On 26 April 1911 Građanski was founded in Zagreb, the club from which Dinamo counts its history. According to the club's official tradition, Dinamo Zagreb turns 116 on 26 April 2027. The name "Dinamo", however, only appeared much later, in 1945.

A Croatian club for everyone

In 1911 Zagreb was part of Austria-Hungary, and word was going around the city that a club was being set up for the Hungarian league. In response, Andrija Mutafelija and his friends created a multi-sports club with a clearly Croatian identity.

A provisional board was elected on 13 April and the founding assembly was held on 26 April 1911, at the Budějovička restaurant. The first training session took place on 14 May, in the Tuškanac woods.

Građanski means "of the citizens"

The full name was I. HŠK Građanski, the "First Croatian Citizens' Sports Club". It was the first club in Zagreb open to citizens of every social class.

Građanski became the most successful team of interwar Yugoslavia, with five league titles: 1923, 1926, 1928, 1937 and 1940. It also toured Spain and Turkey, and in 1923 celebrated a win in Barcelona.

1945: a new name, the same soul

After the war the communist authorities disbanded Građanski and banned its name. On 9 June 1945 Dinamo was born, keeping the old team's colours, nickname and supporters.

For decades 1945 was regarded as the founding year, and only in the early 1990s did the club openly claim the Građanski heritage. The "G" in today's GNK, "Citizens' Football Club", was added for the centenary and recalls exactly that root.

After Croatian independence the team was briefly called HAŠK Građanski and then Croatia Zagreb, a name the fans never accepted. In February 2000 it went back to "Dinamo".

Blue like the Zagreb sky

Dinamo's colour is royal blue, which is why fans call the team "Modri" or "Plavi", "the Blues". Another nickname, "Purgeri", means "the citizens of Zagreb" and also points back to Građanski.

The crest worn today was designed in 1969 and officially adopted a year later, modelled on the famous Građanski badge. In European games the team has recently also worn a darker, navy shade of blue.

The night against Leeds and European evenings

The greatest moment came in 1967, in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final against Leeds United. Dinamo won 2-0 at Maksimir with goals from Marijan Čerček and Krasnodar Rora and held on for 0-0 at Elland Road.

It was the first European trophy won by a Yugoslav team and remains the only one won by a Croatian club. Four years earlier, in 1963, the team had lost the same final to Valencia.

Dinamo has played at Maksimir, opened in 1912, since 1948. There, in 2021, Mislav Oršić scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Tottenham that sent the team into the Europa League quarter-finals.

The children of Maksimir

Slaven Zambata, captain of the 1967 side, scored 148 goals in official games, while goalkeeper Dražen Ladić holds the appearance record with 468. The blue shirt was also worn by Zvonimir Boban and Davor Šuker, top scorer at the 1998 World Cup.

The academy produced Luka Modrić, Ballon d'Or winner, and Mateo Kovačić. At the 2018 World Cup, where Croatia took silver, 14 former or then-current Dinamo players featured.

Celebrate with us

From the Budějovička restaurant in 1911 to European nights at Maksimir, Dinamo's blue has always stayed the same. Happy 116th birthday, Modri!

See our Dinamo Zagreb jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Maksimir stadium in Zagreb – Suradnik13, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.