The prestigious youth tournament kicks off on Thursday at the auxiliary pitches of Maksimir Stadium. Alongside hosts Dinamo, European giants such as Juventus and Ajax, as well as Hajduk II from Split, will compete for the trophy.
The 23rd edition of the international youth memorial tournament Mladen Ramljak begins on Thursday at the auxiliary pitches of Maksimir Stadium. On the very first day, at 7:15 PM, the audience can look forward to an exciting clash between hosts Dinamo and Italy's Juventus. Admission to all matches is free, and the games can also be followed on Dinamo's platform "Dinamo Plus."
The tournament will last four days and this year brings together exceptionally strong European competition. Alongside the Zagreb Blues, who are the two-time defending champions, Ajax, Benfica, Club Brugge, Athletic Bilbao, Bologna, and Hajduk II will battle for the title. According to the rules, Hajduk II coach Hari Vukas will field a squad made up exclusively of cadets and first-year juniors.
The teams are divided into two groups. Hosts Dinamo will test their strength against Club Brugge, Juventus, and Benfica, while Hajduk II will face Ajax, Athletic Bilbao, and Bologna in their group.
The new coach of Dinamo's youth team is Milan Badelj, a former captain of the first team. He took over the side after Ivica Banović and Jerko Leko had led them to titles in previous years. Badelj himself won this tournament twice as a youth player.
"A new edition of the Mladen Ramljak tournament awaits us, and we go into it as defending champions, but with a new generation of players that also promises a lot. This is an exceptionally high-quality European tournament that will show us where we currently stand. Teams like Juventus, Benfica, Brugge, Ajax, Athletic Bilbao, and Bologna are taking part, and I'm glad Hajduk is back in the tournament as well. I expect top-level competition," Badelj said for Sportklub.
He also emphasized the special motivation that comes with playing at home. "Our young footballers have a great desire to perform well, especially because Dinamo is the host and this tournament has a great tradition. I can see how much they want to defend the title, and as the start approaches, their enthusiasm is growing."
Badelj believes that such matches will be invaluable preparation for what lies ahead in the young players' professional careers. "Although our players are already used to playing against strong international opponents, this is a special challenge because they are playing on home turf. They are aware that many will be watching and evaluating them, so over these four days they will feel pressure very similar to what awaits them one day in senior football," he added.
He also recalled his own youth days at the same competition. "I'm glad I had the opportunity to play in this tournament myself. I took part twice, and we won the title both times, beating Espanyol in the final. The tournament is very demanding, both physically and in terms of play, because the best European youth teams regularly take part."
While the youth team prepares for the tournament in Zagreb, Dinamo's first team is focused on the European stage. The club has announced details on social media about the return leg of the third qualifying round for the Champions League. Dinamo will visit Lithuanian club FK Kauno Žalgiris at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium on August 11, 2026. The match starts at 7 PM Croatian time, and tickets for the away sector C are on sale for 20 euros.
Along with the announcement of the trip north, the club also shared an interesting statistic. According to club historians, this is the seventh time in history that the Blues have sent an opponent packing with a five-goal margin in European competitions.
