February 25, 2022 - After being eliminated to Sevilla in the playoffs, the Dinamo Europa League earnings have been revealed. 

Dinamo was knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday night. Although they beat Sevilla 1-0 at Maksimir, they failed to make up for the two-goal deficit from the first Europa League play-off match. Recall, Sevilla won 3-1 in the first leg last week and went on to the next round with a 3-2 aggregate. 

Despite the relegation, Dinamo has reason to be pleased, which is the state of the club's coffers. Thanks to good performances in the Europa League, the Zagreb team earned a hefty amount that will give them a significant boost in the fight for the First HNL and Europe next season, reports Gol.hr.

By losing to the Sheriff in the Champions League play-offs, Dinamo earned 5 million euros. In comparison, they made a slightly smaller amount for placing in the Europa League group stage - around 3.6 million euros.

For every point won in the Europa League group stage, Dinamo earned several hundred thousand euros. Specifically, the Croatian champion won ten points as the second-placed team in the group and thus earned 2.1 million euros. That is 210,000 euros per point.

By securing a place in the second round of the Europa League, UEFA rewarded Dinamo with another million euros.

But that's not the end.

Thanks to the excellent coefficient in European competitions, Dinamo earned an additional 3.7 million euros.

When everything is added up, Dinamo has earned close to 15 million euros, or 14.6 million euros this season in Europe. This considerable amount will surely grow even more when the money from television rights enters Dinamo's account.

Dinamo will now fully dedicate themselves to the fight for the First HNL title. The first exam awaits them this weekend in the 25th round of the First HNL against Osijek at City Garden Stadium. 

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

February 24, 2022 - Dinamo drops out of Europa League, and Sevilla moves forward with a 3:2 aggregate after the second leg was played at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. 

Dinamo Zagreb did not manage to secure a spot in the Europa League round of 16. After the return match of the Europa League playoffs on Thursday, Dinamo defeated the six-time winner of this competition - Sevilla 1-0 (0-0). However, as Sevilla won 3-1 in the first leg last week, they went on to the next round with a 3-2 aggregate. 

The match's only goal was scored by Mislav Oršić in the 65th minute from a penalty after Acuna played with his hand in the 16th minute.

The first half was overall unexciting. Dinamo opened it briskly and energetically, but Sevilla successfully repelled all attacks. Mišić had an attempt in the 20th minute from twenty meters though it missed the goal. 

In the middle of the first half, Sevilla took possession and control of the match, but in the 34th minute, Dinamo created a solid opportunity. After a great breakthrough, Tolić found Gojak, who fell in a duel with Diego Carlos. Unfortunately, the ref did not point to the penalty spot as expected. Sevilla sent several shots towards the Dinamo goal by the end of the half, none of which were dangerous.

Sevilla opened the second half much better and had two good situations in front of Dinamo's goal, first in the 48th and then in the 51st minute. However, Livaković managed to defend both times. After that, Kopić made four changes - he introduced Bulat, Bočkaj, Špikić and Emreli, and took out Tolić, Štefulj, Ristovski and Petković.

Bulat was responsible for Dinamo's lead in the 65th minute. Sevilla's left-back Acuna played with his hand in a duel with the Šibenik player, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty. Mislav Oršić scored for 1-0. 

Dinamo was even more motivated after scoring the goal. After 75 minutes, Bočkaj got through on the left and was close to equalizing but couldn't get the shot off. A minute later, Menalo shot after Špikić's cross, but Sevilla's goalkeeper was ready again.

By the end of the match, numerous attacks by Dinamo followed. Oršić had a superb strike in the 89th minute after a long ball through the middle, but it went out for a corner. Delaney earned his second yellow card in the first minute of extra time, forcing Sevilla to play with a man down for the last three minutes. Dinamo tried to attack after two interceptions, but Sevilla defended and has advanced to the round of 16.

Source: Index.hr

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February 2, 2022 - This March, young girls all over Croatia will have the opportunity to participate in the UEFA Playmakers program and enjoy football through innovative and fun training programs that follow the most popular Disney animated hits. 

