Dinamo Zagreb and company

While in Europe Dinamo Zagreb haven't exactly set the world alight, within the borders of Croatia the club have been utterly dominant in the past decade. In fact they did have a period of dominance in the nineties when between 1995-96 to 1999-00 they won every league title on offer. After that came a period where other clubs stepped up to the title challenge. Dinamo in the following five years would only win one title (2002-03). Arch-rivals Hajduk Split won three titles while amazingly NK Zagreb managed to secure a title against the odds in 2001-02.

Dinamo's title win in 2005-06 was to be the beginning of their dominance that has rarely since been challenged. Dinamo have won every single Prva Liga title since with every title win offering them the chance to move onto the champions league stage where the money on offer has cemented their place at the very pinnacle of Croatian football.  They haven't threatened to qualify for the last 16 in the champions league as the step up between domestic duty and continental has been tricky. This season they did beat Arsenal at home but have lost all their other games and are unlikely to continue their European campaign beyond Christmas.  
While they have been dominant the club have produced some of Croatia's top players with current Real Madrid pair Luka Modrić and Matteo Kovačić as well as former Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva and current Barcelona starlet Allen Halilović and going further back the famous Zvonimir Boban. The list is pretty impressive and arguably one of the finest produces of talent in the Balkans. The regular selling of this talent has bought in millions in transfer fees which goes back into the academy system and keeping the first time up to standard. 

Dinamo are curently on nine league titles in a row and in that time have secured the double (league and national cup) on six occasions. Not once in that time have they been given a run for their money...until now. 

Over the past two-three seasons a third force in Croatia if you like has risen on the coastal city of Rijeka, assuming that Dinamo are the first and Hajduk Split are the second force. Rijeka broke into the group stages of the Europa League in 2013-14 but couldn't manage any better than last place in the group. The following season they again made the group stage of the Europa League which bought it's own share of decent money through performances. On this occasion they managed to finish 3rd in the group. That money from their impressive European runs have given them the finance to make a push to be the second force. Hajduk Split have traditionally been the 2nd force but haven't finished in the top two in the league since 2011-12 in which time Rijeka have risen. 

Above is the current Prva Liga table. Rijeka have started brilliantly and are still unbeaten going into this weekend's games. Also good to see is Hajduk Split in the mix as well three points behind Rijeka and it certainly has been a more competitive league this season than it's been for a decade. 

While Dinamo Zagreb have stuttered its given both Hajduk and Rijeka the impetus to actually mount a challenge. Yes Champions league aspirations have probably played their part in Dinamo's stuttering season so far but to see someone else at the top does mix it up a bit. 

Rijeka this season were eliminated from the Europa league in the 2nd qualfiying round by no other than Aberdeen so haven't had the same number of fixtures Dinamo have had. Dinamo have one final champions league game remaining at home to Bayern Munich while the league reaches its mid-winter break of two months not long after that game. 

It would be great to see Rijeka claim a first league title and for Hajduk to stay in the mix come the end of the season but don't count against Dinamo gunning for 10-in-a-row.