Dinamo bid goodbye to Zajec
Monday, August 9, 2010
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Velimir Zajec's short tenure back at NK Dinamo Zagreb has ended after he paid the price for a lacklustre start to the season underlined by their UEFA Champions League elimination.
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Velimir Zajec has parted company with NK Dinamo Zagreb following the Croatian titleholders' failure to reach the UEFA Champions League play-offs.
Former Portsmouth FC and Panathinaikos FC manager Zajec only returned at the end of May to the club he had already served previously as both player and coach but he struggled to make an impact. A 1-1 draw at NK Varaždin on Saturday left Dinamo with four points from three domestic outings this season, but it was their disappointment in Europe that weighed more heavily after they failed to realise the promise of a 5-1 second qualifying round victory over FC Koper.
Dinamo Zagreb eventually scraped through that tie after losing the second leg 3-0 in Slovenia but they could not find a way past Moldova's FC Sheriff last week, losing 6-5 on penalties after two 1-1 draws. Their consolation is a place in the UEFA Europa League play-offs against Győri ETO FC of Hungary, with the first leg on 19 August. The club hope to have found a replacement for Zajec by then.
