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Croatian football/soccer : Croatian First League 2007/2008 season preview

Dinamo's superiority

Dinamo Zagreb clinched the Croatian league title four rounds before the end of the 2006/07 campaign. The capital club confirmed their stunning superiority over the rest by leaving the second-placed Hajduk by a margin of 20 points, winning 30 of 33 games. It was their ninth crown since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Here are all winners and losers at the end of the 2006/07 season:

  • Champions: Dinamo Zagreb (Champions League 1st qual. round)
  • Runners-up: Hajduk Split (UEFA Cup)
  • Third place: Zagreb (Intertoto Cup)
  • Croatian Cup finalists: Slaven (UEFA Cup)
  • Relegated: Pula, Kamen
  • Promoted: Zadar, Inter Zapresic.

Hajduk Split have been busy this summer on the transfer market, while Dinamo lost their top player. Looks like the title race between these two giants would be more interesting and exciting in the 2007/08 season.

teamstitles2002/032003/042004/052005/062006/07
Dinamo912711
Hajduk621152
Zagreb16103103
Rijeka-93427
Varteks-35538
Osijek-84946
Slaven-79685
Cibalia-511-910
Inter Zapresic--8212-
Zadar-10612--
Medimurje---11119
Sibenik-12---4
The table shows the overall number of titles since 1992 for each club in Croatian First League and their league standings in the last five seasons.

Life after Eduardo

Eduardo da Silva was born in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, but joined Dinamo Zagreb at the age of just 15. The rest is history. The 24-year-old striker has scored 73 goals for Dinamo including a record haul of 34 goals in 32 appearances, the highest ever by a player in the Croatian football league, to finish as the top scorer last season. The previous campaign he netted 20 times. Taking Croatian citizenship in 2002, Eduardo has also eight goals from 14 internationals for his adopted nation. His move to England's Arsenal left a huge gap in the club's forward line. This is also definitely a huge blow to Dinamo's Euro ambitions.

This page contains additional information about the 2007/2008 Croatian First League season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Croatia page.

On the other hand, arch-rivals Hajduk have secured the services of several important players, including Latvia striker Maris Verpakovskis and Romania midfielder Florin Cernat, both on season-long loan deals from Dynamo Kyiv. Croatia defender Igor Tudor has also returned to the club following the expiry of his contract at Juventus and there's no doubt that Hajduk have a much stronger squad than last term.

#teampoints g.dif. win-draw-lose
1Dinamo926230-2-1 (33)
2Hajduk723522-6-5 (33)
3Zagreb581818-4-11 (33)
4Slaven49314-7-12 (33)
5Sibenik49214-7-12 (33)
6Osijek43-311-10-12 (33)
7Rijeka42-212-6-15 (33)
8Varteks42-1312-6-15 (33)
9Medimurje37-2011-4-18 (33)
10Cibalia32-209-5-19 (33)
11Pula29-126-11-16 (33)
12Kamen13-503-4-26 (33)
The Croatian First League standings for season 2006/2007.

Dinamo again?

The online gambling industry thinks Dinamo will lift the championship for a third successive time. Having clinched the last two trophies, bookmakers are tipping Dinamo to win with odds of 1.4, followed by Hajduk 3.35, Rijeka 15 and Slaven Koprivnica 34.

teamoddsteamodds
Dinamo Zagreb1.4Hajduk Split3.35
Rijeka15Slaven Koprivnica34
Varteks Varazdin45Osijek45
Zagreb51Medimurje85
Cibalia Vinkovci85Sibenik85
Inter Zapresic85Zadar85
The preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2007/08 Croatian First League.

The Croatian Cup finals in the last five seasons

2003Uljanik - Hajduk0:1Hajduk - Uljanik4:0
2004Varteks - Dinamo1:1Dinamo - Varteks0:0
2005Rijeka - Hajduk2:1Hajduk - Rijeka0:1
2006Rijeka - Varteks4:0Varteks - Rijeka5:1
2007Dinamo - Slaven1:0Slaven - Dinamo1:1
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key players

Cibalia Vinkovci

Goalkeeper Davor Bursca (€0.1m); Defense: Elvis Mesic (€0.2m), Ivan Medvid (€0.1m), Boris Leutar (€0.1m), Mijo Studenovic (€0.1m); Midfield: Davor Bagaric (€0.3m), Mario Andricevic (€0.1m), Ivan Maroslavac (€0.1m); Forward: Marijo Dodik (€0.2m), Marijan Vuka (€0.1m), Andrej Keric (€0.1m).

Dinamo Zagreb

Goalkeeper Georg Koch (€1m); Defense: Vedran Corluka (€4.1m), Etto (€2.4m), Gordon Schildenfeld (€0.6m); Midfield: Luka Modric (€5.7m), Marijan Buljat (€1.3m), Chago (€1.2m), Ognjen Vukojevic (€0.6m), Sammir (€0.5m); Forward: Tomislav Sokota (€1.3m), Josip Tadic (€0.5m).

