Dinamo Zagreb
Encyclopedia
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb (dinamɔ ˈzâːɡrɛb), or by their nickname Modri ("The Blues") are a Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

n football club based in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football
Football in Croatia
Football in Croatia, called nogomet, is the most popular team sport in the country and is led by the Croatian Football Federation. It is played in four official components; the domestic league consists of three hierarchical echelons, and a single national team represents the entire state...

, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...

s and four Croatian Supercup
Croatian Supercup
The Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...

s. The club has spent its entire existence in top flight, having been members of the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...

 from 1946 to 1991, and then the Prva HNL since its foundation in 1992.

Dinamo Zagreb were founded on 9 June 1945 in order to replace the three very popular Zagreb football clubs (HAŠK
HAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...

, Građanski and Concordia
HŠK Concordia
HŠK Concordia was a Croatian football club formed in Zagreb. The club was founded asthe Srednjoškolski športski klub in 1906.By the end of the First World War the club had played many matches with both domestic and foreign clubs...

) which had been disbanded by the Yugoslav Communist Party
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...

 following the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Dinamo then entered the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...

 in its inaugural 1946–47 season, finishing as runners-up. In their second season in Yugoslav top flight in 1947–48 they finished as Yugoslav champions which was their first major trophy. The club won three more league titles and seven Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...

s before they left the Yugoslav league in 1991 amid the breakup of Yugoslavia and formation of the Croatian football league system
Croatian football league system
The Croatian football league system is a series of connected leagues for club football in Croatia. This system has hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels.-Present System:...

. Dinamo are the only Croatian football club who have ever won European silverware, having won the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup by defeating Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 in the final. They have also finished runners-up in the same competition in 1963
1963 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final
The 1963 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was the final of the fifth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was played on 12 June and 26 June 1963 between NK Dinamo Zagreb of SFR Yugoslavia and Valencia CF of Spain. Valencia won the tie 4–1 on aggregate.-First leg:...

 when they lost to Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...

.

Amid political turmoil in the early 1990s the began club claiming direct lineage to pre-WWII clubs Građanski Zagreb and HAŠK
HAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...

. In order to reflect this in June 1991 it was renamed HAŠK Građanski and in February 1993 it was renamed again and became Croatia Zagreb. In February 2000 it reverted back to Dinamo. In 2011 club management increasingly began claiming that Dinamo is the direct descendant of Građanski (which had been founded in 1911) and in April that year decided to append the adjective "Građanski" to the club's official name, turning it into the present-day GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb or Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club) and announced a grand celebration of the club's centennial.

The team's traditional colour is royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....

, which has been replaced for European matches in recent times with the darker navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....

. The club's biggest rivals are Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...

, and matches between the two teams are referred to as "Eternal derby". Dinamo are currently the reigning Croatian champions having won their sixth consecutive Prva HNL title in the 2010–2011 season. The club is currently managed by Krunoslav Jurčić
Krunoslav Jurcic
Krunoslav "Kruno" Jurčić is a retired Croatian professional footballer who is now a coach.-Club career:He started his professional career at Dinamo Zagreb in 1988, before moving to Inker Zaprešić in 1991 and Uljanik Pula in 1993. He went on join Belgian side Beveren in 1995, but returned to Dinamo...

.

Origins and early years (1945–1966)

In the immediate aftermath of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 the three most successful Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

-based clubs (HAŠK
HAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...

, Građanski and Concordia
HŠK Concordia
HŠK Concordia was a Croatian football club formed in Zagreb. The club was founded asthe Srednjoškolski športski klub in 1906.By the end of the First World War the club had played many matches with both domestic and foreign clubs...

