Croatia (and former Yugoslavia for that matter) was interesting until the late 80s. The trick was that it was illegal to leave the country to play a sport professionally until the age of 27, which is why there was some sustained success in Europe (Dinamo's UEFA Cup win in the 60s and the runner up. FK Crvena Zvezda's Champions League win). So, the key players which Dinamo, Hajduk, Partizan, Zvezda, and Sarajevo normally sell... well... they didn't.
This produced one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, perhaps of all time. In 40 years, there were 7 different champions... It also produced so many rivalries in the top flight alone that it was absurd. Hajduk alone had 4 major rivalries... not to mention Dinamo and whatnot.
Now, in real life, Dinamo are essentially buying the title (no offense intended) but with it comes a big stagnation in Zagreb. The last title that Dinamo celebrated was won in front of an empty home stadium, and, in FM, Maksimir averages a little over 2 000 fans for a 35 000 capacity stadium. This is, if anything... optimistic. So, while Dinamo wins every title in the book (except the cup... they can't seem to fix win that), Hajduk has a much larger support, attracting 20 000 people for even the smallest of opposition. This is Dinamo's largest problem. Because, while it may be easy to win the title, the average attendance will take YEARS to fix
Thought I'd provide a bit more background. Best of luck
This produced one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, perhaps of all time. In 40 years, there were 7 different champions... It also produced so many rivalries in the top flight alone that it was absurd. Hajduk alone had 4 major rivalries... not to mention Dinamo and whatnot.
Now, in real life, Dinamo are essentially buying the title (no offense intended) but with it comes a big stagnation in Zagreb. The last title that Dinamo celebrated was won in front of an empty home stadium, and, in FM, Maksimir averages a little over 2 000 fans for a 35 000 capacity stadium. This is, if anything... optimistic. So, while Dinamo wins every title in the book (except the cup... they can't seem to fix win that), Hajduk has a much larger support, attracting 20 000 people for even the smallest of opposition. This is Dinamo's largest problem. Because, while it may be easy to win the title, the average attendance will take YEARS to fix
Thought I'd provide a bit more background. Best of luck
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