December 14, 2021 - Dinamo and Sevilla will meet in the Europa League knockout round playoffs in February after the draw was held in Nyon, France, on Monday. 

Dinamo Zagreb will play against Sevilla and Ivan Rakitić in the Europa League round of 16 playoffs. The draw was held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Monday. 

Sevilla will host the first match on February 17, 2022,  and the return match will be played a week later in Zagreb.

After being relegated from the Champions League, Sevilla has hopes to win the Europa League as they will host the final and have been successful in this competition in recent years. Namely, Sevilla won the Europa League in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020.

"We have difficult matches ahead of us, but I hope we will learn something from playing in the Champions League," said former Croatia national team player Ivan Rakitić on Tuesday after being knocked out of the Champions League.

"We will play again in the Europa League, a competition that we are good at and will enjoy," added Rakitić, who is the captain of Sevilla until the injured Jesús Navas returns.

Sevilla is currently the second-placed team in La Liga and will be a tough rival for the Croatian champions, who were threatened by other greats in the draw, such as Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

"What to say about the draw? I am delighted and proud; it will be two big and difficult games. It is nice on the one hand to play against our club, against Dinamo, but also difficult because I have to fight against our club. I would like it better that we see each other in the quarterfinals or semifinals, not now. I am happy to come to Croatia for the first time in the club competition against our club, and it will be exciting in any case," said Rakitić after the draw. 

"We will have to play our best football, quite clearly, because Dinamo is a great European team that knows how to play such games. I know them very well; there will certainly be a lot of conversations with the coach and the club about the game; I am happy to come home and play at my Maksimir. It will be nice, but also strange, for the first time as a guest, but it will be a very nice and emotional experience for sure."

He was asked what kind of welcome he expects at Maksimir as a former national team player.

"Let it be however they want it to be. I hope for a very nice and good welcome; everyone knows how much Croatia, our football and our clubs mean to me. That is why I am very sorry that I have to fight against Dinamo. I can't wait to be home again, in Zagreb and Maksimir, and I believe that everything will be good and positive; I can't wait for the game."

The most exciting playoff pair is Barcelona and Napoli, and Dani Olmo and his RB Leipzig will play against Real Sociedad.

The Croatian champion is among 16 clubs in the second round of the Europa League. The winners of the groups Lyon, Monaco, Spartak, Eintracht, Galatasaray, Red Star, Bayer Leverkusen, and West Ham won a direct place in the round of 16. At the same time, eight second-placed teams (Dinamo, Rangers, Sociedad, Napoli, Olympiakos, Lazio, Braga, and Betis) play in the playoffs against third-placed teams from Champions League groups, namely Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig, Porto, Atalanta, Sevilla, and Zenik St. Petersburg.

EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF DRAW (ROUND OF 16):
SEVILLA - DINAMO

ATALANTA - OLYMPIAKOS

RB LEIPZIG - REAL SOCIEDAD

BARCELONA - NAPOLI

ZENIT ST. PETERSBURG - REAL BETIS

BORUSSIA DORTMUND - RANGERS

SHERIFF - BRAGA

PORTO - LAZIO

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 14, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Ryanair Dublin-Zagreb flights have been boosted around the holidays, and Russian carrier S7 will connect Moscow and Zagreb in January next year.

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has launched additional flights between Zagreb and Dublin, reports Croatian Aviation.

The Dublin-Zagreb line was introduced earlier this month when Ryanair also based its third A320 at Zagreb Airport. The airline currently operates on this line three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and additional flights have been announced on Wednesdays around Christmas and New Year.

Ryanair will increase the number of weekly rotations between the two cities from February 4 to March 25 next year, when it will operate on this line four times a week. In addition to the mentioned flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, flights are also introduced on Fridays, which is great for those who want to travel to Dublin (or Zagreb) only on weekends.

In the two months mentioned, Ryanair will offer a total of 12,240 seats on 34 return flights between Zagreb and Dublin. The new flights on Friday will generate nearly 3,000 extra seats.

Croatia Airlines also operates between Zagreb and Dublin, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, until January 30 next year.

Croatian Aviation also reports that S7 Airlines will launch a new route between Moscow and Zagreb in January next year.

S7 Airlines operates between Moscow, Pula, Zadar, and Split in the summer flight schedule, and from January next year, regular flights to Zagreb International Airport have been announced.

The airline has confirmed to Croatian Aviation that it will operate between Moscow and Zagreb from January 23, 2022, once a week, every Sunday, until the end of March, i.e., the winter flight schedule. 

