Arijan Ademi allegedly 'acted' injured so Pero Sučić would get more minutes, says Dino Perić
Perić says Ademi sometimes 'acted' injured to help Pero Sučić gain match minutes and praises the captain’s influence.
Former Dinamo Zagreb defender Dino Perić has praised Arijan Ademi’s character, saying the long-time midfielder occasionally pretended to be injured so a younger teammate would get more playing time.
Speaking about Ademi, Perić said he had avoided talking about it earlier because he wasn’t sure how Ademi would react, but then added that Ademi “used to say he was injured so Pero Sučić could play. He ‘acted’ injured just so Sučić would get more minutes. Because he recognized what a talent he was.”
Respect inside the dressing room
Perić underlined that Ademi’s influence went beyond the pitch: “That’s the captain. Those players from that ‘smoking room’… Not so long ago some said those guys would bother Mario Kovačević, and I guarantee with my life that those players would have helped him more than he could imagine. Aki, Rile (Stefan Ristovski), Bruno, Pjaca… Aki had the power to do what he wanted. And that’s because everyone knew he would never do anything against Dinamo.”
The comments highlight how teammates and club figures remember Ademi not only for his sporting contribution but also for personal gestures that boosted younger players’ opportunities at Dinamo Zagreb.
Photo: press material from the event
