"How good it is to see you again," echoed from the stands in celebratory tones before the match, during the encounter, and well into the late evening and night hours... Dinamo, at the close of a brilliant season crowned with a double, finally gave vent to both themselves and their supporters, taking their foot off the brake during the celebrations and concluding an unforgettable competitive year in deafening decibels. In the encounter of the final, 36th round of the SuperSport HNL, city rivals Lokomotiva visited as guests, the match remained in the shadow of the celebratory atmosphere, and the final 0:0 means that the Blues concluded the season with 18 points more than their closest challengers.

Immediately after the encounter, the entire Maksimir squad, together with the coaching staff, walked with their trophies in front of the north and west stands and readily accepted the role of "choir" in collaboration with the symphonic orchestra positioned in the stands. Moreover, the players also walked through the lower section of the north stand so that the "vocal harmony" with the supporters could achieve an even clearer tone. After the match concluded, songs also rang out from the stage positioned below the west stand where the club organized an appropriate entertainment and musical program.

Dinamo thus finished the season with a double crown. Coach Mario Kovačević's team secured Dinamo's 26th championship title in the HNL with convincing performances, and the 36th in their entire history. The Blues also won the Cup for the 25th time, of which 18 times in independent Croatia. This is also Dinamo's 14th double crown in history. This was a season in which the Maksimir club also secured a place in the knockout phase of the Europa League.

The refrain by Novi Fosili also spread across an appropriate spectacular choreography on the north stand. Along the entire north stand, a banner was unfurled with drawings of two trophies, for the championship title and Cup winner, with the inscription "How good it is to see you again." The Blues had returned both of these trophies to their stands after they had spent one season in Rijeka.

Before the match itself, Dinamo prepared a "homage" to four players who were the foundation of great successes for the Maksimir team in different periods. Defenders Kevin Theophile and Dino Perić bid farewell to the Dinamo jersey on this occasion, while former Dinamo players, currently members of Lokomotiva – Domagoj Antolić and Marin Leovac – concluded their rich careers with this match. All four players engraved their names in Dinamo's golden history through their performances, behavior, playing skills, and concrete achievements. The Maksimir club presented them with an appropriate gift, a crystal with an inscribed dedication and thanks.

The match itself will be remembered most, aside from the celebratory atmosphere, for the return of Raul Torrente. The Maksimir defender had been absent from the pitch for more than a year. He was injured on May 3, 2025, and this was his first appearance after a year and 20 days. Moreover, he came close to marking his return with a goal – in the 71st minute, following a corner kick, he sent the ball into the crossbar with his head.

The match itself didn't offer much excitement. Maksimir goalkeeper Dominik Livaković stopped dangerous shots from Dušan Vuković twice in the first half, former talented Dinamo player Jakov-Anton Vasilj also tried spectacularly once, but the brilliant Maksimir goalkeeper "fished" his shot out of the corner as well. Vuković hit the post at the very beginning of the second half.

In front of Lokomotiva's goal, Gabriel Vidović and Mateo Lisica posed threats, while in the second half Marko Soldo placed the ball right beside the post.

Zagreb, May 23, 2026

SuperSport HNL, Round 36

Dinamo – Lokomotiva 0:0

Maksimir Stadium

Dinamo: Livaković – Tabinas, Galešić, Zebić, Perez Vinlöf – Bennacer; Lisica, Soldo, Vidović, Topić – Beljo

Coach: Mario Kovačević

Lokomotiva: Savatović – Lorber, Kolinger, Kralevski, Jukić, Pajač – Vuković, Smiljanić, Subotić, Belcar – Vasilj

Coach: Nikica Jelavić

Referee: Ante Terzić (Split), Tickets sold: 24,735