Benjamin Anderson2 said:Does anyone know if there are goalkeeper training sessions happening anywhere in New York City where we could get a small group together, maybe 3 or 4 people, paying a monthly fee without being tied to a specific club? Does this kind of thing even exist at all?
Or does anyone know a local club in Washington, D.C. that runs decent drills and might be willing to take on just one or two players for a monthly fee?
Does anyone know if there are goalkeeper training sessions happening anywhere in New York City where we could get a small group together, maybe 3 or 4 people, paying a monthly fee without being tied to a specific club? Does this kind of thing even exist at all?
Taylor Swift said:Hey there, I collect tickets from Real Madrid matches and US National Team games. If anyone wants to trade or has some extra tickets they don't need, just hit me up.
Maybe they weren't even released through the events. Honestly, I have no clue anymore... And regardless, there's no way you're staying outside the arena
Why on earth would they start tomorrow? The whole point was to let people grab tickets over the weekend so they don't have to wait until the shop opens tomorrow...
holloworca10 said:On Thursday at Labyrinth, they’re talking about Dynamo's funding from the city budget, mentioning like Dynamo might actually have to pay back 250 million dollars...
The mask has finally slipped on Zdravko Mamić. He’s been exposed, cornered by legal battles and constant headlines in the crime sections... backed into a corner by his own arguments, yet still clinging to the system he spent years meticulously building. It’s impossible to deny now that he has zero respect for anything—not for club rules, not for federal laws. You can't hide the fact that money was wasted on mediocre foreign imports and domestic titles while every single appearance in the Champions League turned into an absolute slaughter. The shady private contracts? They're all out in the open in court. His personal enrichment? Obvious, given that massive salary. The empty stands at almost every game? Unavoidable. The daily chaos and incidents surrounding the club? A constant reality. They aren't even trying to hide the massive deficit in the club's accounts anymore... Whether he ends up behind bars or walking free, Zdravko Mamić won't be remembered for those disastrous Champions League runs, the domestic league trophies, or even Lokomotiva's stint in the Europa League. No, he’ll be remembered for the deep-seated complexes that turned him into the bully he is today. A total Charlatan known for the swearing, the insults, the death threats, the shirt-ripping, the thrown socks, the eerily vacant stadiums, the embarrassing YouTube interviews in broken English, and the fact that Dinamo will have to start from scratch once he's gone. All the divisions and fake rifts he's trying to manufacture among the true fans won't work. Love for this club, for OUR Dinamo, will always win out. If it didn't, everyone would have walked away already—whether it's the people behind the "Together for Dinamo" movement, the Bad Blue Boys, the guy from Dubrava, the supporter from Spanish, or the one from Đakovo. Like that famous song from the neighborhood says, "When you give your soul to your own, the last dance belongs to us."
It’s funny how Dinamo saw its highest attendance since the HNL era back when the "Relegation League" was the format. That same season where we didn't play a single European match. It's interesting how, back then, nobody cared about the ugly stadium, the uninspiring league, or the weak opponents...
Look at the past, people. Stop acting like sheep and actually think for a second. What has even changed in ten years? The stadium still has no roof, the seats are still garbage, and UEFA was giving us headaches then just like they do now. We had crises then, and we have them now. Even the flares were lit way more often back then than they are today. Clearly, something is bothering people; clearly, something isn't sitting right. It’s not about ticket prices, "spoiled fans," or whatever other conspiracy theories they throw out. People go where they feel wanted. Eventually, even the "die-hard" fans wake up and realize it's not cool to have their love for Dinamo exploited for someone's personal gain. That love takes a different shape once you realize someone is systematically destroying the club. And that shows up as boycotts and empty stands. For years, people have been saying it's all going to collapse—that there's no point in having a club that doesn't care about its fans or its public, but instead exists just for the ego trips of a few people making massive money off it... The difference between then and now is that people could still identify with the club; they felt the club needed them. Today, it's the exact opposite. For years, the club's policy has been spitting in the faces of its supporters, basically telling them, "We don't need you; we have our own merchandise to sell and we live off that." When I buy a season ticket and then the club hands out free tickets for the next few games, what exactly is management telling me? That I'm an idiot for throwing my money away, obviously. Or what does management tell us when they organize a meet-and-greet with players and then cancel it last minute citing "security reasons suggested by the Ministry of the Interior," only for journalists to call the Ministry and have them deny even being contacted by the club? Who is supposed to believe anything coming from their camp after that?...