) were all disbanded by a decree issued by the communist authorities in May 1945. In order to replace them, a new sports society called FD Dinamo was founded on 9 June 1945. The new club inherited Građanski's colors and fan base, with most of Građanski's players continuing their careers at Dinamo. In the first few years the club played their home matches at Građanski's old ground Stadion Koturaška
Stadion Koturaška
Stadion Koturaška, also referred to as Građanski Stadium was a football stadium in Zagreb, Croatia. It was located at Koturaška Road in today's Trnje and was home to the football club Građanski Zagreb for over 20 years from 1924 to 1945...

, but soon moved to former HAŠK's old ground at Stadion Maksimir. In addition, former manager of Građanski Márton Bukovi
Márton Bukovi
Márton Bukovi was a Hungarian association football player and manager. After playing for Ferencvárosi TC, FC Sète and Hungary he became a coach, most notably with Građanski Zagreb, MTK Hungária FC and Hungary...

 was appointed as Dinamo's first manager. The most notable Građanski players who joined Dinamo upon its formation were August Lešnik
August Lešnik
August Lešnik was a Croatian footballer. Lešnik played most of his club football for Građanski Zagreb. In 1941 he was the Croatian First League's top scorer while playing for Građanski, and performed the same feat twice in the Yugoslavian First League as well: in 1938 and 1939...

, Mirko Kokotović
Mirko Kokotovic
Mirko Kokotović was a Croatian footballer who played international football for the both the Croatian and Royal Yugoslavian national teams....

 and Franjo Wölfl
Franjo Wölfl
Franjo Wölfl was a Croatian footballer. He played international football first with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team from 1938 and then the Croatian national team from 1940 to 1944. Finally, Wölfl suited up for communist Yugoslavia's national team from 1945 to 1951.Wölfl spent much of his...

. Of the HAŠK players that joined Dinamo, the regulars in the first team soon became Ratko Kacian
Ratko Kacian
Ratko Kacian was a Croatian footballer. He played internationally for the Croatian national team from 1940 to 1943 and with Yugoslavia's national team in 1946.Kacian played for HAŠK, Hajduk Split before moving to Dinamo Zagreb....

, Željko Čajkovski
Željko Cajkovski
Željko Čajkovski is a Croatian football player and coach.With the national team he won the silver medal in the football tournament of th 1948 Olympics held in lLondon, losing in the final 1-3 to Sweden, then starring the young Gunnar Nordahl, Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm...

, Svetozar Peričić and Dragutin Lojen.

Following its formation, the club entered Yugoslav First League in its first season after the World War II hiatus. In their debut Dinamo finished in second place, 5 points behind champions Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

. Dinamo won their first silverware in the 1947–48 season, finishing first–placed in the Yugoslav championship with 5 points ahead of Hajduk Split and Partizan. In the 1951 season the club finished second–placed in the league, but compensated with their first ever Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...

 title, after they defeated Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina is a football club from Novi Sad, Serbia. The club currently competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. FK Vojvodina is the third oldest football club in Serbia's SuperLiga, after OFK Beograd which was founded in 1911 and FK Javor which was founded in 1912.-History:FK Vojvodina was founded...

 4–0 in the two–legged final. Dinamo later added three more cup titles (in 1960, 1963 and 1965) and two championship wins (in 1953–54 and 1957–58). In addition, they were also cup runners–up on three occasions (in 1950, 1964 and 1966). Dinamo first entered European competitions
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

 in the preliminary round of the 1958–59 European Cup, but were knocked out by the Czechoslovak
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 side Dukla Prague. The club then had some success in the 1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup, as they managed to reach the semi-finals where they lost to Italian side Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

. They have also competed in the 1961–62 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but failed to progress beyond the second round in which they were knocked out by Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

. However, in the 1962–63 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Dinamo managed to reach the final
1963 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final
The 1963 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was the final of the fifth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was played on 12 June and 26 June 1963 between NK Dinamo Zagreb of SFR Yugoslavia and Valencia CF of Spain. Valencia won the tie 4–1 on aggregate.-First leg:...

