New signs of unity in Croatian football are emerging, as Dinamo Zagreb breaks tradition by publicly supporting rivals Rijeka, Hajduk, and Varaždin in European competitions.
With Croatian clubs striving to boost UEFA coefficients and secure more Champions League spots, a shift towards mutual respect and collaboration marks a hopeful new era in the Croatian football landscape.
New Winds in Croatian Football
It seems that new winds are blowing in Croatian football. A significant contribution to this has recently come from Dinamo Zagreb, who wished success to all other Croatian clubs participating in European competitions.
“GNK Dinamo wishes the best of luck and success to our representatives in the European qualifiers – HNK Rijeka, HNK Hajduk, and NK Varaždin. We hope that Croatia, alongside us, will have more representatives in Europe!” Dinamo announced on social media.
A Gesture Welcomed by the Public
The gesture was met with a positive response from the Croatian public and media, being described as dignified, welcome, and in the spirit of sport.
Something like this has not happened in a long time. Usually, silence prevailed on the matter, while unofficial information circulating through the media would often hint at envy, jealousy, condescension between clubs, and not rarely, even a public wish for the failure of others.
The Boban Influence at Dinamo
Since Zvonimir Boban – a legend of the club, the national team, and of course AC Milan – returned to Dinamo a few months ago, new winds have been blowing.
Just a few weeks ago, after a storm in Split when the wind blew off part of the roof at Poljud Stadium and caused other damage, it was Dinamo from Maksimir who were the first to offer help to Hajduk.
Now, Dinamo have extended their good wishes to Rijeka, who are competing in the Champions League, as well as to Hajduk and Varaždin, both participating in the Conference League.
All three clubs are now in the second qualifying round. As for Dinamo, finishing second in the HNL and benefitting from a strong club coefficient has earned them direct qualification into the Europa League group stage, so their matches won’t begin until late September.
More Than Just Goodwill
Dinamo’s desire for other Croatian clubs to achieve good results in Europe also has a self-interested dimension, as their success would raise the HNL’s coefficient.
As of 2025, Croatia ranks as the 21st league in the world, which means that after a full 12 years, the country has dropped out of UEFA’s Top 20 nations.
This happened due to the early elimination of other Croatian clubs from European competitions, while Dinamo had long carried the burden alone. Even last year, despite a turbulent season, Dinamo delivered decent results in Europe.
The Stakes of a Higher Coefficient
If other clubs were to advance further, Croatia could increase its national coefficient, which could eventually allow the country to have two representatives in the Champions League – one of whom might qualify directly for that prestigious competition.
And with direct qualification to any European competition, a club automatically secures guaranteed, and quite significant, income in case of wins and draws, along with additional revenue for further progression.
A Welcome Shift in Attitudes
Of course, this has all been known for some time, but in recent years, the media and parts of the public have propagated so many unfair and heated statements that fuelled not just rivalry but a sort of hostility between Croatian clubs – especially between Dinamo and Hajduk.
Sadly, this often spilled over into clashes among supporters, which was disheartening to witness.
None of this was ever necessary. Fortunately, there now seems to be a turning point.
It appears we are entering a new era – one of healthy rivalry, but also of respectful, even friendly relations between Croatia’s leading clubs.
At last. It was high time for something like this to begin happening.