Hajduk Split

Goalkeeper Vladimir Balic (€0.2m); Defense: Igor Tudor (€1.8m), Mirko Hrgovic (€0.8m), Boris Zivkovic (€0.7m), Mladen Pelaic (€0.5m); Midfield: Florin Cernat (€2m), Srdan Andric (€1.4m), Dario Damjanovic (€0.8m); Forward: Maris Verpakovskis (€3m), Ante Rukavina (€1.7m), Nikola Kalinic (€0.8m).

Inter Zapresic

Goalkeeper Tomislav Vranjic (€0.2m); Defense: Dejan Lovren (€0.6m), Patrice Kwedi (€0.4m), Emmanuel (€0.3m), Domagoj Verhas (€0.2m); Midfield: Renato Alves Gomides (€0.5m), Miroslav Saric (€0.4m), Mladen Stipkovic (€0.2m), Tomislav Jonjic (€0.2m), Davor Kukec (€0.2m); Forward: Sasko Pandev (€0.3m).

Medjimurje

Goalkeeper Ivan Banovic (€0.1m); Defense: Josip Milardovic (€0.5m), Andre Batista Silva (€0.3m), Tvrtko Topic (€0.3m), Ante Zurak (€0.2m); Midfield: Vedran Celiscak (€0.3m), Toni Meglenski (€0.3m), Marko Janjetovic (€0.2m), Danijel Stefulj (€0.2m); Forward: Edin Saranovic (€0.3m), Eliomar (€0.2m).

Osijek

Goalkeeper Marin Skender (€0.8m); Defense: David Junior Lopes (€0.5m), Valentin Babic (€0.4m), Ivo Smoje (€0.3m); Midfield: Aleksandar Solic (€0.6m), Domagoj Vida (€0.5m), Ivica Loncarevic (€0.2m), Ante Vitaic (€0.2m); Forward: Karlo Primorac (€0.6m), Stjepan Jukic (€0.5m), Milan Pavlicic (€0.4m).

Rijeka

Goalkeeper Dragan Zilic (€0.5m); Defense: Luka Vucko (€0.5m), Manuel Pamic (€0.3m), Igor Cagalj (€0.2m); Midfield: Filip Marcic (€0.7m), Nikola Safaric (€0.5m), Anas Sharbini (€0.4m); Forward: Radomir Dalovic (€1.5m), Georgi "Gonzo" Ivanov (€1m), Alen Skoro (€0.5m), Ivan Bozic (€0.3m).

Sibenik

Goalkeeper Hrvoje Slavica (€0.1m); Defense: Ante Kulusic (€0.2m), Boris Raic (€0.2m), Josip Bulat (€0.2m), Josip Bonacin (€0.2m); Midfield: Zoran Roglic (€0.3m), Frane Vitaic (€0.3m), Mario Kralj (€0.1m); Forward: Joao Gabriel Da Silva (€0.4m), Alen Subic (€0.4m), Marin Batur (€0.2m).

Slaven Koprivnica

Goalkeeper Vanja Ivesa (€0.2m); Defense: Ivan Radeljic (€0.5m), Dalibor Poldrugac (€0.4m), Matija Kristic (€0.3m); Midfield: Srebrenko Posavec (€0.5m), Mario Juric (€0.4m), Stjepan Poljak (€0.4m), Kristijan Caval (€0.4m), Zeljko Sopic (€0.3m); Forward: Bojan Vrucina (€0.8m), Dino Kresinger (€0.5m).

Varteks Varazdin

Goalkeeper Zlatko Runje (€0.2m); Defense: Igor Prahic (€0.3m), Nikola Melnjak (€0.2m), Vladimir Vuk (€0.2m), Zoran Ivancic (€0.1m); Midfield: Mijenko Mumlek (€0.4m), Drago Papa (€0.4m), Goran Mujanovic (€0.4m), Mario Lucic (€0.3m), Gordan Golik (€0.2m); Forward: Enes Novinic (€0.6m).

Zadar

Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic (€0.2m); Defense: Ferdo Milin (€0.4m), Josip Modric (€0.2m), Ante Rozic (€0.2m); Midfield: Tomislav Tadic (€0.3m), Ivan Elez (€0.3m), Dragan Zupan (€0.2m), Jakov Surac (€0.2m), Josip Bilaver (€0.2m); Forward: Mate Baturina (€0.7m), Zelimir Terkes (€0.2m).

Zagreb

Goalkeeper Dragan Stojkic (€0.3m); Defense: Safet Nadarevic (€0.6m), Mensur Mujdza (€0.4m), Vedran Ivankovic (€0.3m), Tomislav Labudovic (€0.3m); Midfield: Senijad Ibricic (€1m), Mario Brkljaca (€0.6m), Marko Kartelo (€0.5m), Mario Cutura (€0.3m); Forward: Krunoslav Lovrek (€0.7m), Marko Grgic (€0.2m).

 
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