Sopić registers Kalik and Debeljuh at the last minute for the clash with Dinamo
The Kauno Žalgiris coach managed to resolve administrative hurdles and include two new signings on the Champions League roster just before the Maksimir showdown.
The Kauno Žalgiris coach managed to resolve administrative hurdles and include two new signings on the Champions League roster just before the Maksimir showdown.
Dinamo's players continue their pursuit of the Champions League tonight at 20:00 at Maksimir. In the first leg of the third qualifying round, they face Lithuanian champions Kauno Žalgiris, and the match carries extra spice with the return of the visitors' coach, Željko Sopić, to the stadium where he spent part of his career. The return leg takes place a week later in Lithuania, kicking off at 19:00.
In the second qualifying round, Dinamo eliminated Swiss side Thun with an aggregate score of 4:3. After a 1:1 draw away, where Miha Zajc scored, the return leg at Maksimir was a thriller. The visitors led 2:0 until the 71st minute, when the Blues staged a comeback with goals from Dion Drena Beljo and Lukas Kačavenda. In extra time, Moris Valinčić secured the win and progression.
Coach Mario Kovačević is aware that his team must not underestimate the opponent. "We need to improve game by game, and I believe we'll be even better on Tuesday. We're aware of the importance of the match and I'm confident we'll play well. I don't shy away from the fact that we're favorites, but we have to prove it on the pitch," he said at the press conference. He added that Sopić knows Dinamo well and that much will depend on his own team.
On the other side, Kauno Žalgiris reached the third qualifying round by overcoming Kosovo's Drita (4:3 on aggregate) and Faroese champions KÍ Klaksvík (1:0 on aggregate). The only goal in the two-legged tie against Klaksvík was scored by former Hajduk player Leon Kreković.
Sopić doesn't hide his emotions ahead of his return to Maksimir. "This is my job; I'm on the opposite side and I'll do everything to win. Of course, I'll support Dinamo for the rest of my life, but in this match, I'll be on the other side. That's life. For me, this is a special day. I wanted to draw Dinamo, come home, and play against them," Sopić said, as reported by Index.hr.
He stressed that he's aware of the difference in quality but also that his team didn't come for a sightseeing trip. "I know it won't be easy, but we didn't come as tourists. If we had, we would have canceled the match and surrendered. We'll give our all, and after the game, we'll see if it was enough," he said.
A day before the match, Sopić had major administrative headaches. Australian midfielder Anthony Kalik and Croatian striker Gabriel Debeljuh, who once scored against Dinamo while playing for Cluj, arrived at the club, but registering them on UEFA's list was not straightforward.
"I don't know what I'll do, who will be on the list and compete for the matches against Dinamo. Debeljuh has had one training session with us; Kalik arrived at the hotel, and I don't know how to put them on the list because we must respect UEFA's rules on homegrown and club-trained players," Sopić said the day before the match.
In the end, he found a solution. He removed Lithuanian midfielder Tautvydas Burdzilauskas and Slovenian striker Haris Kadrić, who arrived in Kaunas a week before Sopić, from the list and registered Kalik and Debeljuh. Both are expected to get a chance, either tonight at Maksimir or in the return leg in Kaunas.
Ahead of the important European match, great news regarding membership comes from Maksimir. GNK Dinamo had a total of 65,243 members and friends of the club last year, which was an absolute record. That record was already broken on August 3, a full 150 days earlier than last season, the club announced on its official social media profiles.
