The 18-year-old winger from the youth squad collapsed without contact from an opponent, with initial assessments pointing to a serious knee injury. The Blues lost 2:1 to Ajax in the final of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial.
GNK Dinamo's juniors were defeated 2:1 by Ajax from Amsterdam in the final of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament, but the match played on Saturday at Maksimir was overshadowed by a serious injury to one of the most talented players in Dinamo's academy. It was the 23rd edition of the tournament, and the Blues failed to defend their title in what was likely the last final on the main pitch of the iconic stadium.
The start of the second half brought a dramatic scene when 18-year-old Patrik Horvat collapsed to the turf without any contact with an opposing player. The young winger tried to receive the ball on the left side of the pitch, but after a painful cry that echoed around Maksimir in front of about two thousand spectators, he was immediately given medical attention.
Horvat was carried off the pitch on a stretcher to applause from the crowd, and according to initial assessments, it is a more serious knee injury. The player, who has already made his debut for Dinamo's first team and scored a goal in the Cup against Kurilovec, is likely facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. After his exit, his teammates played more bravely, as if the unfortunate incident had woken them up.
As for the match itself, Ajax took the lead in the 24th minute through an unfortunate own goal by Karlo Zidrum. The visitors from Amsterdam were the better team from the start - stronger in duels and quicker with the ball - with winger Nafairon Landvreugd particularly standing out. The Dutch doubled their lead in the 66th minute with a goal from Kennynha Kasanwirjo, who intercepted the ball in midfield, sprinted towards goal, and calmly scored to make it 2:0. The only scorer for coach Milan Badelj's side was Kaloyan Bozhkov, who in the second minute of stoppage time scored a beautiful free-kick goal to set the final score at 2:1. Ajax thus won the tournament on their debut appearance.
After the tournament, GNK Dinamo released an emotional message on social media. "Thank you for your support for our juniors! The boys from the GNK Dinamo Academy are the pride and future of our club, and playing on the main pitch at Maksimir is a dream come true for many of them. Thank you for making that moment even more special with your loud and numerous support from the stands. This is Dinamo!" reads the post on the club's official Twitter profile.
