Captain Benkotić's Tears Move Maksimir
Dinamo's juniors defeated by Ajax in the Mladen Ramljak Memorial final. Captain Jona Benkotić couldn't hide his emotions, and club legend Marko Mlinarić offered consolation.
Dinamo's juniors defeated by Ajax in the Mladen Ramljak Memorial final. Captain Jona Benkotić couldn't hide his emotions, and club legend Marko Mlinarić offered consolation.
The final of the Mladen Ramljak Memorial tournament at Maksimir brought great emotions. GNK Dinamo's juniors were defeated by Ajax from Amsterdam, but the loss wasn't the only thing that marked the evening. The west stand saw 2,000 people gather, who gave the young players a thunderous applause, with captain Jona Benkotić drawing particular attention.
Seventeen-year-old Benkotić, who turned 17 in March, was one of the tournament's standout players. He scored two goals against Benfica and one against Club Brugge, but in the final, luck wasn't on his side. After the final whistle, emotions overwhelmed him and he couldn't hold back his tears. Many offered consolation, including club legend Marko Mlinarić, who presented him with the runner-up award and embraced him. He also received praise and a hug from Mario Kovačević.
"The tournament is at the highest possible level, as it is every year. We from Zagreb wait our whole lives for this, I personally have been waiting my whole life, and it's normal that emotions got the better of me after the match. I'm sorry, but that's football. We had no luck, some things didn't go our way, we conceded silly goals. Next time will be better, the season is just starting and there's still a lot ahead of us," Benkotić said for Sportske novosti.
The young midfielder from Trešnjevka also earned the nickname "mini-Badelj" at Maksimir, a comparison to new juniors' coach Miki Badelj. Benkotić wasn't initially aware of the compliment, but when he heard it, he didn't hide his delight.
"I didn't know about that, of course, it's a huge compliment. I've watched him on TV since I was a kid, and when I hear that, I have to be overjoyed," Benkotić stated, adding that Badelj has shown in just a month why he had a great career and why he became a coach.
For Miki Badelj, this was a sort of debut on the bench at the main Maksimir pitch, and the reception from the fans left a strong impression. "Of course. That's it. This is my home," Badelj began, then continued: "It's hard to talk after a loss, which was ultimately undeserved, but Ajax were more clinical and better in the first half. I'm pleased with my players' reaction and the entire second half; I believe we deserved more than one goal."
He also commented on the injury to Patrik Horvat, who left the pitch on a stretcher. "It's too early, it would be irresponsible to say anything now; we need to run tests and then we'll see," Badelj briefly commented.
At the end of the tournament, individual awards were handed out. Benfica's Filippo Gaidão was named best goalkeeper, Nikola Radnić was the best defender, Roko Ban scored the most goals, and Ajax's Nafairon Landvreugd took the title of tournament's best player.
After the final, the club thanked fans via 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 Maksimir pitch is a dream come true for many of them."
