NK Sesvete has this week publicly offered its stadium in Sesvetska dolina as a near-ready solution for the infrastructure problems of GNK Dinamo Zagreb. The club from the eastern part of Zagreb sent an open letter to Mayor Tomislav Tomašević and Dinamo president Vlatko Boban.
Dinamo faces an urgent need for a new training camp following the demolition of the Maksimir stadium and the start of construction on a new arena. NK Sesvete claims the solution already exists at the Sesvetska dolina location, which houses a stadium with a building permit issued in 2017. Construction work on the facility began in May 2021 according to a contractor's invoice, and its capacity is approximately 8,000 seats according to UEFA standards.
Infrastructure issues are currently among the biggest challenges for the Zagreb club. Dinamo has a long-term desire to own its own training complex with five to eight football pitches and supporting infrastructure. The need for a temporary solution is becoming urgent after leaving Maksimir. NK Sesvete's offer includes a complex that would, according to them, benefit not only Dinamo but also other clubs from eastern Zagreb like NK Dubrava, NK Sesvetski Kraljevac, and NK Zagreb Cityja.
The management of NK Sesvete stated that "considering the fact that together with our sporting friends from Dubrava we represent one of the biggest development pools for GNK Dinamo". The building permit for the stadium was issued under number UP/I-361-03/17-001/255, and its validity was extended in 2020 (CLASS: UP/I-361-03/20-001/263).
Dinamo enters this discussion while competing at the top of the HNL table. After four played matches, the Blues are third with 10 points, just two points behind leaders NK Osijek. Their performance includes three wins and one draw, with a recent form of DWWW. The club has scored 11 goals, conceded only three, and has a positive goal difference of +8. Their next challenge awaits tomorrow, September 5th, against HNK Gorica at home. Gorica is currently in 10th place in the table, and all details about upcoming matches can be found on our fixtures page.
The political aspect of this story appeared in the proposal for the city budget for 2025. Members of HDZ and HSLS proposed funding for the first phase of construction of the Sesvetska dolina stadium in the amount of 4 million euros. This initiative shows that the location has already been the subject of political discussions and planning. NK Sesvete, as a member of the Croatian football league system, is now promoting that location as ideal for solving Dinamo's needs.
Dinamo's search for a new home and training centre is one of the key projects for the club's future. Their current league position and good start to the season provide additional background to these infrastructure talks. The situation on the standings table shows the club is managing to balance sporting results with organizational challenges. Dinamo will continue its season with tomorrow's match against Gorica, which will be the first home game after the publication of this open letter.