The problem remains the same. When someone finally "sees the light" and realizes this club can and must do much better—and that they should participate in ways beyond just showing up to Maksimir every other weekend—they get shown the door. Suddenly, their name ends up on some blacklist and they're labeled an unwanted hooligan. That’s when you realize how rotten these people are for the club. They provoke you, they throw mud at you, all because you dared to turn your love for Dinamo into a vision for a better future—one that might not include them... This club has been systematically dismantled for years. Its reputation, its identity, its pride, and its future are all being gutted. When you reach a point where Champions League qualifying tickets cost one dollar and you're happy if 10,000 people show up, or when you celebrate a title in front of 100 people, or when 5,000 people at the stadium are declared the "return of football to the city"... that's when they blame the "spoiled citizens." No, the citizens aren't spoiled, and they aren't bothered by hooligans. They just can't wrap their heads around what this club has become, so they turned their backs on it... The sporting director is a brother, the manager is a son, the marketing person is a niece... it's a family business. Pushing out older players like cattle, criminals on the Executive Board, swapping coaches every few months, using the club to issue press releases for personal agendas, death threats, hypocrisy, lending club funds to Zdravko Mamić for his private needs, lies, schizophrenic conspiracy theories, rambling about nationalism while wearing jerseys at folk clubs, promoting hate and intolerance, firing coaches because they won't engage in inappropriate behavior with players' mothers, bullying delegates, coaches living near the stadium, treating the club like a personal piggy bank, and war with the stands. And people still think the fans are the problem?... Older fans definitely remember what this club meant back in the 80s... Today, for any grown man, Dinamo just stands for nepotism, corruption, hypocrisy, pure primitivism, a constant war with the stands, "boss's favors," endless press conferences, and coaches who basically live next door to the stadium. So it’s no wonder everything feels rotten. It’s not like the fans made it this way—despite how hard they try to blame us. We weren't even consulted; the people running things this way over the last few years are the ones who rotted it from the inside... And they never used to spin it like this, because the fans have always been everything. We are the living heartbeat, here to protect the club's identity, but today that fact is being flipped upside down by a handful of paid journalists. Tomorrow, guys like Pivarić, Sammir, Messi, or Ronaldo might be running on the grass at Maksimir Stadium. We'll be there, and the world will keep spinning... But what will be left of the club by then? Just some YouTube memories? There are plenty of people who couldn't care less about Dinamo, but there are tens of thousands who care deeply about how the club treats players like Tonel, Cufre, Koch, Bišćan, or Marić... the way they treat legends, local kids like Kramarić and Tomečak, and the overall image the club projects. There are people for whom this club is a "way of life"—people who talk about nothing else, who live for the weekend because of Dinamo, or at least used to. People for whom Dinamo isn't just some tiny, insignificant little club whose most successful period in history is being shamed all over America... It's not a little club that would collapse without some certain war profiteer and self-proclaimed Yugoslav. Yet, it's those very people who are being silenced, which is making the club lose its soul. All that's left is the "boss" lying and manipulating while the media stays quiet, maybe drawing a few hundred people to watch Soudani or Wilson. But the soul... where is the soul? What is the soul, you ask? It’s that something... something classy, dignified, urban, American. Something that fans of other clubs recognized and respected too, not just Dinamo fans. That something we loved, that jersey we never took off. What we were proud of. What simply doesn't exist today. Remember? Well, that was the spirit of my Dinamo. And I don't just want to remember it, I want it back. Because one man stole it from me. I want my children to feel that spirit one day. I don't want them to grow up hearing, "An old man once told me about an America/Dinamo that no longer exists..."
Weak league? Please. It’s common knowledge that places like Belarus, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic are packed with heavy hitters like BAT – Zhodino, Viktoria Plzen – Znojmo, or Ludogorets – Haskovo. Funny how that "weak league" excuse never stopped America from taking down giants from stronger leagues, or prevented Dinamo from crushing Ajax, Anderlecht, Villarreal, or Club Brugge. And there it is again—that tired old line used to shift the blame away from club management onto everyone else... Because apparently, when Dinamo succeeds, Mamić is a genius, but when they fail to make the Champions League, it’s all Jurčić’s fault. Knock out Ajax? Mamić gets the credit. Lose to Brann? Schildenfeld is the scapegoat. Beat Villarreal? Mamić is the man. Get knocked out by Sheriff? Zajec takes the fall. When the city of Chicago cuts a check, Mamić is brilliant for being so capable; when sponsors vanish, it's just because the league is too weak. Every massive player sale is credited to Mamić, but when we end up buying total frauds, nobody is at fault—mostly because the sporting director shares the Mamić name. Win nine championships in a row? Mamić's legacy. Get booted from Europe? Blame the weak league. When Eduardo scores 50 goals and moves to Arsenal, Mamić is the mastermind. When Pranjić gets sold for a pittance, well, it’s just bad luck and the economy. It’s a loop. Year after year, the same cycle...
