Zagreb convincing in preparation, the championship opens two former champions of Europe, and in a remarkable time

Zagreb has demonstrated strong preparation ahead of the new season, with two former European champions set to open the competition in a notable match. The team returned from Macedonia after a successful international preparatory tournament in Ohrid, where they defeated Vojvodina, the Egyptian under-20 national team, and drew with the host city. They also secured third place by beating Trimo Trebnje. In addition, Zagreb performed well during the Fresh Corner Cup 2026 in Hungary, finishing second after losing in the final to Kielce. These results have served as a solid foundation for their upcoming official matches. The latest friendly game saw Zagreb defeat Dugo Selo 33–25, with Manuel Štrlek emerging as the top performer with five points. Other key contributors included Diano Neris Ćeško and Giorgi Tskhovrebadze, both scoring four points each. This victory marked the culmination of their preparations before the start of the league season. Zagreb’s roster has been strengthened this season with the arrival of several notable players. Marko Mamić joined from German Bundesliga side Leipzig, while Manuel Štrlek, a former national team player and club legend, returned. Slovenian goalkeeper Urh Kastelic, who had previously played for teams in Germany, has also rejoined. New additions include Zlatko Raužan, Matvej Barbašinski from Belarus, Russian Gleb Kalaraš from Hungarian Pick Szeged, and young Serbian talent Jovica Nikolić. Diano Neris Ćeško, a central defender, came from the old Zagreb academy, Izviđač from Ljubušk. The existing core of the squad includes Haris Suljević, Sandro Meštrić, Ihar Bialiauski, Ivano Pavlović, Davor Gavrić, Igor Karačić, Giorgi Tskhovrebadze, Abdelrahman Abdou, Stanislau Sadouski, and new captain Filip Glavaš. Whether this depth will translate into success remains to be seen. While home games are expected to be manageable, especially within Group A of the domestic league, which includes Bjelovar, Nexe, Dugo Selo, Poreč, Rudar, Bjelin Spačva, and Ardiaei, the real test comes with the European competitions. In the new format of the Champions League, Zagreb is grouped with Paris Saint-Germain, Aalborg, and Celje. Their European campaign begins with hosting Celje at their stadium on September 9th. The team's new coach, Hrvoje Horvat, a former Croatian national team selector, expressed satisfaction with the pre-season performances. He is particularly optimistic about the upcoming official match against his hometown team, Bjelovar, which will take place on September 5th. The match is scheduled to begin at 19:14 local time, marking a symbolic moment as it echoes the 1972 European Cup final where the previous Bjelovar team, known as Partizan, won 19–14 against Gummersbach. During ten preparatory matches, Zagreb recorded eight wins, one draw, and one loss. However, these results were just warm-ups for the challenges that lie ahead. The team will now face the demands of the domestic and European seasons, with the first official match serving as a crucial step toward achieving their goals.