What is the UEFA Playmakers program?
Namely, HNS reports that the UEFA Playmakers is a pan-European program promoting women's football, which was created in cooperation between Uefa and Disney. The Croatian Football Federation is thus introducing the program in Croatia on March 1. The program is intended for girls aged 5 to 8 and is adapted to girls who have never played football or participated in a sport before.

The program has a unique approach based on scientific research from Uefa and Leeds Beckett University. It focuses on narration, acting, imagination, and children's play as the main elements in encouraging girls to play football and develop motor and physical skills.

In Croatia, the program will take place in 2022 and 2023, and four editions will be organized. The first edition - in March 2022 - will follow the animated film Frozen 2.

Each edition of the program will consist of ten trainings. The girls will embody characters from Disney's most popular animated films, such as Frozen and The Incredibles, and learn basic football skills.

The training will take place on the fields and/or in the halls of women's football clubs so that girls can join the clubs and continue playing football after participating in the UEFA Playmakers program.

The ambassador of the UEFA Playmakers project in Croatia is the former celebrated Croatia national team member and current coach of the Croatia U-19 national team Niko Kranjčar, who stressed the importance of the game in encouraging children to play sports:

"I like this program for several reasons - I'm a big fan of cartoons, especially Disney, and I'm also a big fan of sports, and I believe that all children should have the opportunity to play sports. This initiative is a great way for young children to get in the habit of playing sports through playfulness and fun, which, in my opinion, are the most important parts of sports."

What makes UEFA Playmakers special?
Unlike traditional football programs, each of the ten trainings in each edition of UEFA Playmakers follows animated hits such as Frozen 2 and The Incredibles 2. Girls participating in the training will have the opportunity to embody popular characters such as Elsa and Anna and Incredibles heroes, develop basic football skills and cooperate, all while using their imagination.

The fundamental goal of the first few trainings is to encourage girls to gain self-confidence in their sports skills and to think creatively and communicate with other participants in the program. In the program's continuation, coaches introduce exercises that develop fundamental football skills, but the emphasis remains on relaxed playing and fun.

"The development of women's football and encouraging girls to play football are essential goals of HNS, and we believe that this program, along with many other programs for the development of women's football that we already implement, can be of great benefit to the development of our women’s soccer base. As a long-time coach who has worked with young people and as the main instructor who has worked with young players, I see a lot of potential in the approach used by UEFA Playmakers - I think that playing and acting is a great way to introduce football to girls and to lay the foundations for their football through a positive and fun experience.

The football centers that will implement the UEFA Playmakers program in cooperation with HNS are closely connected with women's football clubs, and we hope that the girls will love football through this non-competitive, fun training, and want to continue their football travels in clubs," said Chief Instructor of the Croatian Football Federation Petar Krpan.

Where and when is the UEFA Playmakers program held in Croatia?
The program will be held in 30 football centers in Croatia so that girls from all over Croatia can participate. Trainings will be held in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Osijek, Dubrovnik, Čakovec, Ivanec, Karlovac, Kaštela, Koprivnica, Lepoglava, Metković, Požega, Pregrada, Pula, Slavonski Brod, Velika Gorica, Vinkovci, Zadar and Županja.

The first edition of the program starts in March, and parents can register their girls today (from 5 to 8 years old) to participate via the link. The second edition will begin in May this year, while the third and fourth editions will be organized in the fall of 2022 and spring 2023, respectively.

An approach based on scientific research and previous positive experiences
The emphasis on learning through play and acting - at the heart of UEFA Playmakers - is based on scientific research conducted by UEFA under the auspices of UEFA Beckett University in Leeds, which has shown the critical role of entertainment and non-competitiveness in encouraging girls to the way they start playing sports. The UEFA Playmakers program is also based on the exchange of knowledge between Uefa and the England Football Federation, running the "Shooting Stars" program in collaboration with Disney for several years.

The program's main goal is to encourage girls to play football through fun, non-competitive training and provide them with an easy way to gain more confidence and security when it comes to sports activities.