, but lost 4–1 on aggregate to Spanish side Valencia. The campaign included a sensational win against European giants Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

 in the quarter-finals of the competition. In the 1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup they made an early exit in the first round after a defeat to Scottish side Celtic. During this period many of Dinamo's star players were also integral part of the Yugoslavia national team
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...

, including Željko Čajkovski
Željko Cajkovski
Željko Čajkovski is a Croatian football player and coach.With the national team he won the silver medal in the football tournament of th 1948 Olympics held in lLondon, losing in the final 1-3 to Sweden, then starring the young Gunnar Nordahl, Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm...

, Dražan Jerković, Ivica Horvat, Slaven Zambata
Slaven Zambata
Slaven Zambata is a former Croatian football player. He earned 31 caps and scored 21 goals for Yugoslavia....

 and Rudolf Belin
Rudolf Belin
Rudolf Belin is a former Croatian football player.Belin started his career with NK Dinamo Zagreb in 1960, where he won the Yugoslav Cup 3 times and the UEFA Cup in 1967, beating English club Leeds United and went on to make 410 appearances for the great club until 1970, when he moved to Beerschot...

.

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1966–1967)

Three Yugoslav clubs went on to participate in the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but they were knocked–out early in the competition, excluding Dinamo who went on to become the first ever Yugoslavian team that won a European competition. In the first round Dinamo played against Spartak Brno
1. FC Brno
FC Zbrojovka Brno is a Czech football club based in Brno.The club won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1977–78 season and finished as runners-up in 1979–80.-Historic names:* SK Židenice * Zbrojovka Brno...

 and after the aggregate score was 2–2, coin was flipped
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...

 in order to determine the winner. Dinamo was through to the second round, where they were drawn against Scottish side Dunfermline
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....

. For the first time in the history of the cup the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...

 were introduced, which helped Dinamo to qualify for the third round after the aggregate score was 4–4 (2–0 at home and 2–4 away). On their road to finals they defeated Romanian side Dinamo Piteşti
FC Arges Pitesti
FC Argeş Piteşti is a Romanian professional football club from Piteşti, Argeş county.FC Argeş was one of the most successful Romanian clubs in the 1970s, when it won the national championship twice: in 1972 and 1979, and finished twice as runner-up...

, Italian powerhouse Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 and German side Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...

. In the finals
1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final
The 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was the final of the ninth edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was played on 30 August and 6 September 1967 between Dinamo Zagreb of Yugoslavia and Leeds United of England...

 the club was draw to play its first match at Maksimir against Leeds United. Dinamo won 2–0 in front of the 33 thousand fans with Marijan Čerček
Marijan Cercek
Marijan Čerček is a former Croatian football player. He capped once for Yugoslavia.-References:*...

 and Krasnodar Rora
Krasnodar Rora
Krasnodar Rora is a former Croatian football player. He was capped 5 times for Yugoslavia.-External links:*...

 scoring, which was enough to secure the title as the match at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...

 finished 0–0.

Post–European success era (1967–2000)

Dinamo closed the successful sixties with Yugoslav Cup title in the 1969 and quarterfinals of the 1969–70 Cup Winners' Cup competition. Unfortunately, the success didn't follow the club to the new decade, as they failed to win a single trophy throughout the 1970s. The club participated in three more seasons of Inter-Cities Fairs Cup before it was replaced with UEFA Cup, but failed to make any impact. Dinamo took part of the initial UEFA Cup season, but lost in the second round of the competition to Rapid Vienna on away goals rule. The club entered the UEFA Cup on seven more occasions (in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1992) but never repeated success from the sixties. Finally, at the start of the 1980s, Dinamo won their sixth Yugoslav Cup title, defeating Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

 2–1 on aggregate result. They qualified for the 1980–81 Cup Winners' Cup, but lost already in first round to Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...

