This is a list of all seasons played by GNK Dinamo Zagreb in national and European football, from the foundation of the club in June 1945 to the most recent completed season. The club spent its entire existence playing top-flight football (from 1946 to 1991 in the Yugoslav First League, from 1991 onwards in the Prva HNL).
This list details the club's achievements in all major competitions, and the top scorers for each season (note that only goals scored in league matches are taken into account). Players in bold were also top league scorers that season.
Seasons 1946–1991 Following the club's formation as the municipal multi-sports club (Fizkulturno društvo) FD Dinamo in June 1945, the club's first competitive success was winning the first post-war Zagreb municipal championship held in January–February 1946, and then finishing as runners-up behind Hajduk Split in the SR Croatia regional championship, which doubled as a qualifying tournament for the 1946–47 First Federal League (), the inaugural season of the post-war top football division in Yugoslavia.
Dinamo soon established themselves as one of the "Big Four" of Yugoslav football, along with fellow Croatian side Hajduk Split and the Belgrade-based Partizan and Red Star), a quartet of teams who dominated football in SFR Yugoslavia. Dinamo finished as league runners-up in 1946–47, and then won league titles in 1947–48, 1953–54 and 1957–58.
Dinamo were never relegated from top level until leaving the league at the end of the 1990–91 season, following Croatia's independence. During the Yugoslav era Dinamo won in total four league titles and seven Marshal Tito Cups, the premier cup competition of Yugoslavia. They were also only the third Yugoslav side to play in an UEFA-sponsored competition when they appeared in the 1958–59 European Cup, after Partizan in 1955 and Red Star in 1956.
The club's most successful period in that era was during the 1960s, when they reached six Marshal Tito Cup finals (winning four). However, in spite of good results on the pitch, they failed to clinch a single league title, finishing as runners-up five times in that period. The club also had two successful international campaigns during that era, in the defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, reaching two finals, in 1963 (lost to Valencia) and 1967, losing the former to Spanish club Valencia and winning the latter by beating England's Leeds United 2–0 on aggregate. This remained the only European silverware won by any Yugoslav club for more than two decades, until Red Star's win in the 1990–91 European Cup. Dinamo also participated in various other non-UEFA international tournaments and competitions in this era, including the Mitropa Cup and the Balkans Cup, which they won in June 1976.
Dinamo's second "Golden Age" came in the first half of the 1980s, when Dinamo reached another five cup finals, winning two. More importantly, they also won the elusive league championship title in the 1981–82 season under the guidance of eccentric coach Miroslav Blažević. This was the club's first league triumph in 24 years, a success that they didn't manage to replicate until the end of Yugoslav competitions, although they finished second in 1989–90 and 1990–91, the last two seasons before the country's dissolution. Because of this, the 1981–82 season figures prominently in the club's lore.
In the Yugoslav era three Dinamo players were top league scorers on four occasions: Franjo Wölfl in 1947 and 1948, Dražan Jerković in 1962 (who also went on to become joint top scorer at the 1962 FIFA World Cup that year) and Snješko Cerin in 1982. Cerin went on to become the club's most prolific scorer in this period, with a total of 103 league goals for Dinamo between 1976 and 1986.
The most successful managers were Milan Antolković who led the club to three cup finals (1960, 1963 and 1963 - winning the first two) and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in 1963; and Miroslav Blažević who led the club to the 1981–82 league win and three cup finals (1982, 1983 and 1986 - winning only the 1983 edition). Other trophy-winning managers were the Austrian Karl Mütsch (league title in 1947–48), Bernard Hügl (cup win in 1951), Ivan Jazbinšek (league title in 1953–54), Gustav Lechner (league title in 1957–58), Vlatko Konjevod (cup win in 1965), Ivica Horvat (cup win in 1969) and Vlatko Marković (cup win in 1980).
