GNK Dinamo Zagreb officially confirmed on Friday that Luka Stojković will take over the iconic number 10 shirt for the new season. Coach Nenad Kovačević simultaneously announced the team will show its quality in the Europa League, according to a report by 24sata Sport.
The club currently dominates the Croatian Football League, sitting in first place with a perfect record of three wins from three matches. Dinamo have scored nine goals and conceded just one, giving them an impressive +8 goal difference. Their next home task is against HNK Gorica on September 5th, who are 10th in the table.
Who is the new number 10?
Luka Stojković becomes the new permanent bearer of the number 10 shirt at GNK Dinamo Zagreb. The jersey was worn last season by Gabriel Vidović, who departed for the Bundesliga after strong performances. The decision to assign the number to Stojković signals significant trust from the coaching staff in his abilities. Stojković will now have the chance to make his mark in this important role within the squad.
This change comes during preparations for the season's continuation. The club recently secured Europa League qualification after being eliminated by Viking in the Champions League playoff. Kovačević commented on that result. "Normalno, svi smo htjeli izboriti Ligu prvaka. Mislim da smo zaslužili malo više u ove dvije utakmice, ali to je tako u nogometu." the coach said.
What are the plans for the Europa League?
GNK Dinamo Zagreb secured a place in the Europa League group stage after navigating three qualifying rounds. They will face demanding opponents in the group. Home matches will be against Bayer Leverkusen, Anderlecht, Sturm, and NEC. Away fixtures will see them play AZ Alkmaar, Rennes, Sunderland, and Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Coach Kovačević clearly stated his expectations for the team on the European stage. "Pokazat ćemo da možemo igrati dobar europski nogomet. Mogu i moram tražiti više od ove momčadi, vjerujem u nju," he declared. The squad has considerable depth, which will be key for fighting on two fronts, and you can follow squad details on our squad page.
How are they preparing for Istra 1961?
The immediate task for the Blues is an away match in Pula against Istra 1961 on Saturday at 18:30 at the Aldo Drosina stadium. Istra were the last team to defeat Dinamo in domestic football, doing so back in November of last year. Since that defeat, the Zagreb club has won two trophies.
The trip to Pula began directly after returning from Norway, with just two and a half days for recovery. The match in Norway was played on artificial turf, causing minor physical issues for some players. Some are dealing with sore legs and backs, with Miha Zajc potentially having the most problems. Kovačević will count on Noah and Kiril for Saturday, while the final lineup will be decided after the last training session. The full match schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
What to expect for the rest of the season?
Dinamo enters a busy period of matches with high confidence, bolstered by their top position in the HNL standings. After the match with Istra, a home game against Gorica awaits next week. The combination of domestic dominance and a new European challenge will set the foundation for the autumn phase of the season. The selection of Stojković for the number 10 shirt symbolizes a fresh start in attack, while Kovačević's team has the opportunity to prove its worth both at home and on the continental stage.