. In 1982 Dinamo sealed their fourth Yugoslav championship. In 1983 they won their seventh Yugoslav Cup which was the club's last trophy in the SFR Yugoslavia. After Benfica, another Portuguese club sealed Dinamo's European season, this time in 1982–83 European Cup when they lost to Sporting CP. They played in 1983–84 Cup Winners' Cup season and were eliminated, again, by Portuguese side Porto. The club didn't have any success in the second part of the 1980s, except two consecutive second–places in Yugoslavian championship in 1989 and 1990.

1990s and the Croatia Zagreb era

After the SFR Yugoslavia was dissolved, Dinamo took part in creating the Croatian Football League and the initial season was played in 1992. The same year club controversially changed its name to HAŠK Građanski, and another name change followed in 1993
1993 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1993 throughout the world.-Events:*February 18 – Dutch club Roda JC fires head coach and former player Adrie Koster....

, when the club was renamed to Croatia Zagreb. The name change was widely seen as a political move by the leadership of then newly independent Croatia, with the goal of distancing the entire country from its Communist past. As the name change was also never accepted by their supporters, the club renamed themselves back to Dinamo on 14 February 2000. As Croatia Zagreb, the club has won six Croatian championships, of which five were won in a row from 1996 to 2000. They've also won four Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...

 titles.

In the late 1990s, the club played two consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 group stage. In the 1998–99 season, they were drawn in a group with Ajax, Olympiacos and Porto. After disappointing performances in the first three matches in which they managed to draw against Ajax at home and lost their away matches against Olympiacos and Porto, they performed well in the remaining three matches, beating Porto at home and Ajax away, and drawing to Olympiacos at home. However, they failed to advance to the quarterfinals as a second–placed team behind Olympiacos. In the 1999–2000 season, they were drawn in a group with defending champions Manchester United, Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

 and Sturm Graz, but managed only a fourth–place finish in the group with two draws and one win. They most notably held Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...

 in their opening Champions League match that season. The club also competed in two consecutive seasons of UEFA Cup. In 1996 they were knocked–out in the second round, while in the 1998 they managed to reach the third round, but lost to Atlético Madrid 2–1 on aggregate score.

Recent years (2000–present)

The club subsequently participated five times in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. However, they played against Milan, Dynamo Kyiv, Arsenal, Werder Bremen, Shakhtar Donetsk and failed to win a single match, losing 6–1 on aggregate to Milan, 5–1 on aggregate to Dynamo Kiev, Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal and 5–3 on aggregate to Werder Bremen. Since the qualifying rounds format changed, Dinamo was unable to get through to the play–off round, losing 3–2 on aggregate to FC Red Bull Salzburg in 2009. Before the UEFA Cup group stage phase was introduced, Dinamo's best success in the competition was reaching the second round of the competition on three occasions. They were able to reach the group stages in 2004–05, 2007–08 and 2008–09, but failed to secure qualification to round of 32. UEFA then introduced Europa League competition which had slightly changed format compared to that of the UEFA Cup. Dinamo was able to qualify for the group stage of the initial 2009–10 Europa League season, after beating Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 side Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

 4–2 on aggregate. In domestic competitions the club was able to secure five league titles and won the Croatian Cup on six occasions. They have also won four Croatian Supercups. The club has also produced many footballing talents that represented Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

 on the international level in the 2000s. The most notable are Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...

, Eduardo, Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Corluka
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a defender. He is also a part of the Croatia national team...

, Niko Kranjčar
Niko Kranjcar
Niko Kranjčar is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.He represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005...

 and Tomislav Butina
Tomislav Butina
Tomislav Butina is a former Croatian footballer who played as goalkeeper for top level clubs Dinamo Zagreb, Club Brugge and Olympiacos. He was also capped 28 times for the Croatia national football team in the period from 2001 to 2006 and was member of Croatian squads at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA...

