This article is contributed by Tarik Ajanović:
GNK Dinamo Zagreb has definitely managed to become one of the most stable clubs in South-Eastern Europe shown by their financial development in the past few years. The majority of their income was generated by player transfers to other clubs with Eduardo to Arsenal, Luka Modrić and Vedran Ćorluka to Tottenham, Dejan Lovren to Lyon and Niko Kranjčar to Hajduk Split being the biggest ones (estimated at around £41 million in total).
This article is contributed by Tarik Ajanović:
GNK Dinamo Zagreb has definitely managed to become one of the most stable clubs in South-Eastern Europe shown by their financial development in the past few years. The majority of their income was generated by player transfers to other clubs with Eduardo to Arsenal, Luka Modrić and Vedran Ćorluka to Tottenham, Dejan Lovren to Lyon and Niko Kranjčar to Hajduk Split being the biggest ones (estimated at around £41 million in total).
Since Dinamo obviously want to continue the trend, they have decided to tap into other markets as well looking for raw talent with high resell value. Within the last few days, an agreement has been signed between Dinamo Zagreb and the Bosnia & Herzegovina-based team NK Široki Brijeg. Zdravko Mamić, the executive director of Dinamo Zagreb and Zlatan Mijo Jelić, the chairman of NK Široki Brijeg, said that both teams and the entire region will benefit from the agreement.
The deal will give Dinamo the first option on Široki Brijeg’s players. According to the deal, Dinamo will invest 1.2 million Euros over the course of 10 years in Široki Brijeg’s academy which has proven to produce good talented players. Široki Brijeg will open 6 camps across Bosnia & Herzegovina hoping to discover young talent. Also, Široki Brijeg attracts good players from the Herzegovina region as well with Saša Papac, currently with Glasgow Rangers, being one of the best examples.
It should be noted that NK Široki Brijeg is based in the region of Herzegovina with a big Croatian majority which is also a reason for cooperation between the two clubs. However, since Croatia is going to become the member of EU in 2013, all Bosnian Croats will become EU citizens since all of them have Croatian passports as well. This will allow Dinamo to import young players at low costs from Bosnia & Herzegovina which will allow them to develop them and sell them later on for a profit. The players will not be counted as foreigners in Croatia due to their Croatian passports and they will be able to transfer to EU-based clubs since Dinamo will be an EU club and they will be EU citizens as well.
The whole project is going to be backed by the mayor and town council which have proven their support for sports unlike any other town in the region. Široki Brijeg, with only 27.000 residents, has two strong teams. The football team has won the Bosnian Premier league twice and the Bosnian Cup once. On the other side, the basketball team has won the league and cup an incredible 6 times each.
NK Široki Brijeg also holds the record for the biggest Bosnian transfer abroad when they sold Mirko Hrgović to Wolfsburg in 2003 at the estimated transfer fee of 1.3 million Euros.
First steps have already been taken, the highly rated Bosnian U-21 national team player Goran Zakarić has signed a 7-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb for an undisclosed fee in May and will remain on loan at Široki Brijeg for 6 to 12 months.