Croatia is the only country among FIFA's top 20 ranked nations with just one U-19 talent in its domestic league. Dinamo has turned to the academies of Europe's giants, but this is also an alarm for the system.
In just over a year, Dinamo has brought in four young footballers from Europe's biggest clubs, continuing the path blazed by Dani Olmo a few years ago. However, this business and sporting success for the Maksimir club simultaneously reveals a worrying picture of domestic player development.
From Barcelona, 21-year-old Spaniards Sergi Dominguez and Dani Rodriguez arrived in Zagreb, from Bayern came 20-year-old Swedish player of Peruvian descent Matteo Perez-Vinlöf, and the latest addition is 19-year-old French attacker Noah Nsoki, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain. All of them have played senior matches for their parent clubs, meaning they are not just cast-offs from academies, but players who have undergone extremely demanding selection processes.
Nsoki, for example, was captain of PSG's under-17 team. These are prospects who managed to be among the 0.01 percent of academy players who make it to the first team. Dominguez and Perez-Vinlöf already proved that potential on the pitch last season.
While this trend is fantastic for Dinamo, the other side of the coin is devastating for Croatian football. In competitive matches up to the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League against Kauno Žalgiris, Dinamo did not register a single domestic player under the age of 21. The club that for decades was the most important showcase for young Croatian players, from Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić to Baturina and Luka Sučić, has suddenly become almost completely 'dry' in this regard.
Data from Transfermarkt is relentless. Among the ten most valuable Croatian footballers under 19, only one plays for a domestic club - 18-year-old center-back Raul Kumar from Istra. The rest have scattered across Europe: Luka Vušković (Brighton), Patrice Čović (Werder), Ljubo Puljić (Atalanta), Bruno Durdov (Gornik), Leon Jakirović (Inter), David Vujević (Zürich), Oliver Lukić (Hartberg), and Filip Pavić (Bayern).
The comparison with other countries is even more dramatic. Among the top 20 ranked countries on the FIFA list, none has such a small share of its most prominent U-19 talents playing in the domestic league. Even countries like Senegal (2), Morocco (2), Japan (7), USA (9), Switzerland (6), Belgium (7), Uruguay (8), Mexico (9), and Norway (8) have more of their talents in their own leagues.
The answer to why young players leave earlier and earlier is, according to Večernji list's analysis, simple: the system of working with young footballers in Croatia is nowhere near as good as in many other countries. Training, development, nutritional, and mental processes are quite outdated compared to Poland, the Czech Republic, or especially Belgium.
Young players and their teams are now much more informed and aware that they must give themselves the best possible chance for development, and in Croatia's backyard, they often cannot get that. The principle of 'they'll make something of themselves once they go abroad' is increasingly harming Croatian club football.
Dinamo has exploited this flaw in an extremely clever way and turned to the world's biggest academies, but not all Croatian clubs have such luxury. If processes are not improved, the situation will get even worse in the future.
Meanwhile, Dinamo is preparing for a new European challenge. On Tuesday, August 18, at 9 PM at Maksimir Stadium, they host Norwegian side Viking FK in the UEFA Champions League play-off. 'Let's go for the Champions League together!' the club said in announcing the ticket sales schedule.
Club members will have first access to purchase from Wednesday, August 12 at 11 AM until Thursday, August 13 at 11:59 PM. General sale begins on Friday, August 14 at 11 AM. Ticket prices range from €12 for members in the North lower tier, €18 for members in the West upper tier, to €23 for members in the West lower tier. Other fans pay €23 for the West upper and €28 for the West lower. Season tickets are valid for this match, but the free member ticket benefit does not apply.