. Dinamo once again qualified for the Europa League in 2010–2011 finishing third in group D behind PAOK Thessaloniki and Villarreal C.F. and ahead of Club Brugge K.V.. Dinamo was very close to finishing second after wins against Villarreal at home (2–0) and Club Brugge K.V. away (0–2) but failed to win in their last game against PAOK at home (lost 0–1) and thus failed to qualify for the next stage. Dinamo managed to reach the group stage of the Champions League in 2011 after beating Neftçi PFC Baku (3–0 at home, 0–0 away), HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...

 (2–1 away, 1–0 at home) and Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...

 (4–1 at home, lost 2–0 away). They were drawn in group D alongside Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

, Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

 and AFC Ajax.

UEFA club coefficient ranking

(As of 2 December 2011), Source: Bert Kassies website
Rank Team
74   APOEL Nicosia
75   AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...

76   AaB Aalborg
77   Dinamo Zagreb
78   Steaua Bucuresti
Steaua Bucuresti
Fotbal Club Steaua București is a Romanian professional football club based in Bucharest. They are the most successful Romanian football team in European competitions as well in the Romanian Liga I . They became the first East European team to win the UEFA Champions League being victorious in the...

79   Lokomotiv Moscow
80   AEK Athens

Grounds

Dinamo's home ground is Stadion Maksimir, which is situated in the northeast part of the city of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

, opposite the largest city Maksimir Park
Maksimir Park
Maksimir Park is Zagreb's oldest public park. It forms part of the city's cultural heritage and is a habitat for many different plant and animal species.-History:...

 which is also the name of that district. It was officially opened on 5 May 1912 and has been reconstructed several times since then. The seats were installed on the east and south stand in 1997 and a year later, the old north and east stands were pulled down. Newly built north stand has a capacity of 10,965 and also has business offices. The whole stadium was reconstructed just before the opening ceremony of the Military World Games
Military World Games
The Military World Games is a multi-sport event for military sportspeople, organized by the International Military Sports Council . The Games have been held since 1995, although championships for separate sports had been held for some years. A winter edition of the games has been recently created...

 in 1999.

The spectators are placed on four stands: north, east, west and south. All of them are exclusively all-seaters, and there are no standing places on the stadium. The total capacity is 35,825.

The final phase of the reconstruction includes lowering the lawn and making a stand around the pitch and over the running track with an annex to the south stand, adding an extra 16,000 seats to the maximum capacity. This will make Stadion Maksimir an exclusively football stadium with approximately 60,000 seats and thus the club will be given opportunity to host final matches of European club championships.

The start of the planned reconstruction works were anticipated in 2008, with completion deadlines set as early as 2010, but works never got started. Renovation finally began in the summer of 2011. By now, the city of Zagreb has reportedly spent around €100 million on maintenance of the stadium. The stadium became a huge problem for the city council who are planning a referendum where the citizens of Zagreb would decide whether to continue with the reconstruction of Stadion Maksimir, or to build the brand new Stadion Kajzerica
Stadion Kajzerica
Stadion Kajzerica is a proposed new football stadium to be built in the Kajzerica neighborhood in Zagreb, Croatia. The venue is intended to replace Stadion Maksimir as the home of the Croatia national football team and Dinamo Zagreb football club....

. In the summer of 2011,the stadium underwent renovations. All the seats were replaced with new ones. All sides were covered with blue cloth. The pitch was renewed.

Kit manufacturers

Period Kit manufacturer
1993–1994 Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...

1994–1998 Lotto
Lotto Sport Italia
Lotto Sport Italia is an Italian sports apparel manufacturer. Its products are now distributed in more than 60 countries.-History:Lotto was established in 1973 by the Caberlotto family in Montebelluna, northern Italy, the world centre of footwear manufacturing. In June 1973, Lotto made its debut...

1998–2000 Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...

2000–2001 Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...

2001–2007 Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...

2007–2011 Diadora
Diadora
Diadora is an Italian football, tennis, running, cycling, rugby, athletic shoe, clothing, and fashion accessory manufacturer with locations in Italy, the United States, and Hong Kong.-History:...

