Dinamo is holding a public forum on the new stadium, at which club president Zvonimir Boban will participate. The club has announced that the forum will take place next week, with the exact date to be announced soon. Dinamo fans and all interested parties will be able to share their views and questions about the new stadium directly with the club's management.
A design for the new Maksimir was presented at the event. The first prize was awarded to the VG13 Architects Studio Associato, with the design by architects Tommaso Fantini and Alberto Rossi. The initial public reaction to the winning design has been very negative.
Boban commented on the character of the new stadium at the presentation. "We will not be presented with a huge cruise ship, nor will a glowing flying ship land here," he said. He added that the structure would deeply reflect the urban culture of the city.
According to Boban, the structure respects the history and tradition of the Maksimir stadium, and in a way, protects the identity and spirit of Dinamo and its fans. "We are particularly proud of this," he stated. "I believe this work can be understood as a futuristic Maksimir."
He also reflected on his own experience. "The experts have already spoken, and I can speak from a football perspective," said Boban. "I have seen many stadiums in my life, some I have played in, and I have practically lived in this old Maksimir, loving it so much. The new structure is described as an extremely powerful and mighty structure."
Speaking about the experience on the pitch, Boban said that opposing teams would feel a great sense of respect, or rather awe, when entering the stadium. "When I imagine stepping onto the pitch, with the verticality and the maximum inclination of the stands, their proximity, the energy and the special nature of each stand, I see all that made the old Maksimah what it was," he added.
"I think the energy at that stadium will be incredible, it is hard to describe at all. And good for us," Boban concluded.
