The Entire Maksimir Stadium Whistled at Only One Player
Dinamo thrashed Kauno Žalgiris 5:0 at Maksimir on Wednesday in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, but the match was also marked by fans whistling at a former Hajduk player.
Dinamo thrashed Kauno Žalgiris 5:0 at Maksimir on Wednesday in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, but the match was also marked by fans whistling at a former Hajduk player.
In the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League on August 4, 2026, Dinamo demolished Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris 5:0 in front of their home fans at Maksimir. The Zagreb side practically secured their place in the playoff round, where they will face Norwegian club Viking, with the return leg in Lithuania scheduled for seven days later.
The Blues dominated from the first minute, and they began tearing through the visitors' net as early as the first half. The first goal came from Miha Zajc in the 32nd minute, with Scott McKenna doubling the lead just a minute later. In the second half, Mateo Lisica made it 3:0 in the 51st minute, and the final 5:0 was sealed by Luka Stojković in the 76th and Lukas Kačavenda in stoppage time, specifically in the 90+4th minute.
Kauno Žalgiris, coached from the bench by Croatian expert Željko Sopić and featuring four Croatian players, proved to be a far weaker opponent than Thun, whom they had eliminated in the previous round. Fans on social media did not hide their enthusiasm: "The sky is burning, thunder has struck," "Play worthy of the Champions League," and "When the blue machine kicks into gear" were just some of the comments. One fan added: "Top-notch performance. Sure, the opponent wasn't up to par, but still, 5 goals," while another said: "The only club in the country that deserves a new stadium."
Despite the convincing play and the high lead, loud whistles echoed through Maksimir in the 65th minute. MAXSport commentator Mato Pukšar was puzzled by the unexpected reaction from the stands. "I'm looking at why the whistles, who are they for? And then I see Kalik coming on," Pukšar explained during the broadcast. The reason for the whistles was Anthony Kalik, a recent Hajduk player who had signed for Kauno Žalgiris just a day before the match.
In the 85th minute, Kalik also picked up the only yellow card of the match after a foul in midfield. The rest of the game passed in a fairly calm tone, with Dinamo routinely seeing out the job.
Besides the delight at the performance, some comments on social media touched on the criticism directed at the team after previous matches. "Where are those from the last game who were bashing the coach and insulting?" asked one fan. Another wittily noted: "The storm swept through Maksimir a day earlier. Well done, lads." There were also those calling for improvement: "Someone needs to explain to Kačavenda that football is a team game; he could have passed to Oršić."
Dinamo's official Twitter profile also joined in the celebrations with posts like "Is it hot here or is it just us? 💙🤷♂️" and "Oh dear, we're not feeling well!!! 🖐️".
