Philippines' Paul Tabinas signs for Croatian giant Dinamo Zagreb

Paul Tabinas became the newest addition to Dinamo Zagreb's backline as they aim to reclaim their throne in Croatia's top-flight league in the 2025-2026 season. (Photo: Dinamo Zagreb/Instagram)

Filipino defender Paul Tabinas signed for Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb ahead of the second half of the 2025-2026 season, the club announced on social media on Thursday, January 15.

Multiple Croatian news outlets reported that Dinamo paid a fee of €50,000 or P3.46 million to Vukovar 1991, Tabinas’ former club, for the service of the 23-year-old right-back, whose contract expired at the end of 2025.

“This is a big day for me, I'm really happy. I've been in Croatia for almost three years now, and it's a special pleasure for me to play for the best Croatian club. I'll give it everything I've got to help the team, to pick up points and to achieve the best possible results,” said Tabinas, per Dinamo on X.

The Filipino-Ghanian added that he will bring his “Japanese mentality” to the 25-time Croatian title holders, who aim to reclaim the Prva HNL crown they lost to HNK Rijeka in the 2024-2025 season.

“I was born and raised in Japan. I think I have a Japanese mentality, which means I'll work extremely hard. I know it'll be challenging, but I'll fight for my place and for the success of the whole team,” said Tabinas, whose mother is a Filipino.

The Shinjuku native chose to represent the Philippines internationally despite also being eligible to play for Ghana, joining his older brother Jefferson Tabinas. He made his debut in a 1-0 friendly loss to Vietnam in late December 2022.

Last season, Tabinas helped Vukovar return to Croatia’s top-flight league after over 20 years. He has made 63 appearances for the club in all competitions since joining them in February 2023, according to Croatian sports newspaper Sportske novosti. Tabinas scored two goals and provided six assists.

In nine matches for his former team this season, he logged 506 minutes.

Dinamo originally planned to bring Tabinas as a free agent during the summer, but changed their plans due to struggles in the right-back position.

It came after Croatian Moris Valincic suffered a metatarsal fracture last October. Manager Mario Kovacevic had already tried “different solutions” with Mateo Lisica, Kevin Theophile-Catherine, Noa Mikic, and Niko Galesic, online news site Tportal said. 

Through the years, right-backs have evolved from merely defensive players to key attacking weapons in modern football, as explained in a Football Guru blog.

“Modern right-backs are expected to seamlessly integrate into attacking phases, requiring a diverse set of skills. You must combine defensive solidity with creative instincts, mastering ball control, accurate crossing, and incisive passing to drive play forward. This transition demands both physical stamina and tactical intelligence, as you constantly switch between shielding your backline and initiating offensive moves,” it said.

Domestically, the Zagreb-based club sits atop the table but is only a point clear of its biggest rival, HNK Hajduk Split.

Dinamo also aims to salvage its UEFA Europa League campaign with two matchdays remaining. Currently 25th in the standings, it must earn favorable results against Romania's FCSB and Denmark's FC Midtjylland to reach the knockout phase playoffs as an unseeded team at the very least.