February 8, 2023 - Miroslav Ćiro Blažević lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday, two days before his 88th birthday.

The legendary Croatian football coach lost his long battle with cancer on Wednesday. He was supposed to celebrate his 88th birthday in two days, reports Index.hr.

Blažević was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011 but fought off the vicious disease. A year after that, he was operated on for melanoma. In September 2019, his cancer unfortunately returned. 

Blažević made one of his last public appearances in mid-December last year when he received the "Vladimir Beara" award in Zagreb for his contribution to the development of sports culture and social tolerance.

"You gathered in large numbers and showed me a great honor. But this is my last address to the public. It's over—no more. Goodbye Ćiro. I'm counting the last days, and I'm aware of that," Ćiro said. 

"I'm so sick; it's so hard for me. This f***ing illness has taken over. I'm struggling, and I'm suffering. I'm in great pain, so, well..." said Ćiro about the illness three days ago. "My legs can't hold me more than heavy water; I'm going for an infusion. The situation is difficult, to be honest. Very, very difficult. Cancer has spread to all my bones and the worst and most dangerous place - the liver. And it destroys everything slowly and surely," he added.

Miroslav Ćiro Blažević was born on February 10, 1935, in Travnik, where he began, as he always said, a modest football career. He was born as the eighth, youngest child of Katarina Blažević (née Matovinović) and Mate Blažević. Their first two children, Ivica and Marica, whom their parents did not talk much about, died at just a few months old from the Spanish flu. Miroslav also had sisters Jelena and Dragica, brothers Ante and Joško, and an older sister Jozefina in Zagreb.

Ćiro played football until he was 31 when he decided to become a coach in Moutier, Switzerland. He stayed in Switzerland and managed Vevey and Sion before taking over the national team of Switzerland in 1979. However, his rise as a coach began in 1979 when he came to Rijeka. Although he finished the Championship in 10th place, Ćiro led Rijeka to the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final and lost to Juventus. At the end of the season, he came to Dinamo, and that's when the legend of Ćiro began.

After finishing fifth in his first season on the bench, Ćiro brought Dinamo the Yugoslav championship title in 1982 after 24 years of waiting and forever became a Dinamo legend. Cerin, Deverić, Mlinarić, Zajec, Vlak, and others played fantastic football that attracted an average of 30,000 spectators to Maksimir.

Dinamo confirmed the title by winning against Željezničar four rounds before the end, and the celebration in the city did not stop for weeks. The architect of that great success was Ćiro, who trampled everything in front of him with a white scarf around his neck.

"It was perfect and, without competition, the biggest success of my career. Kudos to the bronze medal in France, but for me, Dinamo's 1982 success is the crowning glory of everything I've done as a coach," said Ćiro on his 82nd birthday.

The legendary coach did not stop there and won the Yugoslav Cup with Dinamo the following season and left Dinamo for the first time at the end of the season. Then, he went to Grasshopper, with whom he won the Swiss Championship, and won the hearts of the fans again in 1985 when he led Priština to the first Yugoslav league.

In the same year, he returned to Dinamo and did not achieve notable results. Nevertheless, he welcomed the declaration of Croatian independence in Nantes, where he stayed until 1991, and after a year at PAOK in 1992, he returned to Dinamo. 

As a great admirer of President Franjo Tuđman and a prominent member of the HDZ, Ćiro could not refuse Tuđman's invitation to return to Croatia. He won the Croatian Championship in 1993 and the Cup in 1994. However, at the end of that season, Ćiro left Dinamo again, for the third time, because he was given the most significant task - to lead the Croatia national team.

Ćiro sensationally started the European Championship qualifiers. In front of a powerful Italy (with the help of Tomislav Ivić), they won first place in the group, and directly qualified for the European Championship in England. Croatia brilliantly passed the group with Turkey, Denmark (defending champions), and Portugal with six points, only to lose to Germany 2:1 in the quarter-finals with the great help of referee Leif Sundell.

At that time, Ćiro already enjoyed a considerable reputation in Croatia and Europe, but the best was yet to come. After the dramatic qualifications, Croatia qualified for the World Cup in France, winning a sensational third place in 1998. Ćiro's team led in the semi-final against France 1:0 but lost with two goals from Lilian Thuram, who were the only goals in his career for the national team.