Key Divisions 1. JSL = First Federal League (1946–1991) 1. HNL = Croatian First Football League (1992–present)
League P = Games played W = Games won D = Games drawn L = Games lost GF = Goals for GA = Goals against Pts = Points Pos = Final position N/A = Not applicable ChampionsRunners-upPromotedRelegated
Cup/Europe PR = Preliminary round PO = Play-off round QR = Qualifying round R1 = Round 1 R2 = Round 2 R3 = Round 3 GS = Group stage LP = League phase QF = Quarter-finals SF = Semi-finals RU = Runners-up W = Winners
SeasonLeagueCupEurope / OtherTop league scorer(s)DivisionPWDLGFGAPtsPosPlayer(s)Goals1946–471. JSL2619438126422ndR2Franjo Wölfl281947–481. JSL1814135620291stSFFranjo Wölfl221948–491. JSL187562925194thR1Franjo Wölfl1119501. JSL189452317224thRUFranjo Wölfl1019511. JSL2216334519352ndWMitropa Cup3rdDionizije Dvornić1119521. JSL168353527194thR1Božidar Senčar91952–531. JSL228683230227thSFDionizije Dvornić91953–541. JSL2619437222421stR2Dionizije Dvornić161954–551. JSL2614665449343rdQFAleksandar Benko161955–561. JSL26124104247284thN/ADražan Jerković91956–571. JSL26106105151265thR2Aleksandar BenkoDražan Jerković101957–581. JSL2615745333371stQFDražan Jerković171958–591. JSL229493528225thQFEuropean CupR1Dražan Jerković71959–601. JSL2214444820322ndWDražan Jerković161960–611. JSL2210753627274thR2Cup Winners' CupSFŽeljko Matuš111961–621. JSL2210573623253rdSFMitropa CupSFDražan Jerković16Inter-Cities Fairs CupR21962–631. JSL2614755235352ndWInter-Cities Fairs CupRUSlaven Zambata161963–641. JSL2612954029333rdRUCup Winners' CupR1Slaven Zambata121964–651. JSL28114133534268thWCup Winners' CupQFRudolf Belin71965–661. JSL3013984935352ndRUCup Winners' CupR1Slaven Zambata191966–671. JSL30151054221402ndR1Mitropa CupQFSlaven Zambata13Inter-Cities Fairs CupW1967–681. JSL30121174533353rdR1Inter-Cities Fairs CupR2Josip Gucmirtl141968–691. JSL3420597533452ndWInter-Cities Fairs CupR1Slaven Zambata151969–701. JSL34131294742386thSFCup Winners' CupQFMarijan Novak101970–711. JSL3417985532433rdSFInter-Cities Fairs CupR3Josip Gucmirtl101971–721. JSL341110134740328thRUUEFA CupR2Slavko Kovačić71972–731. JSL341111123947338thR1Mitropa CupGSFikret Mujkić81973–741. JSL34129133433337thQFCup Winners' CupR1Mario BonićDrago Vabec81974–751. JSL34111673831385thN/AZlatko Kranjčar81975–761. JSL34171073823443rdRUBalkans CupWDrago Vabec191976–771. JSL34151185236412ndR1UEFA CupR2Snješko Cerin141977–781. JSL34121395449374thSFUEFA CupR2Mario Bonić101978–791. JSL3421856738502ndR1Snješko CerinZlatko Kranjčar131979–801. JSL349141143443212thWUEFA CupR1Zlatko Kranjčar141980–811. JSL341211114438355thR2Cup Winners' CupR1Abid Kovačević141981–821. JSL3420956732491stRUSnješko Cerin191982–831. JSL34141555640433rdWEuropean CupR1Zlatko Kranjčar131983–841. JSL341191458513112thSFCup Winners' CupR1Snješko Cerin161984–851. JSL34148124738366thRUSnješko Cerin101985–861. JSL34111495343366thRUBoro Cvetković121986–871. JSL34149114943376thR1Ivan Cvjetković111987–881. JSL34161085536424thR1Haris Škoro141988–891. JSL34169 (2)94229345thQFUEFA CupR2Radmilo Mihajlović91989–901. JSL341611 (8)75325402ndR2UEFA CupPRDavor Šuker121990–911. JSL362010 (6)67236462ndQFUEFA CupR1Davor Šuker22
1992–present Following the 1990–91 Yugoslav First League Croatian clubs abandoned the league amid the breakup of Yugoslavia and joined the present-day Croatian football league system as the country declared independence. Dinamo Zagreb were thus founding members of the Prva HNL (1. HNL). Affected by the ongoing war in Croatia the league's inaugural season was shortened and held over the course of only one calendar year from February to June 1992. During the season the club took part in European competitions on account of qualification secured at the end of the 1990–91 Yugoslav season as Dinamo had finished runners-up in the league and qualified for the 1991–92 UEFA Cup. Due to the ongoing war Croatian clubs had to host their European games abroad so Dinamo played their UEFA Cup first round fixture against Trabzonspor in Klagenfurt, Austria. The following 1992–93 season no Croatian club was allowed to enter European competitions as the Croatian Football Federation, the league's governing body, was not yet recognized by UEFA and officially became its affiliate as late as June 1993.
