This is a video about the golden generation of NK Dinamo Zagreb. The generation of 1967, UEFA Fairs cup (since 1971 called just UEFA cup)winners, was the greatest Dinamo Zagreb generation ever. Altought Dinamo were national champions and cup winners many times, more than any croatian club, they have won only one european trophy, the UEFA Fairs cup against Leeds United FC in 1967.
"Dinamo from Zagreb was the only Croatian club that won the European Championship. After they had lost the finals Vs Valentia (1:2 and 0:2), the players: Škorić, Belin, Braun, Bišćan, Marković, Perušić, Kobešćak, Zambata, Knez, Matuž, Lamza with the coaches Branko Zebec and Ivica Horvat played their "rhapsody in blue" and won The Major Cities Championship on 6th September, 1967. ( also known as Uefa Cup from 1971.)
It was the season of brilliant scores. Zambata scored and Dinamo won Milan (Schnellinger, Rivers, Amarillo, Sormani) in the finals of the Middleeuropean Championship in November 1966. In Februarry 1967., Zambata scored again and Dinamo won the friendly game Vs Celtic (1:0) in Glasgow in front of 65000 Scots (this very Celtic became European Champion only four months later). After that, "the blue team" broke Juventus (3:0) in the quarter finals of The Major Cities Championship, as well as in semifinals where they beat Eintracht (4:0) and triumphantly won the finals Vs Leeds United (2:0). "The old lady" could barely get out of scrape in Torino. The team from Zagreb was leading 2:1 with two scores of Jukić. The result was confirmed in semifinals by scores of Novak (4th minute), Mesić (66th minute) and Belin (75th minute); thus giving the hard blow to Juventus on the European football scene.
Eintracht from Frankfurt was leading 2:0 already after the first two minutes of the semifinal match on the Wald Stadium, and came to Maximir with 3:0 advantage. There, the team, that held the fourth position in the German National Leaque, met catastrophe. Slaven Zambata and Marijan Novak scored in the 14th and 16th minute and the dream about the finals came true. In the 87th minute Josip Gucmirtl brought the overtime, and Rudi Belin, after knocking down of Stjepan Lamza, scored with penalty kick the result of 4:0in the 102nd minute. This triumph over Eintracht was realized by: Škorić, Blaškov, Brnčić, Mesić, Belin, Ramljak, Novak, Gucmirtl, Zambata, Lamza I Rora on 14th June, 1967.
The great Leeds United was also beaten in the finals with Sprake, Bremner, Gray, O'Grady and Jackie Charlton. Marijan Čerček, the young 19-year old player, outwitted Sprake and Charlton in 39th minute and Krasnodar Rora scored next one in the 59th minute. It was on 30th August, 1967. The score in the re-match was 0:0 and Leeds, even on his own terrain, wasn't able to break the "blue defense" with Zlatko Škorić, Mladen Ramljak and Filip Blašković...
Sir Stanley Rous, the president of FIFA, handed the Cup to Slaven Zambata, the captain and the best scorer of the Blue club... Zagreb was celebrating..." - Official NKDZ pages