France was the zenith of Ćiro's coaching career. In the qualifiers for Euro 2000, in the last round at Maksimir, Croatia had to beat Serbia for a place in the additional qualifiers, but they played 2:2 and were eliminated. There was also a change of generations and the qualifications for the World Cup in Japan and Korea. Croatia got off to a bad start, and after drawing against Scotland at Maksimir, Ćiro resigned.

In six years on the bench, Ćiro led Croatia 73 times and recorded 36 wins, 22 draws, and 15 losses.

In 2001, he went to Iran, which failed to take him to the World Cup in Japan and Korea. After that, he saved Osijek from relegation from the league, only to return to Dinamo for the fourth time in 2002 and win the league title. However, at the end of the season, he had an argument with Zdravko Mamić, who kicked him out of the club.

After Mura and Varteks, Blažević came to Hajduk in 2005, who was then preparing for Champions League qualifications. Before the draw, Ćiro said they would give him "that Liverpool," but the balls connected him with Debrecen, against whom Hajduk experienced one of the biggest embarrassments in its history. The Hungarian club won 3:0 in the first game and 5:0 at Poljud, and it was a defeat from which Ćiro could not save himself. On September 18, after a series of bad results, he resigned.

In 2007, Ćiro was third in the HNL with Zagreb. By the end of his prosperous coaching career, Ćiro would manage six more clubs, but he left his most significant mark as the head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although part of the BiH public did not approve, Ćiro united the BiH national team in his way and soon earned the entire country's support, which once again breathed with its national team. He fit perfectly into the new environment and almost led Bosnia and Herzegovina to the 2010 World Cup. But, instead, he entered the additional qualifiers, where he lost to a strong Portugal.

After leaving BiH, Ćiro went to China and then to Iran, only to return to NK Zagreb in 2012, with which he was relegated from the league. In January 2014, he went to Sloboda from Tuzla and sensationally returned them to the Premier League in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the end of the season, he took over NK Zadar, where he ended his coaching career in January 2015.

Ćiro Blažević's career overview

Playing career: Bratstvo Travnik, Dinamo, Lokomotiva, Sarajevo, Rijeka, Sion, Moutier

Coaching career: Vevey, Sion, Switzerland, Lausanne-Sport, Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, Grasshopper, Priština, Dinamo Zagreb, Nantes, PAOK, Croatia Zagreb, Croatia, Iran, Osijek, Dinamo Zagreb, Mura, Varteks, Hajduk, Neuchatel Xamax, Zagreb, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Shanghai Shenhua, China U-23, Mes Kerman, Zagreb, Sloboda Tuzla, Zadar

Trophies:

Sion, Swiss Cup - 1974

Dinamo
Championship of Yugoslavia - 1982
Yugoslav Cup - 1983
First HNL: 1993, 2003
Croatian Cup: 1994
Croatian Super Cup: 2002

Grasshopper
Swiss Championship: 1984

Hajduk
Croatian Supercup: 2005

Croatia national team:
3rd place at World Cup 1998

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

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

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

 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

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

August 24, 2022 - With two quick goals in the final minutes of extra time, Dinamo has secured a spot in the Champions League group stage! 

Dinamo and Bodo/Glimt met in the return match of the Champions League play-off at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Wednesday. 

In the first match, Bodo/Glimt won at home with a minimum of 1:0.

In their quest for the Champions League group stage, Dinamo and Bodo met at a sold-out Maksimir Stadium. Coach Ante Čačić could not on Josip Mišić due to cards.

Lineups

Dinamo (4-2-3-1): Livaković - Ristovski, B. Šutalo, Perić, Ljubičić - Ademi, Ivanušec - Špikić, Baturina, Oršić - Petković

Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3): Haikin - Sampsted, Amundsen, Hoibraten, Wembagomo - Vetlesen, Hagen, Sltnes - Mugisha, Salvesen, Pellegrino 

Match report

Dinamo's first chance came in the 2nd minute when Baturina shot over the post from the penalty area. 

But Dinamo's quick counter two minutes later caught Bodo's defense off guard - Baturina found Orsic on the left who scored for 1:0 in the 4th minute! 

Dinamo was off to a great start and had complete control of the match, making it tough for Bodo to get out of their half.

Dinamo's first corner came in the 13th minute, which was cleared by the Bodo defense. 

Bodo had their most dangerous chance in the 15th minute when Mvuka just missed near post. Bodo was fortunately called offside. 

