GNK Dinamo Zagreb secured their place in the group stage of the Conference League after a thrilling second-round qualifier against Swiss club Thun, winning on aggregate 4-3. The match was intense and ended 3-2 in extra time, with Dinamo advancing to the third round where they will face either KÍ Klaksvík from Faroe Islands or Lithuanian side Žalgiris Kaunas.
The Swiss team was not pleased with their defeat. In the 67th minute, Thun's captain Marco Burki received a red card for an incident involving his teammate Niklas Steffen and Fran Topić. According to reports from Blick, Burki had the ball taken away by Dinamo players who were pressuring him due to a supposed gospodski dogovor (disciplinary agreement). Burki was forced to tackle the last player as there was no other option.
Later, Gian-Luca Privitelli, Dinamo's coach, commented on the situation: 'At the end of it all, I am proud of how we defended our advantage. We gave everything and Dinamo was unbelievably impolite. They returned the ball for fair play, but then attacked us. Where is the discipline?' The incident was not captured on video due to technical issues during the broadcast.
Dinamo Discovers Its Next Opponent
Dinamo will face either KÍ Klaksvík or Žalgiris Kaunas in the third round of the qualifier, with Željko Sopić from Žalgiris Kaunas as a key figure. The first leg of the match is scheduled for August 4th and 5th, while the return leg will be played on August 11th.
A win in the third round would secure Dinamo's place in the group stage of the Europa League, bringing them closer to the UEFA Champions League. However, this victory may not fully satisfy the ambitions of the Croatian club, which has been aiming for a top-tier European competition since their last appearance in 2013.
