Who Are Dynamo Zagreb?

First Team
Thursday, 09.08.2007 / 12:05

Croatian club football is not exactly the pinnacle of the European game but the top club from the capital city are not to be underestimated.

Croatian club football is not exactly the pinnacle of the European game but the top club from the capital city are not to be underestimated. Dynamo Zagreb, Werder Bremen’s Champions League qualification opponent, are not just there to make up the numbers.

 

40 years of waiting

 

Dynamo emerged from the forced fusion of two separate clubs back in 1945. They proved to be one of Yugoslavia’s greatest clubs, winning four league championships and seven national cups. There was even a European triumph in 1967 when they won the Messe Cup (now the UEFA Cup) with a 2:0 and 0:0 against England’s Leeds United – the clubs greatest achievement to date. The true glory days of NK Dynamo Zagreb didn’t begin until a quarter of a century later with the founding of a Croatian league in 1991. Dynamo have dominated the ‘1 HNL’ along with Hajduk Split winning nine championships and eight national cups. On the international scene, success has been decidedly harder to come by with just two Champions League participations to point to. In 1998/1999 and 1999/2000, Dynamo reached the initial group stage but never came further than that. Their longest lasting memory from that period will be a 0:0 draw in the opening game of 99/00 at Old Trafford. Manchester United went on to win the Champions League in sensational fashion with a last gasp win against Bayern Munich in the final.

 

The last two years have seen the Zagreb club become an ambitious outfit once again. Following two comfortable league wins and the double last season, dreams of higher things are shaking the side into action. Last seasons disappointment must be buried. Zagreb reached the third qualifying round for the Champions League only to fall at the final hurdle against Arsenal London (0:3, 1:2). That was to be followed by a first round exit from the UEFA Cup at the hands of AJ Auxerre (1:2, 1:3). Now against Werder, the plan is to make the last 32 in the competition. To get this far they have had to overcome Khazar Lankaran and NK Domzale. Dynamo had problems against the Azerbaijan title winners, drawing 1:1 in Lankaran before winning their home tie 3:1 after extra time. It was more emphatic against Slovenia’s Domzale where a 2:1 and a 3:1 win saw them progress.

 

Young, hungry and incalculable

 

One thing is for sure, Dynamo are an unpredictable bunch with eight different players scoring the nine goals they’ve so far notched up in qualifying. Only Tomislav Sokota managed to score twice. And in the league it’s a similar picture. In the first three games, seven different scorers have netted fourteen times. The most potent up front are striker Mario Mandzukic and playmaker Luka Modric who have managed three a piece. A quick look back over the last six months would give the impression that the Zagreb side relatively unchallenged in the Croatian league. In that period they have suffered just one defeat, on November 4th 2006 when they lost 1:2 at NK Sibenik. Last season they took a stunning 92 from 99 possible points and finished 20 points ahead of second placed Hajduk Split. This season, Zagreb would again appear to be the side to beat.

 

It has all been made possible by a young, hungry side who have called upon some veterans as well as invested in players from Brazil and Africa to bolster the squad. In 1998 a young Brazilian called Eduardo was part of the Dynamo set up. The youngster made a fantastic development, took on Croatian nationality became captain and then moved on to Arsenal. Georg Koch, who came in from MSV Duisburg, joined Jens Nowotny to start a little German tradition at the club. The club coach is Branko Ivankovic, who briefly trained Hanover 96 back in 1999/2000. He then went on to coach the Croatian national side and between 2004 and the 2006 World Cup was in charge of the Iranian national side. There followed further success with Dynamo.

 

‘Maksimir’ and the ‘BBB’

 

The club are at home at the Maksimir Stadium, which is named after the area of Zagreb in which it is found. It has been under constant construction since 1998 and should hold some 52,000 on its completion in 2009. Currently 39,000 fans can fill the stadium where the bulk of the ‘Bad Blue Boys’ create an electrifying atmosphere in the North Stand. The fanatical fans support their team unconditionally and at times earn the name ‘Bad’.

 

Dynamo consider themselves prepared for the clash with Werder: “We al believe that we will beat Werder and progress to the Champions League”, commented Zagreb striker Tomislav Sokota. The coach is equally confident: “Bremen are a strong side and are dangerous from corners and free-kicks. There is less pressure on the players having come past Domzale. I hope there is something in it for us.” The Green-Whites will first face Dynamo at the Weser Stadium on Wednesday, August 15th at 8:30pm. The return leg will be played on Wednesday, 29.08 at 8:30pm in the ‘Maksimir’.

 

Johnnie Muldoon

 

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