Dinamo: Kovačević Forced to Cross Out Some Players
After a convincing victory against Žalgiris, Dinamo faces an administrative headache. UEFA's homegrown player rules force coach Kovačević to soon omit part of the squad from the European scene.
After a convincing victory against Žalgiris, Dinamo faces an administrative headache. UEFA's homegrown player rules force coach Kovačević to soon omit part of the squad from the European scene.
Dinamo demolished Kauno Žalgiris 5:0 in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, practically securing at least a spot in the Europa League group stage. However, while plans are being made at Maksimir for the European autumn and a potential clash with Norwegian side Viking for the Champions League, an unexpected administrative concern arrives from the club's office. Coach Mario Kovačević will soon have to cross out some players from the European competition list, and the reason lies in strict UEFA squad composition rules.
According to journalist Tomo Ničota's warning, Dinamo registered only 22 players on the A list for the previous matches against Thun and Kauno Žalgiris, despite the maximum being 25. Left off the list were healthy players Robert Mudražija and Raul Torrente, who even sat on the bench against Slaven Belupo. The reason is not sporting but stems from UEFA's criteria regarding "locally trained" footballers.
The rules require clubs to have at least eight players on the A list who have spent at least three years in the domestic football system between the ages of 15 and 21. Of those eight, at least four must be "club-trained," meaning they must have spent 36 months or three full seasons at their parent club. Dinamo currently does not meet this second condition because it lacks the required four club-trained players.
The consequence of this shortfall is direct: for each player missing in the club-trained category, UEFA reduces the allowed number of registered players on the A list by one spot. As a result, Dinamo can currently register a maximum of 23 players, not the full 25. For the matches against Thun and Žalgiris, 22 players were registered, with one spot intentionally left vacant.
This vacant spot becomes a key issue amid the transfer window. The club is on the verge of bringing in reinforcements: defender Noah Nsoki is expected to undergo a medical and sign a contract soon, and a similar scenario is anticipated with Russian midfielder Kirill Kravtsov. Additionally, Dinamo is actively seeking a solution for the goalkeeper position, and one of the main topics remains the potential return of Dominik Livaković.
If all these deals are completed, and Dani Rodríguez returns to contention in September after recovering from injury, coach Kovačević will have more available players than he is allowed to register for European matches. Every additional reinforcement will further complicate the situation.
This means the strategist of the Blues will soon have to make an unpleasant decision and omit someone from the current starting lineup from the European list. Paradoxically, the broader and more quality the squad becomes, the harder it will be for Kovačević to find spots for all the players he wants at his disposal in Europe.
