Dinamo Expert: 'Forget Viking Quickly, We Can Compete With Anyone'

Nenad Bjelica, a seasoned figure in Croatian football, believes Dinamo Zagreb's current squad is ideally positioned for success in the Europa League, suggesting it's a more fitting stage than the Champions League.

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By the quality of this Dinamo team, continuing in the Europa League suits them the most.

Following their elimination from Champions League contention, Bjelica advises the team to swiftly put the loss to Viking behind them. He stresses the importance of shifting focus to their upcoming Europa League fixtures, where he anticipates they can perform strongly. Dinamo's path to the next stage will likely involve competing against teams like Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Anderlecht, Sturm Graz, and NEC Nijmegen, with Bayer Leverkusen identified as the toughest opponent.

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The sooner we forget Viking and start preparing for the next match in Europe. Dinamo will prepare with HNL matches, where they will be absolute favorites to win the title.

Bjelica projects that securing 10-12 points will be sufficient for Dinamo to advance from their group. He notes that while Dinamo can aim for points against all opponents, matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Rennes will present the greatest challenges due to their superior budgets and player valuations. He also highlighted the psychological aspect, stating that the team needs to recover quickly from the Champions League setback and approach European games with confidence and a winning mentality.

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Player values increase through European matches. Big clubs buy players based on that stimulus. Sučić and Baturina were not bought based on HNL matches, they watched their performances against Monaco, Salzburg, Milan, Celtic...

Furthermore, Bjelica underscored the significant impact of European competitions on player development and market value. He explained that clubs like Dinamo often sell players based on their performances against strong international teams, citing examples like Sučić and Baturina whose transfers were influenced by their showings against clubs such as Monaco, Salzburg, and Milan. He believes that playing and performing well in the Champions League and Europa League is crucial for player sales, which in turn stabilizes the club's finances and contributes to Croatian football overall.

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Champions League sells players for 15 to 20 million euros, Europa League for five to 10, Conference League with difficulty... Of course, there are exceptions. I would like Dinamo to show that and for someone to be sold for 10-15 million after this season in the EL.