Through a combination of Disney's popular stories and characters and academic recommendations that show the positive role of narration and acting in promoting sport among children, UEFA Playmakers aims to increase the proportion of girls in Europe who meet the World Health Organization's recommendations for sports and physical activity. This program is crucial for HNS and Croatia because Croatia is among the poorest members of the European Union when it comes to the share of the population that meets the health recommendations for physical activity. The percentage of women who meet these recommendations is particularly low.

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

January 29, 2022 - It'll be a replay of the 2018 World Cup final, with the Croatian Football Federation announcing the 2022 Nations League match between Croatia and France will be played at Poljud on June 6, 2022. 

The Croatian Football Federation Executive Board has decided on the venues for the Croatia national team matches in the UEFA Nations League, opening in June this year, reports HNS. 

The 2018 World Cup finalist will host Austria on June 3 at City Garden Stadium in Osijek (20:45), and three days later a replay of the 2018 World Cup final between Croatia and France at Poljud in Split. The long-awaited spectacle against the 2018 world champions will also be played in the evening (20:45).

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In this June mini-cycle, the Croatia national team will also face Denmark (June 10) and France (June 13), both away. Croatia completes the Nations League in September with Denmark at home (September 22) and Austria away on September 25 (stadium to be determined). 

Thus, four Nations League rounds will be played from June 2 to 14, and the remaining two in the second half of September (from 22 to 27).

The Croatian Football Federation will announce ticket sale information in due time, but if the final 2022 World Cup qualifying match against Russia last November tells us anything, we can expect a sellout at Poljud Stadium in June - with hopefully much nicer weather. 

Croatia will not rest at the end of March, either. While the remaining second-placed European national teams will play additional World Cup qualifications, Croatia could play up to three friendly matches as part of their World Cup preparations.

Furthermore, the World Cup group draw will be held on April 1, 2022, in Doha. On that day, coach Dalić and the players will learn the three national teams they will compete against in the group stage of the World Cup. The 2022 World Cup will be hosted by Qatar from November 21 to December 18 this year. 

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

January 19, 2022 - The Croatian Football Federation announced on its official website that it would host a UEFA Executive Board session on Hvar in September this year.

The session could be critical in the context of the fight with FIFA over the biennial World Cup and the latest preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, which will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022.

The leadership of the Croatian Football Federation has expressed interest in hosting a session of the Executive Board, and the Federation's headquarters confirmed that UEFA accepts the proposal. Accordingly, the UEFA session will be held on September 21 in Hvar.

"We look forward to holding this session in Croatia and have the opportunity to explore your beautiful country further," reads a letter signed by UEFA Secretary-General Theodore Theodoridis, quoted by the HNS website.

"I thank President Alexander Čeferin and the UEFA leadership for the great trust they have shown us. We are pleased with this decision because it confirms the excellent status that HNS enjoys in UEFA, and I am convinced that we will once again prove ourselves as excellent hosts and capable organizers of such events," said HNS President Marijan Kustić.

The UEFA Executive Board last met in Croatia in 2013, when the session was hosted in Dubrovnik.

Gol.hr reports that HNS president Marijan Kustić and his right-hand man and Čeferin's legal colleague Tomislav Svetina certainly did not accidentally throw Hvar on the table, which is an elite destination of Croatian tourism. Still, there is another important point in the whole story.

Well-known Slovenian lawyer and since September 2016 the leader of European football, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, will combine business and pleasure on Hvar. 

Namely, Čeferin has been spending his summers on Hvar for many years. Moreover, he has a house in the small town of Zavala, approximately in the central part of the sunniest Croatian island, and on the south side.

Hvar locals already know him well. Čeferin has a beautifully decorated house about 200 meters from the sea, and tall palm trees were brought by truck and planted in the garden. From the home terrace, there is a fantastic view of the open sea, and in the immediate vicinity is a small vineyard that completes the experience.

The UEFA Executive Board has 20 members, among them the former president of the HNS and still the top scorer of the Croatia national team - Davor Šuker.

Among the most famous people in the Croatian public are Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a legend of German football and Bayern, and the president of PSG Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Both are members of the UEFA IO as representatives of the European Club Association (ECA), while the famous Spaniard Javier Tebas represents the Europa League (EL).

