At 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, 28 October, applications closed for the first call for the “Nikola Pokrivač” Scholarship. Dinamo's Nema predaje Foundation launched the scholarship to provide concrete support to young and talented athletes, primarily from rural areas and smaller communities across Croatia.

A total fund of €20,000 has been secured for the first cycle of the Scholarship, and ten young athletes will receive support from it. Over ten months, each selected scholarship recipient will receive €200 per month, a total of €2,000 in support towards costs related to their sporting and personal development.

The Scholarship is intended for young athletes who are in regular education, actively involved in sport, and achieving notable results or showing clear sporting potential. Particular emphasis is placed on those whose financial, geographical or other life circumstances make it harder to access quality training, sports equipment, competitions and other conditions needed for further development.

As of Wednesday, 28 October, a total of 73 applications had been received through the SOM-Natječaji application.

Expert jury decision next

After an administrative check of all received applications, they will be evaluated against predefined criteria. The decision on the ten scholarship recipients will be made by an expert jury consisting of Filip Ivić, Ana Mišćević, Ivan Kelava and Igor Čimbur (Chef kuha doma).

Applications will be evaluated according to the criteria clearly set out in the call documentation. These include the candidate's sporting results and potential, social and financial status, conditions for sporting development in the candidate's home environment, schooling and attitude towards responsibilities, recommendations, and the development plan and expected impact of the Scholarship.

A connection with GNK Dinamo and the Dinamo community may be an additional advantage, but it is not a requirement for receiving the Scholarship.

We will announce the names of the first ten recipients of the “Nikola Pokrivač” Scholarship on the official pages of Dinamo's Nema predaje Foundation on 26 November 2026, the day on which Nikola Pokrivač would have celebrated his 41st birthday.

A memory of Nikola that creates new opportunities

The “Nikola Pokrivač” Scholarship was launched as part of the first Nikola Pokrivač Memorial, held from 17 to 19 April this year to mark the first anniversary of the untimely passing of the former Croatia international and player of Dinamo and numerous domestic and foreign clubs.

The Memorial was initiated by Nikola's friends in cooperation with Dinamo's Nema predaje Foundation, with the wish that the memory of Nikola be preserved not only through remembrance, but through a lasting initiative that will create new opportunities for young athletes.

Funds for the Scholarship's first fund were raised during the Memorial, through the sale of reusable memorial cups bearing Nikola's image at GNK Dinamo events, through donations from fans and partners, and through numerous sporting and charity events. Neighbourhood small-sided football tournaments held across Zagreb also made an important contribution.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to creating the fund, ten young athletes today receive the chance to take another step towards achieving their sporting dreams.

Dinamo's Nema predaje Foundation thanks all candidates for their applications and wishes them the best of luck in the remainder of the selection process.

And to all young athletes, regardless of the final outcome, the message remains the same: Nema predaje (Never give up)!