Kravtsov Takes Ademi's Number 5 at Dinamo
Kirill Kravtsov (24) has officially become the successor to legendary captain Arijan Ademi, whose number 5 at Maksimir was reserved for years out of respect for the club icon.
Kirill Kravtsov (24) has officially become the successor to legendary captain Arijan Ademi, whose number 5 at Maksimir was reserved for years out of respect for the club icon.
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Dinamo announced that Russian midfielder Kirill Kravtsov (24) is the new player of the Croatian champions. The market value of the former Zenit player is 1.2 million euros, and he arrived at Maksimir on a free transfer, continuing this summer's streak of free signings that already included Mislav Oršić, Stjepan Radeljić, and Noah Nsoki, with Fuzy Taylor also expected to join. Kravtsov can cover the 'six' and 'eight' positions.
What resonated most among fans in this whole story is the choice of jersey number. Kravtsov has taken the 'five', a number that Arijan Ademi, the legendary captain of the Zagreb club, wore for years at Dinamo. Thus, the Russian midfielder has become the formal successor to Ademi, who is considered one of the greatest legends in Dinamo's history.
Interestingly, according to Transfermarkt, Kravtsov has worn numbers 64 at Zenit, 14 at Nizhny Novgorod, and 8 and 14 at Sochi throughout his career. At Dinamo, he will wear number 5 for the first time in his career, which immediately puts a 'target on his back' and adds extra pressure.
Back in March 2023, Dinamo issued a statement saying that no player would wear Ademi's 'five' while the legendary midfielder is an active player. Ademi reclaimed the number upon his return to Maksimir, but in the last three years, no one else wore that number on their back until Kravtsov.
That decision was made by the former administration led by Mirko Barišić, which officially left the offices at Maksimirska 128 in March 2024. At that time, Velimir Zajec, another famous 'five' in Dinamo's history, took over the helm, followed by Zvonimir Boban.
Last summer, Dinamo brought in as many as 17 new players, and no one requested the highly popular 'five' out of respect for the former captain. Today, times have clearly changed at Maksimir, and fans are disappointed with this decision, which is also seen as a clear message to club legends.
The Russian midfielder has made 105 appearances for Sochi, 25 for Zenit, where he also played with Lovren, and 12 for Nizhny Novgorod. In 2019, in the UEFA Youth League, he had notable performances, scoring two goals in four matches: the first in Zenit's 3-1 victory over Lyon, where Kalulu, Barcola, Malo Gusto, and Gouiri played for the French team, and the second in a 1-1 draw with Leipzig.
Dinamo announced the presentation of the new player on social media with posts like 'Behind the scenes' and 'Only 20 more minutes', accompanied by photos from Luka Stanzl, the club photographer.