A tough call in the Bodo penalty area came in the 27th minute. The defender played with his hand, but after a VAR check, the ref said to play on. 

Ademi hit the crossbar in the 31st minute and Dinamo continued to relentlessly attack Bodo's half. 

But it didn't take long for Dinamo to get their second goal. A brilliant scissor kick by Petkovic from inside the box made it 2:0 for Dinamo in the 35th minute! 

Bodo didn't have many chances until the end of the half and called for a penalty kick in the 43rd minute. The ref said to play on. The match was 2:0 for Dinamo at the half.  

The second half started without any changes.

Bodo had their first chance of the second half in the 51st minute when Mvuka came up the right side. Boško Šutalo was calm and cleared any danger. 

Dinamo continued to press but without great opportunities. The first yellow card of the match went to Webanmogo in the 58th minute. 

Dinamo made their first subs in the 60th minute - Špikić and Baturina came off for Emreli and Gojak.

Bodo had a great chance in the 62nd minute. Livaković struggled to defend Mvuka's shot and Salvesen failed to reach the deflection in time 

Bodo made their first subs two minutes later - Grunbaek and Espejord entered for Hagen and Salvesen.

Bodo was continuing to press and got hungrier for a goal, which finally happened in the 69th minute. A hiccup in Dinamo's defense allowed Grunbaek to score for 2:1. The aggregate was now 2:2. 

Dilaver entered for Peric in the 71st minute. 

Dinamo started to lose their rhythm and Bodo continued to attack. Drmić entered for Orsic in the 82nd minute. 

The ref added 6 minutes of stoppage time to the match. At 2:1, the match went to extra time. 

Ademi came off for Bočkaj and Ljubičić moved to the midfield.

Dinamo had their first corner of extra time in the 100th minute, which was cleared out by Bodo's defense.

Pelligrino had a dangerous chance from a header in the 103rd minute. A minute later, Drmic had a 1-on-1 with the Bodo keeper but was called offside. 

The second half started at 2:1. 

In the 106th minute, Vetti and Konradsen entered for Amundsen and Vetlesen.

Moharrami received a yellow card in the 109th minute.

Another change for Bodo - Skau was subbed on for Wembangomo.

But it all changed in the 117th minute - Dinamo took advantage of a rattled Bodo defense and Drmic scored for 3:1! And Dinamo wasn't finished yet -a quick counter and another 1-on-1 with the Bodo keeper - the ball found Bockaj for 4:1 Dinamo and the final whistle! 

With this result, Dinamo has thus secured their spot in the Champions League this season. 

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

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... 

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

August 9, 2022 - Dinamo Zagreb advances to the Champions League play-off round against Bodø/Glimt! The Zagreb club won 4:2 at Maksimir on Tuesday night against Ludogorets (6-3 aggregate).

Dinamo played the second leg of the Champions League 3rd round qualifiers at Maksimir Stadium against Bulgarian club Ludogorets. Dinamo won 2:1 away in the first leg. Estimates are that around 15,000 fans were at Maksimir on Tuesday night. 

By advancing past Ludogorets, Dinamo secures their spot in the Champions League play-off against Norwegian club FK Bodo/Glimt. And that's not all - securing at least the Europa League group stage means 7.17 million euros in Dinamo's bank account. 

Lineups

Dinamo: Livaković - Ristovski, B. Šutalo, Perić, Ljubičić - Mišić, Ademi - Špikić, Baturina, Oršić - Drmić

Ludogorets: Sluga - Cicinho, Verdon, Plastun, Nedyalkov - Yankov, Piotrowski, Cafunama - Rick, Igor Thago, Despodov

Match report

Dinamo's first good opportunity came already in the 4th minute. Ademi shot from 13 meters, but Croatian goalkeeper Simon Sluga defended for Ludogorets, resulting in a corner for Dinamo.

But it didn't take long for Dinamo to get comfortable. Josip Drmić scored with a header in the 12th minute for 1:0. 

A sense of calm swept over Dinamo after Jankov was sent off with his second yellow card in the 18th minute, forcing Ludogorets to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. And not even 10 minutes later? Dinamo was awarded a penalty when Nedjalkov clipped Špikić from behind. Oršić scored for 2:0 in the 27th minute. 