2011– Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...


Supporters

Although the club had an army of supporters throughout the history, its first organized group of followers emerged in 1986. The most faithful and eager followers established the group Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...

(often abbrevated BBB). As legend has it, the name was inspired by the 1983 film Bad Boys
Bad Boys (1983 film)
Bad Boys is a 1983 American crime drama film primarily set in a juvenile detention center, starring Sean Penn, Esai Morales, and Ally Sheedy in her film debut. The film is directed by Rick Rosenthal. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti....

starring Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...

 in the main role. The group aroused a great interest and BBB branches started appearing in all parts of Zagreb. The fans soon started organizing departures to visiting matches themselves to voice their support for the club.

On 17 March 1986 ,the first official fan club Bad Blue Boys was founded. Since its formation, the Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...

 traditionally situate on the north stand of Stadion Maksimir. During the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...

 the fans offered their support to Franjo Tuđman and the HDZ in Croatia's first elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...

 and a lot of them were also the soldiers of Croatian Army or in the police forces
Law enforcement in Croatia
Law enforcement in Croatia is the responsibility of the Police , which is a public service of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, carrying out certain tasks, the so called, police activities, laid down by law....

 that defended the country during the war. The monument Shrine to the Croatia Knights was built below the west stand of Stadion Maksimir to honour all of Dinamo fans who have died on the battle fields.

The BBB are often accused for hooliganism, which resulted in both UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

 and Croatian Football Federation
Croatian Football Federation
The Croatian Football Federation is the governing body of association football in Croatia. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of Zagreb. The organisation is a member of both FIFA and UEFA, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia...

 disciplinary bodies penalize Dinamo on several occasions. These incidents are caused by minor number of hooligans who are constantly accused for causing material damage
Property damage
Property damage is damage to or the destruction of public or private property, caused either by a person who is not its owner or by natural phenomena. Property damage caused by persons is generally categorized by its cause: neglect , and intentional damage...

, fights with police forces, flare throwing
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...

 and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

. Despite all those incidents, the BBB are praised among the other fans for their constant and loud support during Dinamo's matches.

Rivalries

Dinamo's biggest rivals are Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...

, and the matches between the two teams are referred to as "Eternal derby". Former major rivalries used to include Serbian clubs Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

 and Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

. Despite playing in the same division as Dinamo, and being from same city, NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...

 are not considered major rivals by the fans.

First team squad

Reserves and Academy squad

For the reserve squad, see NK Lokomotiva
NK Lokomotiva
NK Lokomotiva is a Croatian football club based in Zagreb, currently competing in the Prva HNL, the country's top division. Founded originally as ŽŠK Victoria in 1914, the club's only period of success came in the late 1940s and early 1950s before spending most of the following five decades as...

 and Radnik Legea
NK Radnik Sesvete
NK Radnik Sesvete is a Croatian football club based in the Sesvete district of the city of Zagreb. As of 2011–12 season they play in Druga HNL, Croatia's second level, after winning promotion in the 2010–11 season. It was the club's fifth consecutive promotion since the 2006-2007 season when they...

, Dinamo's farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...

s. For the academy squad, see NK Dinamo Zagreb Academy
NK Dinamo Zagreb Academy
NK Dinamo Zagreb Academy are the youth team of Dinamo Zagreb. The academy was founded on 27 December 1967. There are a total of ten age categories within the academy, the oldest being the Junior Team and youngest being the Zagići II Team .-History:The first junior team was formed in 1945 and the...

.

Coaching staff

Honours

  • Note: From 1946 to 1991 the club was a member of now defunct Yugoslav First League and from 1992 onwards plays in the Croatian football league system.
    Honours No. | Years
    League
    Prva HNL Champions 13 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
    2009–10 Prva HNL
    The 2009–10 Prva HNL season was the nineteenth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 24 July 2009 and ended on 13 May 2010...