A320 aircraft have been announced on the flights between Domodedovo Airport and Zagreb, which have a capacity of 174 seats. For the 9 announced rotations from January, S7 will offer a total of 3,132 seats between Moscow and Zagreb.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

December 14, 2021 - Slobodan Kadić, a longtime associate of Total Croatia News, journalist, and sports photojournalist, was awarded the prestigious Marco Polo prize of Croatian FIJET, the World Association of Travel Journalists and Tourism Writers.

The "Marco Polo - famous travel writer" - awards ceremony was held at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, in the presence of many guests from Croatia and abroad. Slobodan Kadić was awarded the plaque this year, displaying the image of Marco Polo for a lasting and quality contribution to tourist attractions and unknown gems of Croatian tourism through publications and reports.

"The most valuable and sweetest are the awards given to you by the experts. They remain forever written and are also a new incentive for further work. It is a great honor to stand alongside top travel writers, directors, writers, and journalists from the entire region, from Ante Gavranović to Goran Milić, Šime Strikoman, Željko Žutelija, Tina Eterović Čubrilo, Željko Marušić, Darijo Novalić, and Đorđe Mihajlović," said Kadić, who is diligently working on his book Putničke Svaštarije which will contain most of the columns he has published in Glas Slavonije over the years.

The grand prize, the Marco Polo statue, was received by Željko Žutelija for the book My Zagreb, the most beautiful city in the world, and a personal contribution to the high standards of tourism journalism. The FIJET Tolerance Award was given to Hasan Haidar Diab, a journalist from Večernji list, who, through his long-standing publications, contributes to understanding diversity and breaking down prejudices about other peoples and cultures.

Plaques were also awarded to Petra Somek and the magazine Meridijani for educational reports and travelogues from all over Croatia, top authorial publications and photographs, but also Paula and Đelo Jusić for the series Fairytale Croatia, Željko Marušić for the long-lived show Željko Marušić and guests, Denis Mahmutović for a series of reports published in 24 Sata and Vladimir Kumbrija for his contribution to shows on tourism on the first program of Croatian Radio.

Special awards for reports and new trends were presented to Radio Sljeme, Mario Pušić (KA portal), and the Radio Student Association. Letters of thanks from FIJET Croatia were awarded to Vojko Pleština (Split), director of the International Tourist Film Festival in Solin, for the partnership in implementing the "Marco Polo" project, and Ivica Krizmanić Max, director of the Esplanade Hotel. Special thanks went to President Tina Eterović Čubrila, Vice President of the FIJET World Association - on the 15th anniversary of FIJET Croatia. The FIJET grant was presented to the City of Korčula, and it is an original statue of Marco Polo, the work of sculptor Luja Lozica, which will be placed in the City Museum. The members of the Jury of this year's FIJET awards were President Ante Gavranović and members Jadranka Rilović (Croatian Radio, 2nd program) and Hrvoje Zovko, President of the Croatian Journalists' Association.

Croatian FIJET was founded in 1964 in Makarska and renewed in 1990 when Croatia became independent. 

"There were ten of us, then seven with President Drago Ferenčić, who retired in 1996. I was the only one left, and I was persistent. Finally, I turned to Marijana Rebić, with whom I successfully collaborated as a journalist at the Atlas agency and later at Croatia Airlines. With the hope that she would agree to become a secretary, she said "yes." We have grown, been persistent, and encouraged other national associations with our activities, of which there are now about fifty, and there are more and more young people among us," said Tina Eterović Čubrilo, recalling the unforgettable moments of FIJET Croatia.

For more on travel in Split, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

December the 14th, 2021 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health (CNIPH) has published an interactive map of the Croatian vaccination rate, which we wrote about not long ago. It has now been updated with the latest vaccination data from across the country.

As Russian tourists fly into the country on special flights solely to get vaccinated with a vaccine that is recognised by the European Union (EU) and most likely to get their hands on the much desired EU covid certificate, the situation with the domicile population hasn't really been all that impressive when it comes to vaccination. Mass vaccination points have been set up in many locations nationwide, but some are still lagging.

The new rules surrounding Croatian covid certificates, the arrival of the Omicron variant and Croatia's recently high infection and death rate appears, however, to have pushed more to get vaccinated.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Institute of Public Health has published an updated version of the interactive Croatian vaccination rate map for the country's cities, municipalities and counties. Municipalities with a lower percentage of vaccinated residents are marked in the dark red shades.

The lighter shades of orange and yellow are those that have a slightly higher vaccination rate, and now most of the country's municipalities are in this group.

The bold orange colour represents a vaccination rate of 30 to 39 percent and a slightly lighter shade of orange represents a Croatian vaccination rate of 40 to 49 percent.

The yellow colour marks out the locations in which 50 to 59 percent of the population is vaccinated.