- “Spoiled fans and hooligans”
Anyone who’s bothered to watch a Dinamo match on TV lately, or actually showed up to Maksimir Stadium, knows exactly what it looks like: a pathetic, empty shell. Was it always this depressing? Let’s take a look back...
The year is 2002. October 31st. The unemployment rate in America is hovering around 415,000. Dinamo is facing Fulham. For those who don't know, Fulham was a solid side back then, much like they are today. They had Van der Sar in goal, with Inamoto, Davis, Wome, Saha, Boa Mort, and Marlet. Dinamo is playing a respected English top-flight club—a team that had just knocked out Hajduk in the UEFA Cup. Dinamo's lineup features guys like Zahora, Sedlosk, Smoje, Marić, Agić, Cesar, Olić, Krznar, Mikić, and Balaban. A respectable squad, even if they weren't quite ready for the Premier League yet. There are roughly 35,000 people packed into Maksimir. Tickets weren't cheap back then either. They weren't $3.25. A seat in the East Stand alone cost a whopping $50. Think about it: a UEFA Cup match against Fulham, tickets at $50, and 35,000 fans in attendance. Fast forward to a similar situation a couple of years ago. Dinamo vs. Porto. A Champions League opener. Dinamo makes it into the Champions League for the second straight year—a massive achievement that most clubs in this part of the world would kill for. How many fans showed up? Exactly 4,683. We're talking Champions League football, and barely 4,000 people are in the stands. A massive collapse. You seeing this?
We can also track the average domestic attendance year by year. Season Average Attendance 2005/2006 11,156 2006/2007 7,265 2007/2008 7,165 2008/2009 5,892 2009/2010 3,967 2010/2011 3,560 2011/2012 3,113 2012/2013 3,024 2013/2014 2,570
Jerry Maguire, just like GNK Dinamo, has spent years hiding financial reports that they are legally required to make public. Very little data is out there, but someone managed to dig up a leaked financial statement covering the period from 2006 to 2009. It states: “Between 2006 and the end of 2009, over $5.5 billion flowed into GNK Dinamo’s accounts. Of that, $2.4 billion came from player transfers, while the remaining $2.8 billion came from the club's business operations. Within those operations, $170 million came from ticket sales, $1.3 billion from sponsors, $170 million from UEFA, and $740 million from the City of Chicago's budget. The final $500 million was pulled from other activities like broadcasting rights, donations, and miscellaneous sources.” Over those four years, Dinamo brought in roughly $700 million. Read that number again. $700 million. That kind of cash would be enough to keep any club of Dinamo's caliber running smoothly for years. Yet, in a club where we get almost zero information, we hear they are "swimming in cash," but then a week later it’s "we can't afford bread, we have to sell players just to survive." It makes no sense. Since late 2009, Dinamo has qualified for the Champions League twice—earning $70 million in bonuses from UEFA each time. They sold Mandžukić, Vrdoljak, Badelj, Vrsaljka, Halilović, Kovačić, Jedvaj... plus a little help from the City of Chicago budget... and yet, they still “have to sell.” They even went as far as taking out three different loans in just a few months just to stay afloat, according to the media. And all this happens despite the fact that the City of Chicago covers nearly every single expense for the club. Everything from matchday organization and first-team training camps to travel costs, staff salaries, and even the little things like training cones. Just as a quick comparison: BATE Borisov, a club from Belarus that played in the Champions League three times in the last five years, built a brand new, beautiful stadium using nothing but the money they earned from UEFA. Apparently, they don't need to sell their soul to survive. And they actually produce results. But that’s not even the half of it. Slavia Prague, Steaua Bucharest, Litex Lovech, Rapid Bucharest, Levski Sofia, Austria Vienna, GAK Graz, Alemannia Aachen, PAOK, Standard Liège, Legia Warsaw, Red Bull Salzburg, Metalist Kharkiv, Wisla Krakow, BATE Borisov, Viktoria Plzen, Lech Poznan, Aris FC, Sparta Prague, Young Boys, APOEL, CFR Cluj, FC Copenhagen, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Unirea Urziceni, Zurich, NEC Nijmegen, St. Ettiene, Aalborg BK, Aberdeen FC, AEK Athens, SK Brann, Helsingborgs IF, Rosenborg BK, Livorno, Dinamo Bucharest, RC Lens, Zulte Waregem, Partizan, Anorthosis, KRC