Amid political turmoil in the early 1990s club's officials began claiming direct lineage to pre-WWII Zagreb-based clubs Građanski Zagreb and HAŠK and in order to reflect this Dinamo were renamed "HAŠK Građanski" in June 1991. They finished fifth in the inaugural 1. HNL season and reached the Croatian Cup final which they lost to minnows Inker Zaprešić. In February 1993 the club were renamed "Croatia Zagreb". They won five league titles and three domestic cups and participated in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stages carrying that name before reverting to "Dinamo Zagreb" in February 2000.
SeasonLeagueCupEuropean competitionsTop league scorer(s)DivisionPWDLGFGAPtsPosPlayer(s)Goals19921. HNL22 11473221265thRUUEFA CupR1Goran Vlaović91992–931. HNL3021728427491stRUGoran Vlaović231993–941. HNL3420869834483rdWChampions LeagueR1Goran Vlaović291994–951. HNL3019745326642ndRUCup Winners' CupR1Igor Pamić101995–961. HNL3221567527681stWIgor Cvitanović191996–971. HNL3026319023811stWUEFA CupQRIgor Cvitanović201997–981. HNL3222737528731stWChampions LeagueQR2Vladimir Petrović11UEFA CupR31998–991. HNL3222555520711stR1Champions LeagueGSEdin Mujčin101999–20001. HNL3323648325751stRUChampions LeagueGSTomo Šokota212000–011. HNL3219857036652ndWChampions LeagueQR3Tomo Šokota20UEFA CupR22001–021. HNL3018575830593rdWUEFA CupR1Dario Zahora142002–031. HNL3225347627781stR2UEFA CupR2Ivica Olić162003–041. HNL3223727725762ndWChampions LeagueQR3Dario Zahora16UEFA CupR22004–051. HNL32121195537477thQFUEFA CupGSIvan BošnjakEduardo da Silva102005–061. HNL3224447821761stR2Ivan Bošnjak222006–071. HNL3330218422921stWChampions LeagueQR3Eduardo da Silva34UEFA CupR12007–081. HNL3326439134821stWChampions LeagueQR3Luka Modrić13UEFA CupGS2008–091. HNL3323557126741stWChampions LeagueQR3Mario Mandžukić16UEFA CupGS2009–101. HNL3018847020621stSFChampions LeagueQR3Mario Mandžukić14Europa League GS2010–111. HNL3022625212721stWChampions LeagueQR3Sammir10Europa LeagueGS2011–121. HNL3023617311751stWChampions LeagueGSFatos Bećiraj152012–131. HNL3324546820771stR2Champions LeagueGSSammir132013–141. HNL3626648326841stRUChampions LeaguePlayoffDuje Čop22Europa LeagueGS2014–151. HNL36261008521881stWChampions LeaguePlayoffÁngelo Henríquez20Europa LeagueGS2015–161. HNL3626736719851stWChampions LeagueGSArmin Hodžić132016–171. HNL3627546824862ndRUChampions LeagueGSEl Arabi Hillel Soudani172017–181. HNL3622776834731stWEuropa LeaguePlayoffEl Arabi Hillel Soudani172018–191. HNL3629527420921stRUChampions LeaguePlayoffBruno Petković10Europa LeagueR162019–201. HNL3625566220801stQFChampions LeagueGSMislav Oršić132020–211. HNL3626738428851stWChampions LeagueQR3Mario Gavranović17Europa LeagueQF2021–221. HNL3624756822791stQFChampions LeaguePlayoffMislav Oršić14Europa LeagueKPO2022–23HNL3624938128811stSFChampions LeagueGSLuka Ivanušec122023–24HNL3625746730821stWChampions LeagueQR3Bruno Petković11Europa LeaguePlayoffConference LeagueR162024–25HNL3619896941652ndQFChampions LeagueLPSandro Kulenović152025–26HNL3627549328861stWEuropa LeagueKPODion Drena Beljo31
Notes Between the 1988–89 and 1990–91 seasons the Yugoslav league employed a rule to hold penalty shoot-outs following tied games, with only the winning team winning a point. Figures in brackets in the drawn games column indicate points won through these penalty kicks.