Norwegians Fear Dinamo
Local media from Stavanger preview the Viking-Dinamo Champions League playoff with great respect, highlighting the powerful atmosphere at Maksimir and the legend Zvonimir Boban.
Local media from Stavanger preview the Viking-Dinamo Champions League playoff with great respect, highlighting the powerful atmosphere at Maksimir and the legend Zvonimir Boban.
After Dinamo convincingly defeated Kauno Žalgiris 7-1 on aggregate, caution and even fear have gripped Norway ahead of the Champions League playoff. Norwegian champions Viking from Stavanger are the next obstacle on the road to the elite club competition, and local media do not hide that the draw in Nyon was far from kind to them.
While Norway's biggest national media outlets like Aftenposten, Dagbladet, and VG were focused on Tuesday evening on Bodø/Glimt's progression to the Champions League playoff after a 3-2 win over Belgian side Union SG, and Brann from Bergen's success in knocking out Cyprus's Apollon 4-2 in the Conference League, two local outlets from Stavanger were far more on the ball. Stavanger Aftenblad and RA Stavanger immediately published articles about the Croatian champions after Dinamo's match in Lithuania concluded.
Interestingly, the Norwegian media's focus was not on the players or coach Mario Kovačević. Stavanger Aftenblad chose a photo of fans from the north stand of Maksimir Stadium for illustration, while RA Stavanger put Dinamo president Zvonimir Boban front and center, in a Croatia national team shirt with the number 10. The headline of the article about Boban reads "International legend and a historic encounter for Viking," and the introduction highlights how "the Norwegian champions, on their way to the world's most lucrative club tournament, must eliminate a club with a significantly richer history and experience in playing such important matches."
RA Stavanger did not mince words when previewing the tie, headlining its article: "One of Europe's toughest draws awaits Viking in the Champions League playoff." In the caption for a photo of Dinamo's fans, it states: "The Bad Blue Boys are known for their loud chants, pyrotechnic displays, and the intimidating atmosphere on the north side of the stands in Zagreb." In their assessment of the Croatian champions, they conclude with what the Norwegian team will have to contend with: "Full stands, crazy fans, and one of Europe's most productive talent factories-that is what Viking will face next week in Zagreb."
Dinamo has already announced the match via social media, scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, at 9:00 PM at Maksimir Stadium. The pre-sale for club members begins on Wednesday, August 12, at 11:00 AM and runs until Thursday, August 13, at 11:59 PM. General sale starts on Friday, August 14, at 11:00 AM. Ticket prices range from €12 for members in the North Stand lower tier, while West Stand tickets are priced between €18 and €28, depending on the sector and membership status. The club has urged fans to use the digital QR code feature for faster entry into the stadium, saying: "Maksimir is calling you 💙".
