Dinamo's half for the following five minutes and was lucky not to increase their lead. 

Bodo made their first sub in the 68th minute - Espejord entered for Slavesen. Dinamo subbed on Emreli for Orsic.

Dinamo scored from the offside position in the 71st minute, keeping the match at 1:0. 

Dinamo countered in the 73rd minute, which ended in no shot on goal, and Bodo had taken their 10th corner of the match a minute later. 

Gojak was subbed on for Baturina in the 77th minute, and Bodo's Grunbek and Koomson entered for Hagen and Mvuka Mugisha in the 81st minute. 

Petkovic missed the best chance of the game in the 86th minute. Petkovic dribbled the Bodo defense and found himself one-on-one with the Bodo keeper but shot over the goal! 

The ref added three minutes of stoppage time to the end in which neither team was able to score. The match ended 1:0 for Bodo and the return match will be played next week at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb.  

Post-match interview

More soon... 

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May 29, 2022 - Croatian legend Luka Modrić wins the fifth Champions League of his career with Real Madrid after beating Liverpool 1-0 in Paris. To celebrate, he has extended his contract until June 2023!

Yesterday, Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris with a goal from Vinicius Jr. in the 59th minute. This way, the team from the Spanish capital achieved its 14th European Cup in its history, greatly lengthening the difference with the rest of the continent's clubs. Some players from the squad, such as Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández, Marcelo, Isco, Casemiro, and Gareth Bale added the 5th Champions League trophy to their showcase, after winning the first one in 2014 in Lisbon. Likewise, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti became the first coach in history to win four Champions League titles, two with AC Milan (2002-03 and 2006-07) and two with Real Madrid (2013-14 and 2021-22).

Nice to see you again ? pic.twitter.com/kl0adlP3xH

— Luka Modrić (@lukamodric10) May 28, 2022

The captain of the Croatian national team, Luka Modrić, is also among the select group of footballers with five Champions League titles to his name. The 36-year-old Zadar-born midfielder played 90 minutes of the match before being replaced by Dani Ceballos. Luka has been considered by many journalists, fans, and even players from other teams as one of the architects of this new title for Real Madrid. Prior to playing the match against Liverpool, Luka stood out in the previous matches against Paris Saint Germain in the round of 16, against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, and against Manchester City in the semi-finals, showing that his great form doesn't seem to wear off over the years.

Luka played all 13 games in the European competition, where he gave 4 assists and received just one yellow card. The Croatian ends his tenth season with Real Madrid in a great way, winning both the Spanish league and the UEFA Champions League, as well as being a decisive piece in Carlo Ancelotti's team.

Beautiful news for Real Madrid during the celebrations: Luka Modrić has signed a new contract until June 2023, here we go! ?⚪️ #Modric

Full verbal agreement was reached two months ago - so it’s now also signed and completed. Official statement pending.

Luka se queda. ??? pic.twitter.com/C3HayEwql3

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2022

And the good news, both for Luka and for Real Madrid, did not end there. As confirmed by the Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, for many considered the most reliable source in terms of football transfers, Luka has signed the extension of his contract with Real Madrid for one more year, until June 2023, pending an official club statement. Luka will now join the Croatian squad ahead of the Nations League matches against Austria, France, and Denmark.

Congratulations Luka!

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March 19, 2021 - Croatian footballers Luka Modrić and Mislav Oršić were brilliant in UEFA competitions this week, earning them Player of the Week recognitions!

What a week it was for Croatian football and footballers. 

Mislav Oršić played a fantastic match in the sensational Dinamo comeback against Tottenham on Thursday night at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. 

Praise came from all sides; even the great Gary Lineker congratulated Oršić on the hat-trick after the game. 

"Blimey. Spurs have blown it. No words... other than to say what a hattrick from Mislav Orsic."

Oršić's 10/10 match not only brought Dinamo a historic result and spot in the Europa League quarterfinals, but UEFA recognized the 28-year-old as the Europa League player of the week!  

In the selection, Oršić surpassed the star of Ajax, David Neres, Romino Borja Mayoral (former Real player), and Gerard Moreno, the great, 35 million euro Villarreal striker, against whom Dinamo will meet in the quarterfinals.

"Goals? They mean a lot to me. I didn't sleep all night because of the adrenaline; I couldn't close my eyes," Oršić said the day after the game.

The masterclass of Luka Modrić and his age-defying skill didn't go unnoticed against Atalanta on Tuesday in Real Madrid's 3:1 victory. So much so that the 35-year-old was named the Champions League player of the week!

Luka was the assistant for Real's leading goal and played a significant role in the deserved Madrid win. 

SPORTBible couldn't go without praising Modrić either, sharing a compilation of the Croatia captain ruling Atalanta. 

"Goals from Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Marco Asensio ensured Atalanta would exit the competition at the round-of-16 stage.

But Modric stole the show as he scooped the Man of the Match award thanks to a dazzling performance in Europe's elite club competition.

The 35-year-old Croatian midfielder rolled back the years as he pulled the strings from the midfield, setting up Benzema for Madrid's opener in the first half.

Modric's show-stealing performance wasn't unnoticed by fans, who took to social media to laud him for his brilliance on the pitch," said SPORTbible. 

Luka Modrić vs Atalanta pic.twitter.com/2ykTN5ohg7

— Thiago ? (@HMDComps) March 16, 2021

Bravo to Luka and Mislav! 

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December 27, 2020 - The European Football Federation (UEFA) has ranked the most successful clubs in the European Cup/Champions League from 1955 to 2020. Dinamo and Hajduk fall into the top 80. 

As expected, at the top is Real Madrid, which has been European champion 13 times (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) with a total of 607 points.

The German giant Bayern Munich holds the second spot with 495 points, while Barcelona is in third place with 459 points. In the top 5 are Manchester United (380) and Juventus (361).

They are followed by Milan (314), Liverpool (298), Benfica (287), Porto (286), and Ajax (271). 

In 11th place, Dynamo Kyiv is the best-placed club that has never won a European title, not even played in the finals.

The list of 500 clubs also includes five Croatian representatives.

Namely, Dinamo Zagreb is in 30th place, Hajduk is in 79th place, Rijeka is in 270th place, Zagreb is in 366th place, and Lokomotiva is in 459th place.

Dinamo played their first European match in 1958 against Dukla Prague. They were also the third Yugoslav club to play in a UEFA-sponsored competition after Partizan in 1955 and Red Star in 1956.

Dinamo has played 136 games in Champions League, 123 in Europa League, and 31 in the Cup Winners' Cup. Their best result was making the Europa League round of 16, where they lost to Benfica in the 2018-19 season. Dinamo also made it to the Cup Winners' Cup semifinals in 1960-61 and the quarters in both 1964-65 and 1969-70. 

On the other hand, Hajduk has played 40 games in Champions League, 128 in Europa League, and 30 in Cup Winners' Cup. 

Their best results include losing in the Champions League quarterfinals in 1976, 1980, and 1995, and losing in the Europa League semis in 1984 and the quarters two years later. Hajduk also made it to the Cup Winners' Cup semis in 1973 and quarters in 1978. 

Rijeka has participated in UEFA competitions on 20 occasions, with most appearances (16) since 1999. Rijeka's best result was the 1978–79 European Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals, where Juventus eliminated them. 

Source: Gol.hr

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