Tonight at 21:00, Dinamo Zagreb vs. Milan takes center stage in the final matchday of the single-group phase of the new Champions League. Both teams have only one result available to achieve their goal: victory. The Rossoneri need it to reach the top 8, while the Croatians aim to qualify for the playoffs.
The ultimate former player of both clubs is Zvonimir Boban, who was interviewed by HRT. Here are his statements:
"Dinamo and Milan are two clubs that mean a lot to me, two great teams with whom I had the privilege of experiencing incredible stories. Dinamo has been with me since birth, while Milan became a part of me. Now, I follow both with great love and respect."
Who will you support?
"I was born and raised as a Dinamo fan, so there's no way I can support Milan in this match. With all the respect and love I have for Milan, I will definitely cheer for Dinamo."
What does Dinamo need to beat Milan?
"It will be an open and interesting match, with plenty of turnarounds and lots of goals. Milan is taking big risks and has yet to find the right defensive balance."
On Fabio Cannavaro’s work as Dinamo’s new coach:
"What Cannavaro is doing with Dinamo is clearly an attempt to find balance, as he's Italian and has had great coaches as mentors. It's immediately evident that he places great importance on team organization."
On Dinamo Zagreb coach, Fabio Cannavaro, Boban said:
"I played against Fabio many times, I know him well. He's an extraordinary person, very responsible and disciplined. I believe he carries that same approach into coaching. I’m not very familiar with his tactical style, as I didn't follow his work in China, and things didn’t go too well for him at Benevento. But that doesn’t mean anything—he could build his first great success story with Dinamo."
On Gennaro Gattuso, now coaching Hajduk Split:
"This shows the respect the football world has for Croatia and our league. They didn’t come here because they had no other options, but because they were intrigued by this challenge. I’m happy that two great figures like them are leading our clubs. At the same time, I hope that one day our local coaches can also rise to prominence."
On new stadiums in Croatia:
"Everyone talks about it—except those who should be. I'm referring to the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), which should be pushing for a stadium construction project. It's a disgrace for all of us, but especially for politics and Croatian football."
On the secret behind Croatia’s success in high-level sports, Boban commented:
"We are a talented people with a strong competitive spirit. We want to prove our worth to the world, even though we are a small country. It’s in our cultural and sporting DNA. There’s no doubt that we will continue achieving great results, not only in football but in many other sports."