Ludogorets was mostly helpless for the remainder of the first half, with Dinamo pressing and using their extra-player advantage to tire out the Bulgarian club. And then Dinamo did it again - Oršić dribbed through the Ludogorets defense and nailed the far post for 3:0 Dinamo with just a minute to go in the first half. 

Ludogorets reduced the score to 3:1 when Despodov scored in stoppage time. It was 3:1 for Dinamo at the half.

The second half started with changes for Dinamo. Mišić, Ristovski and Baturina were subbed off and Ivanušec, Gojak and Moharrami entered the match. 

A penalty was awarded to Ludogorets in the 49th minute, and Despodov scored again to bring the result to 3:2. 

Drmić was subbed off in the 70th minute, and Petković entered the match. 

Another blow for the Bulgarian club came in the 73rd minute. Rick received his second yellow card for a foul on Spikic and was sent off, forcing Ludogorets to play with two men down. 

And then a chance for Dinamo's 4th goal came in the 84th minute when a penalty was called for Dinamo. Petkovic scored for 4:2 and Ludogorets received yet another red card, bringing them down 8 players to finish the match! 

And the red cards didn't stop for Ludogorets there - the president of the club was sent into the tunnel in the 88th minute! 

The ref added 5 minutes of stoppage time, in which neither team scored. Dinamo thus won 4:2 with a 6-3 aggregate and advances to the Champions League play-off against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt! 

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

July 26, 2022 - Dinamo advanced to the Champions League 3rd qualifying round after beating Shkupi on a 3-2 aggregate on Tuesday. After 2-2 in Zagreb, Dinamo won in Skopje with a minimal 1-0.

The match and overall winner were decided early in the second half. In the 47th minute, Dinamo's captain Arijan Ademi was the only scorer in Skopje. In the 3rd qualifying round, Dinamo will play against the Bulgarian champion Ludogorets.

Dinamo opened the match a bit slow, but it didn't take long for the Croatian champion to start threatening Shkupi's goal. Ivanušec and Špikić tried first in the 13th minute, and Bruno Petković found himself in an even better situation with a header five minutes later. Shkupi was dangerous in the 21st minute but couldn't find the back of the net. 

By the end of the first half, Dinamo still had two great opportunities and wholly dominated the first 45 minutes. In the 35th minute, Špikić had a great chance, and in the 41st, Shkupi was even closer to the goal. Petković was alone in front of the goal in stoppage time, but the first half ended 0-0. 

Dinamo took the lead at the start of the second half when Luka Menalo assisted Ademi, putting them ahead 1-0! 

Three minutes later, Menalo's goal was called offside. Petković and Menalo worked to score a second goal, but Shkupi remained solid in defense to deny the Croatian champion.

Dinamo worked hard to stay ahead and avoid the match going into extra time. They ultimately succeeded as the match ended 1-0. 

In the Champions League 3rd qualifying round, Dinamo will play against the Bulgarian champion Ludogorets. After 3-0 at home, Ludogorets lost 1-2 to Irish club Shamrock Rovers. Ludogorets played almost the entire second half with a man down. 

On August 2, Dinamo will first visit Bulgaria, while the second leg will be played at Maksimir Stadium one week later. 

Source: HRT

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

July 19, 2022 - In the first leg of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round, Dinamo and Shkupi draw 2:2 at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. 

Dinamo had their first European test of the season tonight against the champion of North Macedonia, Shkupi. The two teams met at Maksimir Stadium at 21:00 for the Champions League 2nd qualifying round. 

Dinamo entered tonight's match as big favorites. According to Transfermarkt, the North Macedonian champion is worth only 5.5 million euros, while the Croatian champion is valued at 100.5 million.

The match was refereed by 39-year-old Romanian Rad Petrescu.

The starting lineups saw Dinamo coach Ante Čačić leave Mislav Oršić on the bench.

Lineups

Dinamo: Livaković - Moharrami, J. Šutalo, Perić, Ljubičić - Mišić, Ademi - Špikić, Petković, Ivanušec - Drmić

Shkupi: Naumovski - Brdarovski, Dzelil, Margvelashvili, Sheji - Putita, Faustin, Alvarez - Hamidi, Danfa, Adetunji

Match report

Dinamo's first real chance came in the 10th minute. Perić crossed, and Petković chested to Ademi, who shot ten meters over the goal. Dinamo used their first sub in the 17th minute as Theophile entered for an injured Josip Šutalo. 

