Dinamo Zagreb Celebrates 107th Birthday

Dinamo Zagreb turns 107 (Photo: GNK Dinamo)

The most successful club in Croatian football history – Dinamo Zagreb – celebrates their 107th birthday today.

The first Croatian Citizens’ Sports Club, HŠK Građanski, where the club’s lineage is, was formed on 26 April 1911.

In 1945 HŠK Građanski dissolved and Dinamo Zagreb was established. Until the early 1990s, its foundation year was considered to be 1945 but during the breakup of Yugoslavia, the club began claiming direct lineage to Građanski Zagreb and HAŠK.

HAŠK (Photo: GNK Dinamo)

Dinamo Zagreb has won 18 Croatian first division titles, 14 Croatian Football Cups and four Croatian Football Super Cups. The club has spent its entire existence in the top flight.

Dinamo Zagreb is the only Croatian club with European silverware, having won the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup by defeating Leeds United in the final. They also finished runners-up in the same competition in 1963 when they lost to Valencia.

Dinamo – Leeds at Maksimir (GNK Dinamo)

Some big-name players to play for the Maksimir club over the years include Drazen Jerkovic, Zlatko and Niko Kranjcar, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Davor Suker, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Eduardo da Silva and Mario Mandzukic.

Former Dinamo stars Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic now at Real Madrid (Photo: UEFA)

The club will celebrate the birthday with fans on Saturday at the club’s home derby match against Rijeka.