Albert Capellas appointed as the new Director of Football and Head of Youth Development Program at the club

The experienced Spanish expert Albert Capellas is the newest member of the Dinamo family, taking on the role of Director of Football and Head of Youth Development Program. He arrives at Maksimir after nearly 35 years of coaching experience, during which he has covered almost every level within the football pyramid: from fitness coach and youth development roles to academy director, first-team coach, and eventually national team head coach. A significant portion of his career was spent at FC Barcelona, where he worked for 12 years across two separate spells.

Capellas joins Dinamo following the conclusion of his one-year term as head coach of the Philippine national team. With his vast experience, he will contribute to the implementation of Dinamo’s strategy for youth player development — shaping and nurturing talented young footballers to prepare them for the big stage, with the ultimate goal of contributing significantly to the first team and, consequently, to the national team as well.

His work across different systems and age categories, along with his comprehensive understanding of the structure of a football academy, provides a solid foundation for Dinamo’s key project of strengthening the club’s youth academy.

Dinamo’s primary goal is to return to its roots, building its identity on the foundations of its own football school. Through a patient, meticulous, and professional approach, the club aims to create conditions in which homegrown players become the core of the first team over the next four-year period.

He was born on October 1, 1967, in Barcelona. He began his coaching career at the local club Gava, before becoming part of the Barça system. His coaching journey also took him to Vitesse, Brøndby, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Borussia Dortmund, and Chinese side Chongqing, after which he served as head coach of Denmark’s U-21 national team. This was followed by a return to Barcelona’s academy, a role as head coach of Danish club Midtjylland, and, most recently, the position of head coach of the Philippines national team.

“It’s a great pleasure to be part of the project of building Dinamo’s bright future. When Zvonimir Boban called me and I heard the passion in his voice as he spoke about the entire idea, I immediately knew — from that very first conversation — that I wanted to be a part of this project. I bring with me extensive international football experience, but naturally, my football DNA is Barça’s football DNA. I’ve worked all over the world, and I hope to help the club achieve its set goals in the coming years and to build a foundation for the rise of new generations.

I love working with everyone — supporting players, inspiring coaches. I enjoy when we share a common vision and are committed to the same goal — in this case, Dinamo’s goal. I like when we say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, because we work together, follow the same goals and dreams. When you come to this club, you feel something special. This club simply has a unique class and identity. And in that, I see many similarities with my Barcelona,” emphasized Director Capellas.