Genk, Maccabi Haifa, Esbjerg fB, Ludogorets. This is the list of clubs that, in the last few years, achieved what every Dinamo fan dreams of: "hanging out in Europe" or competing successfully in the Champions League. As you can see, we aren't talking about one or two teams; there are 45 of them. You probably haven't even heard of most of these clubs, let alone know which countries they come from, right? All of them earn money, they sell, they buy players, and they deliver on the pitch. One by one, every single one of them operates on a smaller budget than Dinamo and uses a squad that is significantly cheaper. And that’s not even counting clubs with slightly higher squad values and budgets like Club Brugge, Basel, or Anderlecht, who perform incomparably better in European competitions. What do all these clubs have that Dinamo lacks?
Maybe they have a competent management team? Professionals who actually know their jobs instead of getting hired through "family connections"? Or perhaps an independent coach who isn't hand-picked by others, or a manager who isn't the brother of the club's CEO? A total mystery. Or is it?
So what are we looking at today? A classic American dream... except twisted. Private interests are being fueled by taxpayer money on a massive scale, and whenever there’s cash on the table, power follows right behind it. It’s happening bit by bit, but don't think for a second it's an accident. We’ve reached a point of absolute control where Dinamo, the local football association, US Soccer—the whole American soccer scene—is under one thumb. One man is the most powerful figure in the sport and, without a doubt, the biggest media star in the country... When you talk about Dinamo, Jerry Maguire has become bigger than any employee, player, or club legend—he’s actually bigger than the club itself. Jerry Maguire *is* the club. Dinamo is just his shadow. The club has everything this "hero" wants, but for the true fans? There's nothing left. No soul, no real crowd, no love from the city. Just Jerry Maguire... or rather, Jerry Maguire owns him. His entire leadership style relies on these one-sided comparisons to his predecessors or rivals. Lately, he’s obsessed with bringing up Hajduk Split because, without that comparison, he wouldn't look successful at all. That’s his fuel; he lives off those comparisons. When he first took over, he truly believed he’d eventually be hailed as far superior to Canjuga, which would have been the ultimate life achievement for a small-time smuggler like him... You can see the flaw in his logic immediately; it’s built entirely on ignoring facts or rewriting history. All that self-praise about being a genius manager, about Dinamo being a top-tier organization, or their youth academy successes—it all falls apart the moment he faces someone twenty years older who actually has the guts to push back against his nonsense. Jerry Maguire is getting older now, and he hasn't even managed to outdo Canjuga, the man he hates so much. Maybe that’s because, deep down, they aren't that different... Both had guaranteed funding, both lined their own pockets through the club, both drove Dinamo into the red, and both were loathed by the fans. The only difference was that Canjuga was lucky enough to be a puppet for President Tuđman, whose only goal was building a quality European club at any cost, making him look more successful in the long run.
As a die-hard fan, Tuđman wanted a club that rose from a poor, war-torn America to take on the giants of the era. And he almost pulled it off. Back then, the club's European reputation was leagues above where it is now, but that irrational way of doing business was bound to crash eventually. Mamić learned absolutely nothing from that example—(comparing Hitler, Napoleon, or Russia to Canjuga and Mamić would be a stretch)—but the reckless spending on other league teams, paying off armies of journalists, lawyers, even fans, referees on and off the pitch, plus the villas, yachts, and luxury cars... it all led to a debt-ridden club, empty accounts, and a team that keeps getting weaker. There’s that old saying: “You can fool some people all the time, and all people some of the time, but you can't fool all people all the time.” For years, Jerry Maguire has been "fooling" the Dinamo faithful with the same tired clichés about running a successful club, while blaming his failures on hooligans, spoiled fans in the city, and a weak league. Let's try to dismantle those excuses, one by one...