All major football nations have their representatives among the members of the IO. Sixteen of them are elected by the UEFA Congress, two representatives are given by the ECA and one by the EL, and the UEFA President has a seat on the IO by the logic of things.

Gol.hr assumes that Dejan Savičević, President of the Montenegrin Football Federation and one of the six UEFA envoys to the FIFA Council, will also attend the session.

As the UEFA President can invite third parties to attend UEFA Executive Board meetings in an advisory capacity, we expect other well-known football names.

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

January 10, 2022 - Hajduk Split wonderkid Stipe Biuk is in the UEFA spotlight as the only Croatian footballer named as a young player to watch in 2022. 

The European Football Organization (UEFA) has singled out a list of the most talented footballers under the age of 21 who could come to the forefront of the football public this season.

The list includes several famous names and one Croatian football player - 19-year-old Hajduk Split winger Stipe Biuk.

Thanks to his outstanding performance in the U21 European Championship quarterfinal match against Spain earlier this year, the European football public took notice of the Hajduk Split player. 

"Biuk turned heads with an impressive cameo against Spain at last summer's Under-21 EURO finals, and the left-winger has been a regular starter at club level during the past nine months," writes UEFA. 

He won a penalty for extra time, though the U21 Croatia national team did not have enough strength to beat Spain and win a spot in the semifinals.

Biuk signed a professional contract with Hajduk until 2026 in January 2021. As captain, he led the Hajduk junior team to lead the standings in the first half of the season. Thanks to his excellent play, he was invited to the winter preparations with the first team last year, together with Marin Ljubičić. He has also been a regular member of all Croatia national team younger age categories. 

Some of the largest European clubs have already targeted Biuk. In August last year, it was revealed that Lokomotiv Moscow and Manchester City were after the youngster, with City offering 12.5 million euros for the footballer. It would have been the club's record transfer. 

Hajduk's record outgoing transfer thus far is Nikola Vlašić, who was sold to Everton in the summer of 2017 for 10.8 million euros. 

You can see the list of UEFA's most talented young footballers HERE.

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

December 17, 2021 - The UEFA Nation's League Group 1 schedule has been announced. Croatia will open the competition with home games against Austria and France next June. 

The European Football Federation (UEFA) has announced the Nations League Group 1 schedule, which features the national teams of Croatia, France, Denmark, and Austria.

"We are in the elite group and every opponent is tough, but I can say that the draw was not bad. It seems to me that it will be easier than the first two years and I expect, of course, good results. I was expecting Italy, but we got France from the strongest hat. There is no way we can avoid them and I guess we have to play until we beat them. Austria and Denmark are national teams we can play with," was how Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić reacted to the draw held on Friday. 

"The Nations League is always important, but it has caused me problems in the past because we were not successful. Now I expect better games and to present ourselves properly. There will be good matches, the group is great and everything will be great preparation for the World Cup in Qatar," concluded Dalić.

Croatia will open the competition in June next year with home games against Austria (June 3) and France (June 6). This will be followed by away matches against Denmark (June 10) and France (June 13). Croatia will play at home against Denmark on September 22 and visit Austria on September 25 to close out the group stage. 

The cities hosting the group matches will be announced at a late date.

SCHEDULE

June 3, 2022: Croatia - Austria

June 6, 2022: Croatia - France

June 10, 2022: Denmark - Croatia

June 13, 2022: France - Croatia

September 22, 2022: Croatia - Denmark

September 25, 2022: Austria - Croatia

It is not yet known how this Nations League season will affect the qualifications for Euro 2024. UEFA has said that this has not yet been decided.

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

December 16, 2021 - The UEFA Nations League draw was held tonight. Croatia has been drawn into Group 1 against France, Denmark, and Austria. The 2022 Nations League competition will be played next June and September. 

Croatia learned who they will play in the 2022 Nations League tonight. The Croatia national team will play in the elite A league against 

Croatia was placed in the third strong hat and could not be drawn against England, Poland, and Switzerland. As in the previous edition, Croatia would face two stronger opponents and a slightly less attractive national team from the weakest, 4th hat.

