Former Halilhodzic Favorite Lands in Croatia After Hungarian Stint
After a few seasons in Hungary, a once-preferred choice under Vahid Halilhodzic has made a move to Croatia. Following three and a half seasons with Ferencvaros, where he amassed 103 appearances, scored six goals, and provided four assists, a former member of the Atlas Lions has crossed the Hungarian border. Samy Mmaee, the player in question, joins Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb as a free agent.
The seven-time reigning Croatian champions publicly announced the acquisition of the 27-year-old central defender (28 in September) through their social media channels. The Moroccan international, who has earned 10 caps, has signed a four-season contract that ties him to the Modri until 2028.
“I am thrilled to become a Dinamo player. I understand this is a step forward in my professional career, and my goals are clear and simple: to win the league title, compete in the Champions League, gain as many points as possible, and advance as far as we can in Europe,” Mmaee stated in his first interview with the Zagreb-based club.
Samy Mmaee arrives with an impressive record, having won four consecutive Hungarian league titles and a cup victory in 2022. This move to Croatia follows his stints in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Hungary.
Born in Halle, Mmaee has been capped 10 times by Morocco but has not been called up since September 2022, which marked the first gathering under new coach Walid Regragui after his appointment a month earlier. While Mmaee was a regular under Halilhodzic, the tenacious defender found himself relegated to the bench under Regragui, watching from the sidelines in Morocco’s friendly matches against Chile (2-0) and Paraguay (0-0).