On Good Friday, 18 April 2025, Croatian football lost one of its most recognizable faces. Nikola Pokrivač, former Croatian international and Dinamo player who also represented numerous domestic and foreign clubs, passed away prematurely, leaving a deep mark among teammates, fans and all who knew him.

One year later, on the anniversary of his death, 18 April 2026, Dinamo and Rijeka – two clubs whose jersey Nikola wore during his rich career – will meet in a HNL derby, played at Maksimir Stadium on Saturday at 4 PM.

On this occasion, Nikola's friends in collaboration with Dinamo's foundation Nema predaje are launching the Nikola Pokrivač Memorial, which will be held from 17-19 April in Zagreb. As part of the Memorial, the "Nikola Pokrivač" Scholarship will also be launched, aimed at providing financial support to young, talented athletes from rural parts of Croatia.

The Memorial begins on Friday, 17 April, with a match between Futsal Dinamo and HMNK Rijeka in Sutinska vrela, as part of the final round of the HMNL regular season, symbolically starting the three-day program dedicated to Nikola.

The central event will take place on Saturday, 18 April, at Maksimir, where Dinamo and Rijeka players will take the field wearing shirts dedicated to Nikola Pokrivač.

The Memorial finale will be held on Sunday, 19 April, at the Klinček pitch on Kušlanova street as part of the GOAT league, where Dinamo Legends and Croatian National Team Legends will meet in an exhibition match.

Funds for the "Nikola Pokrivač" Scholarship will be collected during all three days of the Memorial, through direct donations from visitors, but also later, through auctions of signed jerseys and sales of a limited series of memorial cups featuring Nikola Pokrivač's image.

The Nikola Pokrivač Memorial is conceived as a permanent initiative that creates new value from the memory of the former Croatian international. Through scholarships, young athletes from smaller communities will be given the opportunity to continue training, access equipment and conditions that are often unavailable, all with the aim that talent and hard work, not circumstances, determine their sporting path.

More information about the Memorial program will be published soon.