Potential opponents for Croatia in the A league were one national team from each of these three strong groups:

Group 1: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium
Group 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany
Group 4: Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary

What is particularly interesting are the dates that UEFA has planned for these six group matches. Due to the complicated football calendar thanks to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will be played in November and December next year, the Nations League dates have been tightened to just two months.

Namely, the Nations League will be played in June and September, with four games in just two weeks in June next year, while two games are planned for September.

From June 2 to 14, i.e., across 12 days, UEFA has planned four games to be played every three days. This term is not ideal, as footballers will already be exhausted after the club season come to an end. 

It is not yet known how this Nations League season will affect the qualifications for Euro 2024. UEFA has said that this has not yet been decided.

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

September 30, 2021 - Dinamo tops Genk away in Belgium in the second round of the Europa League Group H. 

Dinamo played the second round of the Europa League Group H against Genk in Belgium. Dinamo won 3:0 with goals from Ivanušec (10') and Petković (45 + 3' - 11m, 67 '- 11m).

Dinamo recorded their first victory in this season's Europa League. The Croatian champion played away against Genk in the 2nd round of Group H and beat the host 3:0. After losing to West Ham (0:2) in the first round, Dinamo holds second place behind the English Premier League club. 

Dinamo has visited Belgium three times since Croatian independence until this Thursday, all in Europa League matches, and won all three times without conceding a goal. This tradition continued today.

Genk opened the game better and was more dangerous through possession, but Dinamo was the one who knew how to use the chance when it appeared.

The first goal was scored by the Croatian champion in the 10th minute. Luka Ivanušec scored for the 1:0 lead. 

Before the end of the first half, Dinamo shook the goal post after Oršić's shot, the home team retaliated in the same way through Heynen, and Dinamo again had a chance to increase the lead. Duje Čop fell in the penalty area after being hit by Toma, which was reviewed by VAR and called for a penalty. In the third minute of the extra time, Bruno Petković scored for 2:0.

Petković once again had an opportunity to score from the penalty spot and did in the 67th minute. Dinamo then calmly brought the game to an end at 3:0. 

After two matches played in the group, West Ham leads the table with six points. Dinamo is in second place with three points, the same as the third-placed Genk. Rapid is in last with one point. 

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August 26, 2021 - There will be no Conference League for Rijeka this season as PAOK wins at Rujevica (0:2) on Thursday. 

Rijeka welcomed the Greek club PAOK at Rujevica Stadium on Thursday in the return match of the Conference League playoffs. 

Unfortunately, Rijeka could not overcome PAOK at Rujevica and was left without a place in the Conference League group stage. Goran Tomić's side failed to get ahead after the first match ended 1:1. PAOK was better tonight with goals by Omar El Kaddouri and Thomas Murg.

PAOK furiously entered the game, dominated, and already in the sixth minute, it was clear that Rijeka had a tough match ahead. PAOK hit the post twice. First, Schwab shook the goalpost with a long-range shot before El Kaddouri hit the crossbar.

However, El Kaddouri made up for his miss in the 11th minute. Schwab found the Moroccan who took advantage of a sleepy Rijeka defense to make it 0:1. 

Rijeka started to wake up in the middle of the first half, and in the 32nd minute, they had their first good attempt. Drmić found Abass, who shot from 20 meters. Five minutes later, Abass found Tomečak, who missed a great opportunity.

The post again saved Rijeka in the 41st minute after El Kaddouri tried to increase PAOK's lead. 

Rijeka started to settle in the second half, and PAOK was no longer as dangerous as in the first, but Rijeka still struggled to create opportunities. Selahi had a solid attempt from a distance in the 55th minute, and Tomečak's shot in the 68th minute was blocked. 

As the game drew to a close, Rijeka tried to be more and more offensive, and their concentration in defense dropped. Escoval easily lost the ball in the danger zone in the 80th minute; Kagawa passed to Murg, who calmly pushed it past the helpless Prskalo to seal their fate at 0:2. 

Croatia will thus remain with one representative in European club competitions this season. Dinamo will play in the Europa League, and Rijeka failed to qualify for the Conference League group stage. 

Source: Index.hr

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