Israeli referee Orel Grinfeeld has been appointed to officiate GNK Dinamo Zagreb's Europa League match against Anderlecht on Thursday, 15 October. The fixture at Maksimir Stadium is key for Dinamo as they search for their first win in this phase of the competition.
Grinfeeld, a 45-year-old international referee since 2012, has extensive experience with Croatian national and club teams. He took charge of Croatia's 1-0 Nations League victory over France in June 2022, where Luka Modrić scored the only goal from a penalty in the fifth minute. That win ended a nine-match winless run against the French and was a key step towards qualification for the Nations League finals.
Experience with Croatian clubs
Beyond international duty, Grinfeeld has also refereed in European club competitions. In September 2017, he officiated a thrilling Europa League group stage match where Milan beat Rijeka 3-2 thanks to a Patrick Cutrone goal in the fourth minute of added time. Rijeka scored two late goals in that encounter. He was also the referee at Poljud when Hajduk defeated Brøndby 2-0 in the 2020 Europa League third qualifying round, with both goals scored by Ante Erceg, advancing to the play-off round.
Dinamo head into this match following a 2-1 league defeat to Hajduk last time out, which left them third in the HNL with 16 points. The team currently trails leaders Hajduk by three points. In the Europa League, Dinamo drew 0-0 with Hapoel Beer Sheva in Bucharest in their first match, while Anderlecht lost 1-2 to Lyon.
Dinamo's next domestic assignment is an away match against 7th-placed Slaven Belupo on Sunday, 17 October. The senior squad status and league table can be checked on the standings page. The match against Anderlecht kicks off at 21:00.
Background and full detail: 24sata Sport
