Should Sunderland AFC Fans be Weary of Next Europa League Opponents, Dinamo Zagreb?
Dinamo Zagreb will visit Wearside on Thursday, 5 November, kick-off 8pm. The Black Cats will hope for another memorable night on the European stage.
However, they may not receive the same friendly interactions that they had with the AZ Alkmaar fans. 2,400 Zagreb fans will visit the Stadium of Light.
Zagreb are the current champions of Croatia, and have won the most league titles with 26. They are known for their hostile atmosphere in European games, with the use of pyrotechnics and clashes with opposition fans.
🇭🇷 | Insane atmosphere created by Dinamo Zagreb fans tonight in UEFA Champions League qualifier vs Viking FK…🔥🧨 https://t.co/fuhcVJn2vm
— ULTRA ATTACKIVE (@UltraAttackive) August 18, 2026
In 2023 Dinamo Zagreb’s ultra group the “Bad Blue Boys” clashed with AEK Athens fans, which led to a twenty-nine-year-old AEK fan Michalis Katsouris being stabbed to death.
As a result, they were banned from attending the clubs’ European away games for the rest of that season.
Lovre Nikolac, writer for CroatianSports, said: “They most likely won’t be as friendly as AZ, as their a proper ultras group. They have a long history of incidents, but have generally calmed down in recent years after a big fight in Athens.”
He added: “I think Sunderland fans should be sensible, remain aware of their surroundings and avoid deliberately provoking the travelling outfit.”
Sunderland will look to extend their unbeaten run in the Europa League after wins against AZ Alkmaar, Torrensse, and a draw against Lech Poznan.
“The Blues” sit second in the Hrvatska Nogometna Liga (Croatian football league) with three wins in their last five games. In the Europa League, Zagreb sit in a respectable 18th place with one loss, one draw, and one win.
Dion Beljo has been the star man upfront and will look to be a threat for the sunderland backline. So far this season he has 17 goals, 12 of those in the HNL, two in the champions league and three in the Europa league.