You can see view the updated version of the interactive Croatian vaccination rate map by clicking here.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including testing centre and vaccination point locations, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

December the 14th, 2021 - Croatian residents are obliged to wear masks on public transport and when inside enclosed spaces. This has always been asked of the public long before the arrival of the vaccine and the advent of EU covid certificates. Despite it being only a small ask, 1500 Croatian residents have been fined for not doing so.

The Croatian epidemiological measures put in place to try to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which made its first appearance in Croatia back in the February of 2020, have always been extremely mild in comparison to other countries across Europe.

In comparison to the likes of the United Kingdom, which, until the arrival of the new Omicron variant, had dropped more or less all of its measures, and Austria, which is set to make vaccination against the novel coronavirus mandatory, the Republic of Croatia's residents have fared quite well.

As Croatian residents are now being asked to do much more than simply wear a mask when being close to others, including needing to present a valid EU covid certificate in order to enter social care and healthcare facilities, as well as public and state administration buildings, it isn't surprising that there have been fines issued to those who have an issue with the oldest requirement of the pandemic - mask wearing.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, ever since the introduction of the obligation to wear masks indoors and when using public transport in Croatia, a requirement which came in a little over a year ago, a fine of 500 kuna had to be paid by just under 1,500 Croatian residents. Twice as many people have had to be verbally warned for not wearing a mask.

Recommendations for those using public transport have been in force since last year. “It would be ideal for people to be able to keep distance of one or two metres between each other, for passengers to try to sit in a sort of zigzagging fashion. That there is one passenger in each row, that about 40 percent of the capacity is filled and that everyone wears their masks properly. I would recommend FPP2 masks because they are much better. Covid passports are not being checked, they aren't obligatory for people travelling on public transport, but it would be ideal for them to be used,'' believes Dijana Mayer, an epidemiologist working at the the Croatian Institute of Public Health, who said the above in conversation with RTL.

While anyone who has ever used a tram during rush hour in the City of Zagreb will know very well that the above request is all but totally impossible to achieve, it leaves the question of Croatia potentially following the example of several other countries as far as EU covid certificates are concerned and widening their use.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

December the 14th, 2021 - The Valamar scholarship programme for students has been continuing throughout 2021. As the largest individual scholarship holder in Croatia, Valamar Riviera has been offering numerous opportunities for scholarships, internships and first jobs this year as well.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, the giant Croatian hotel company Valamar Riviera is offers students of tourism and hospitality the chance to get into the profession as chefs, waiters, pastry chefs and tourism and hotel commercialism in a scholarship programme worth 2,000 kuna per month during the school year for a period of ten months.

The Valamar scholarship programme is provided to students through a partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. In Valamar's many hotels, camps and resorts, students have the opportunity to gain work experience, and after completing their education, they are provided with their first work positions.

It's worth noting that Valamar Riviera is one of the leading Croatian tourist companies that manages hotels, resorts and camping resorts in well-known tourist destinations from Istria, the islands of Krk, Rab and Hvar to Makarska and Dubrovnik and Obertauern in Austria.

"Today, Valamar Riviera is the largest individual partner of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, which we're extremely proud of. By nurturing this form of partnership, we're contributing to the encouragement of young people to enroll in deficient occupations in the hotel industry.

In addition, our scholarship holders have the opportunity to gain their first work experience, practical knowledge and get better acquainted with all of the latest trends in the tourism and hospitality industry in Croatia. This approach connects Valamar as an employer with secondary vocational and hospitality schools throughout Croatia and raises the overall quality of Croatian tourism, as well as the level of competencies and skills of employees in the hospitality and tourism industry,'' they explained from Valamar.

It is the obligation of all scholarship holders to attend classes regularly during their time there, enroll in the school year and graduate as normal. Scholars who come from other destinations are provided with accommodation and meals by Valamar at the expense of the employer when undertaking the Valamar scholarship programme.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

December the 14th, 2021 - A Croatian student team has put agricultural waste to good use and created a vegan cake from it. The Not Your Ordinary Cookie team has created the ''Zdravko'' vegan delight, and it's likely to win many over.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, Dora Senjug, Virna Klara Tus and Dora Vlahovic from the Faculty of Food Technology, Fran Duspara from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry and Hrvoje Magas from the Design of Visual Communications in Split make up the Not Your Ordinary Cookie team whi have come up with ''Zdravko''.

To speak more specifically, Zdravko is made with the addition of potato peel powder and industrial hemp seeds, and then stuffed with dried figs and carob. It is completely of plant origin, without any added sugar, and is characterised by a high content of dietary fiber and minerals desirable for a balanced diet.

"Our goal was to support Croatian farmers and family farms, so we got all the food we could get from them. We made sure that potential suppliers have a certificate of organic farming, ie they do not use pesticides,'' this Croatian student team explained.

