"Zero degrees, zero goals"

Turned up on a freezing night in March 2011 to watch Dinamo Zagreb draw nil-nil with Slaven Belupo. The cold was a discomforting but rain would have been worse as there is no roof on any of the four sides. The home side played an attractive passing game, a 4-2-3-1 line-up, they had a goal disallowed and hit the crossbar twice, but couldn't make the breakthough. The match became scrappier in the second half, and at the final whistle a few of the visiting players celebrated the draw like a victory.

Location

Public transport links are excellent across Zagreb, and the ground is within easy walking distance of the centre on the east side of the city.

View

The view of the pitch was perfect. As there is no roof to the stands, there are no supporting pillars to obstruct the view. Small hard moulded-plastic seats are lined along concrete rows. Fans bring along newspapers and sometimes cushions to sit on. Entrepreneurs sell inch-thick blocks on polystyrene at the turnstyles as an alternative.

Facilities

Toilets are provided in the form of individual portaloos. There are no lights inside, which is not ideal for a match kicking-off after 8:00pm.

Food & Drink

Assorted nuts and popcorn from vendors inside the ground.

Police & Stewards

Highly visible police presence outside the ground supervised a very small, very docile crowd that didn't seem to include any away supporters.

Atmosphere

A tiny crowd scattered around all four sides of the ground, rarely generating any noise. It was possible to sit thirty metres from the pitch and hear the players talking. A poor effort.

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