Ajax beats Dinamo to claim title at Ramljak Memorial
Dinamo senior team coach Mario Kovačević praised the juniors' attacking style ahead of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament final, where the Blues lost 2-1 to Ajax.
Dinamo senior team coach Mario Kovačević praised the juniors' attacking style ahead of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament final, where the Blues lost 2-1 to Ajax.
Dinamo's juniors failed to defend their title at the 23rd edition of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament. In the final played on Sunday at Maksimir, Dutch side Ajax celebrated a 2-1 victory and took the trophy back to Zagreb. The match kicked off at 6:30 PM on the main pitch, which hosted its last final before the planned demolition of the stadium.
The first goal of the match came in the 24th minute when Dinamo's Karlo Zirdum unfortunately found his own net, giving Ajax the lead. The Blues tried to respond, but the Dutch side managed to control the tempo of the game. The ugliest moment occurred at the start of the second half: Patrik Horvat collapsed to the turf without any contact from a defender, clutching his leg, and was carried off on a stretcher.
Ajax doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Kenynha Kasanwirjo, who scored to make it 2-0 and effectively decide the winner. Dinamo, however, refused to give up until the very end. In stoppage time, Kalojan Božkov scored a fantastic free-kick goal from about 20 meters out to reduce the deficit to 2-1, but there was no time left for a full comeback.
In the earlier third-place match, Hajduk defeated Benfica on penalties. The team coached by Hari Vukas celebrated after the regular time ended 1-1, securing two Croatian clubs among the top three teams of the tournament. In other placement matches, Athletic Bilbao beat Juventus 4-2 for fifth place, while Club Brugge defeated Bologna 3-0 for seventh.
Ahead of the final, Dinamo senior team coach Mario Kovačević, speaking to the club's platform Dinamo Plus, praised the juniors, led by Milan Badelj. He reminded that the team suffered a 2-3 loss to Juventus in the group stage but also recorded convincing wins against Club Brugge (5-1) and Benfica (4-1), scoring 11 goals in three matches.
"I'm glad to see our juniors in the final of this tournament for the third consecutive year. There were good performances from our players, and we showed we can compete against big clubs," said Kovačević.
He also touched on the fact that the final was played on the main pitch at Maksimir in front of a well-filled West Stand. "Playing on the main pitch will certainly be extra motivation for them. I look forward to seeing them in this environment, and I believe we'll watch excellent football."
Kovačević particularly highlighted the young team's attacking approach, stating that this is the direction the club must continue. "Dinamo always wants to impose itself, even against top teams like these. We scored a lot of goals, and that proves that at all levels, we are fully committed to attacking football. That's the path Dinamo should continue on, and the style of play we need to insist on," he concluded.
A day before the final, Dinamo announced on social media the completion of the transfer of Noah Nsoki. The talented 19-year-old, born in Tournan-en-Brie, near Paris, arrives at Maksimir from PSG, where he won two U19 French league titles, last season's Ligue 1 senior title, and the French Super Cup. Nsoki plays as a left winger and attacking midfielder, and he will wear the number 77 jersey at Dinamo.
