croatia league News
Dinamo's superiority
Dinamo Zagreb clinched the Croatian league title four rounds before the end of the 2006/07 campaign. The capital club confirmed their stunning superiority over the rest by leaving the second-placed Hajduk by a margin of 20 points, winning 30 of 33 games. It was their ninth crown since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Here are all winners and losers at the end of the 2006/07 season:
- Champions: Dinamo Zagreb (Champions League 1st qual. round)
- Runners-up: Hajduk Split (UEFA Cup)
- Third place: Zagreb (Intertoto Cup)
- Croatian Cup finalists: Slaven (UEFA Cup)
- Relegated: Pula, Kamen
- Promoted: Zadar, Inter Zapresic.
Hajduk Split have been busy this summer on the transfer market, while Dinamo lost their top player. Looks like the title race between these two giants would be more interesting and exciting in the 2007/08 season.
| teams | titles | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo | 9 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Hajduk | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Zagreb | 1 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| Rijeka | - | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Varteks | - | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Osijek | - | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| Slaven | - | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Cibalia | - | 5 | 11 | - | 9 | 10 |
| Inter Zapresic | - | - | 8 | 2 | 12 | - |
| Zadar | - | 10 | 6 | 12 | - | - |
| Medimurje | - | - | - | 11 | 11 | 9 |
| Sibenik | - | 12 | - | - | - | 4 |
Life after Eduardo
Eduardo da Silva was born in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, but joined Dinamo Zagreb at the age of just 15. The rest is history. The 24-year-old striker has scored 73 goals for Dinamo including a record haul of 34 goals in 32 appearances, the highest ever by a player in the Croatian football league, to finish as the top scorer last season. The previous campaign he netted 20 times. Taking Croatian citizenship in 2002, Eduardo has also eight goals from 14 internationals for his adopted nation. His move to England's Arsenal left a huge gap in the club's forward line. This is also definitely a huge blow to Dinamo's Euro ambitions.
This page contains additional information about the 2007/2008 Croatian First League season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Croatia page.
On the other hand, arch-rivals Hajduk have secured the services of several important players, including Latvia striker Maris Verpakovskis and Romania midfielder Florin Cernat, both on season-long loan deals from Dynamo Kyiv. Croatia defender Igor Tudor has also returned to the club following the expiry of his contract at Juventus and there's no doubt that Hajduk have a much stronger squad than last term.
| # | team | points | g.dif. | win-draw-lose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinamo | 92 | 62 | 30-2-1 (33) |
| 2 | Hajduk | 72 | 35 | 22-6-5 (33) |
| 3 | Zagreb | 58 | 18 | 18-4-11 (33) |
| 4 | Slaven | 49 | 3 | 14-7-12 (33) |
| 5 | Sibenik | 49 | 2 | 14-7-12 (33) |
| 6 | Osijek | 43 | -3 | 11-10-12 (33) |
| 7 | Rijeka | 42 | -2 | 12-6-15 (33) |
| 8 | Varteks | 42 | -13 | 12-6-15 (33) |
| 9 | Medimurje | 37 | -20 | 11-4-18 (33) |
| 10 | Cibalia | 32 | -20 | 9-5-19 (33) |
| 11 | Pula | 29 | -12 | 6-11-16 (33) |
| 12 | Kamen | 13 | -50 | 3-4-26 (33) |
Dinamo again?
The online gambling industry thinks Dinamo will lift the championship for a third successive time. Having clinched the last two trophies, bookmakers are tipping Dinamo to win with odds of 1.4, followed by Hajduk 3.35, Rijeka 15 and Slaven Koprivnica 34.
| team | odds | team | odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1.4 | Hajduk Split | 3.35 |
| Rijeka | 15 | Slaven Koprivnica | 34 |
| Varteks Varazdin | 45 | Osijek | 45 |
| Zagreb | 51 | Medimurje | 85 |
| Cibalia Vinkovci | 85 | Sibenik | 85 |
| Inter Zapresic | 85 | Zadar | 85 |
The Croatian Cup finals in the last five seasons
| 2003 | Uljanik - Hajduk | 0:1 | Hajduk - Uljanik | 4:0 |
| 2004 | Varteks - Dinamo | 1:1 | Dinamo - Varteks | 0:0 |
| 2005 | Rijeka - Hajduk | 2:1 | Hajduk - Rijeka | 0:1 |
| 2006 | Rijeka - Varteks | 4:0 | Varteks - Rijeka | 5:1 |
| 2007 | Dinamo - Slaven | 1:0 | Slaven - Dinamo | 1:1 |