    , 2011
    2010–11 Prva HNL
    The 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011...

    Prva HNL Runners-up 3 1995, 2001, 2004
    Yugoslav First League
    Yugoslav First League
    The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...

    Champions
    4 1948, 1954, 1958, 1982
    Yugoslav First League
    Yugoslav First League
    The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...

    Runners-up
    11 1947, 1951, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991
    Domestic cups
    Croatian Cup
    Croatian Cup
    The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...

     Winners
    11 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002
    2001–02 Croatian Cup
    The 2001–02 Croatian Cup was the eleventh edition of Croatia's football knockout competition. Dinamo Zagreb were the defending champions, who retained the title beating Varteks in the final.-Calendar:-Preliminary round:-First round:-Second round:...

    , 2004
    2003–04 Croatian Cup
    The 2003–04 Croatian Cup was the 13th edition of Croatia's premier association football knockout competition. Hajduk Split were the defending champions, and the cup was eventually won by Dinamo Zagreb on away goals rule after the aggregate score in the final tie was 1–1 against Varteks...

    , 2007
    2006–07 Croatian Cup
    The 2006–07 Croatian Cup was the sixteenth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.-Calendar:-Preliminary round:The preliminary round was held on 30 August, 2006.-First round:Matches played on 20 September, 2006.-Second round:...

    , 2008, 2009, 2011
    2010–11 Croatian Cup
    The 2010–11 Croatian Cup is the twentieth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.The defending champions are Hajduk Split, having won their 5th title the previous year by defeating Šibenik in the final....

    Croatian Cup
    Croatian Cup
    The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...

     Runners-up
    4 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000
    Yugoslav Cup
    Yugoslav Cup
    The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...

     Winners
    7 1951, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1980, 1983
    Yugoslav Cup
    Yugoslav Cup
    The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...

     Runners-up
    7 1950, 1964, 1966, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1986
    Croatian Supercup
    Croatian Supercup
    The Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...

     Winners
    4 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010
    Croatian Supercup
    Croatian Supercup
    The Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...

     Runners-up
    3 1993, 1994, 2004
    International cups
    Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
    Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
    The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...

     Winners
    1 1967
    Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
    Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
    The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...

     Runners-up
    1 1963
    Balkans Cup
    Balkans Cup
    In 1961, a Balkans Cup for football clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia was introduced. It was played 27 times...

     Winners
    1 1976
    Best results in UEFA competitions
    UEFA Champions League
    UEFA Champions League
    The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

     Group stage
    3 1998–99, 1999–2000 2011-2012
    UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

     Semi-final
    1 1960–61
    UEFA Cup
    UEFA Cup
    The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

     Round of 16
    1 1997–98


Dinamo's tally of thirteen Prva HNL titles is the highest among the Croatian football clubs. They are also the most successful club in Croatian Cup, winning the competition on eleven occasions, while a total of four Croatian Supercups makes them second highest, after Hajduk Split who have won the competition five times. Dinamo have achieved seven doubles
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

, winning both Prva HNL and Croatian Cup in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2009 and most recently in 2011. In Croatian football league, the club has finished out of the top three on two occasions only, in seasons 1992 and 2004–05. During the period it competed in the Yugoslav football system
Football Association of Yugoslavia
The Football Association of Yugoslavia was the governing body of football in Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, with a major administrative branch in Zagreb....

, the club was a league champion on four occasions, making it fourth most successful behind Red Star
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

, Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

 and Hajduk Split. Dinamo have also won seven Yugoslav Cups which made the club third most successful in the competition. Since it was founded the club has won thirty seven domestic trophies (including Yugoslav League and Cup titles) and two European trophies (Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and Balkans Cup
Balkans Cup
In 1961, a Balkans Cup for football clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia was introduced. It was played 27 times...

), making it a total of thirty nine trophies.

Internet

  • Official website of Dinamo Zagreb (in Croatian)


External links

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