Dinamo was shocked in the 25th minute. A big mistake by the defense between Mišić and Theophile saw Queven take advantage and shot past Livaković for 0:1. 

Dinamo had a few more chances but didn't equalize until the 44th minute. Ademi scored off a Moharrami cross for 1:1 at the half. 

The second half started with one change - Menalo entered instead of Špikić

Ljubičić had a chance in the 49th minute but shot near post. Oršić was subbed on for Drmić in the 64th minute. 

Ademi was shown a yellow card in the 72nd minute for simulation after diving in the penalty area. 

Dinamo continued to have chances in the second half and was relentlessly attacking Shkupi's goal. Bruno Petković finally scored to put Dinamo ahead at 2:1 in the 86th minute.

But the euphoria didn't last long. A quick attack and a volley over Livaković saw Shkupi equalize at 2:2 in the 89th minute, which is how the match ended. 

The second leg will be played away on Tuesday, July 26, at 21:00. 

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

July 13, 2022 - The Croatian champion Dinamo and the Macedonian champion KF Shkupi will meet in the 2nd round of the Champions League qualifiers on July 19. 

The 2021/22 Croatian football champion Dinamo found out their opponent in the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League. It will be the Macedonian club KF Shkupi, based in Čair, Skopje. 

As expected, Dinamo will open their European tour this season against the Macedonian champion, but the Gibraltarian champion Lincoln Red Imps were on the verge of a shocking upset. 

The Macedonian team, led by the former player of Dinamo Zagreb and coach of the second team, Goce Sedloski, lost in the second leg of the 1st qualifying round away to Lincoln Red Imps 0-2, but Shkupi celebrated 3-0 in the first match in front of their fans and with an aggregate of 3-2, moved forward. 

Lincoln Red Imps took the lead in the 32nd minute with a goal by Juan Pena, and Lee Casciaro made it 2-0 in the 69th minute. The champion of Gibraltar needed one more goal to at least win extra time, but Shkupi managed to defend well to keep them out of the net.

Dinamo will be the host in the first game of the 2nd qualifying round on July 19, and the return match is seven days later. The Croatian champion will be the seeded team in all preliminary rounds of all European competitions, which makes the path to the Champions League group much easier for the Zagreb club.

Suppose Dinamo advances to the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League. In that case, they will have at least compete in the group stage of the Conference League, while entering the Champions League play-off means at least a spot in the Europa League group stage. 

Dinamo is still missing some players, including Boško Šutalo, who has yet to recover from abdominal wall surgery and other issues and will be out for at least the first month. However, Josip Šutalo should be ready soon, while Emreli is also injured at the moment. 

Source: HRT

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

April 26, 2022 - Hajduk and Shakhtar Donetsk will play a friendly match on Sunday to raise money for Ukrainian war refugees. 

Under the theme "Football for Peace", Hajduk and Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk will play a humanitarian friendly match at Poljud on Sunday, May 1. The goal of the match is to raise funds to help children left without parents in war-torn Ukraine who now need accommodation in the Republic of Croatia.

"HNK Hajduk has already given its training grounds to coaches, staff, and over 80 Ukrainian children who were taken care of in Split, and we are especially glad that they will be able to watch their first team players again during this match," said Hajduk on its official website. 

The Hajduk - Shakhtar match is scheduled for Sunday, May 1, at 3 pm, and the unique ticket price is 30 kuna. In addition to buying tickets, you can also help by calling a special donor number, which will be published a few days before the game.

Tickets can be purchased at the following points of sale:

- Online at ulaznice.hajduk.hr

- Membership Department at Poljud - every working day from 8 am to 8 pm

- Hajduk Fan shop Joker

- Ticketshop outlets (Tisak Media)

- Ticket booths around the stadium on the day of the match

The first of two humanitarian matches to be played in Croatia will be played in Zagreb between Dinamo and Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday, April 28, starting at 6 pm. Maksimir Stadium will be open to spectators in the west lower and north lower stands. GNK Dinamo will play in the combined lineup of the first and second teams.

Ticket prices for the Dinamo - Dynamo Kyiv humanitarian match: tribune north lower 50 kuna and tribune west lower 50 kuna.

All proceeds from the tickets will go to the Kyiv club, which will distribute the money to Ukrainian refugees.

Ukrainian nationals who are in Croatia due to the war and want to come to the match can pick up their free ticket by presenting an ID. 

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