They say they have seen the potential in the use of agrowaste, or by-products of processing various crops that are often thrown away, despite the high content of bioactive components such as vitamins, fiber minerals and antioxidants.

"We agreed that potato peelings, but also industrial hemp cake, are exactly what we want to work with because, in addition to being unjustifiably rejected, they're quality foods rich in fiber and minerals that have a positive effect on human health. Hemp bread has already started appearing on store shelves, but potato peelings also have undiscovered potential. Sustainability is an imperative of the modern food industry that we must turn to as soon as possible.

Apart from the fact that the by-products of the production of some crops can be put into other functional food products, as well as their individual components, they can also be used in other industries. For example, the peel of characteristically coloured fruits and vegetables is often discarded, and the pigments extracted from them have the potential to be used in the textile industry. Before we turn to synthetic substances, we might be surprised if we properly study the natural alternatives that we actually handle every day and often end up, unfortunately - in the bin,'' the Croatian student team emphasised.

Just how impressive and innovative their products are has been well and truly confirmed by them winning first place in the competition of student teams called Ecotrophelia Croatia 2021 which was held back in June at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb, which aims to encourage student creativity, innovation, interdisciplinarity and the promotion of food products on the demanding and fast-paced European market.

The Croatian student team is proud of them having won first place, because this is a kind of business incubator for eco-innovative food products, which included designing and preparing the product, thoroughly processing and explaining all of the nutritional qualities, devising the entire technical-technological plan (balance sheets, the design of the plant, and all associated devices), and developing a full and functional financial and marketing plan.

The European version was supposed to take place in Cologne in October, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers opted for an online form of competition this year as well. They won the 4th place back at that time, which is allegedly the highest place ever won by any Croatian team. In addition, they consider it a great success because they financed the project from their own, student pockets.

"We'd like to thank all those who helped up in the realisation of the Zdravko cake from the bottom of our hearts. It would be really nice to see our product on store shelves. Precisely because of the product itself and the affordability of the price we'd offer, we believe that customers would be quick to recognise the quality of Zdravko. We're researching options, there are many factors to consider - from the establishment of a company, all of the technological requirements and the like. We certainly hope that someone will see our potential, as well as the potential of our product, and that we'll manage to reach a common goal through cooperation and mentoring. Until then, of course, we'll do our best to be noticed. We hope that our example will motivate others to try to realise their ideas and projects, because the experience gained teaches you so much and no one can take it away from you. Who knows what kind of doors can be opened on the way,'' concluded this Croatian student team.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

TCN joins a merry band of digital nomads on a tour of Zagreb County, discovering some of the fine things the region has to offer

Digital nomads residing in Zagreb got together to recap the year at the Zagreb Digital Nomad Jolly WrapUp event that took place last week.

After the opening night hangout and the panel that followed the next day, a merry band of digital nomads set off on tour of Zagreb County on Saturday, December 11th. Sure, Advent in Zagreb might be the star of the show, but there’s plenty to see and do around the Croatian capital: the plan for the day promised nice views, cake, dinner and wine. Of course we tagged along - to the bus we go!

It took a whole five minutes for the sleepy crowd to perk up thanks to James who ingeniously brought along three bottles of rakija, all different kinds at that. Many thanks, kind sir! The goods were generously passed around the bus and we quickly got to chatting - it was looking out to be a jolly good trip indeed.

First stop - Medvedgrad, a 13th century castle perched on the southern slope of Medvednica mountain. The medieval fortress solemnly stands guard over the city of Zagreb, offering a spectacular view over the capital and its surroundings.

Left to ruin for hundreds of years, the castle was restored a few decades ago, with the most recent addition being an educational visitor centre completed in 2020. By a stroke of luck, Medvedgrad suffered no damage in the devastating earthquakes that hit the area last year.

The new visitor centre is a work of art - more on that coming soon in a separate feature. Housed in the south tower and two palaces, several sleek exhibits unveil the secrets of Medvedgrad: medieval history, legends and mysteries, nature and wildlife, all superbly presented through a series of interactive displays. We had loads of fun exploring the castle grounds and admired the winter landscape from the top of the tower. 

On to Samobor, a charming little town located a 10 minute drive from the city of Zagreb. The town is known for the lively traditional carnival (Fašnik) that takes place in February, but also for its artisans and craftspeople manufacturing various goods and souvenirs such as the licitar hearts.

It was too cold a day for any ambitious sightseeing and we were perfectly happy to get acquainted with our destination in a different way: feasting on kremšnita, the iconic custard cream cake Samobor is famous for.

We gathered at the Livadić cafe on the main square for a generous serving of kremšnita and coffee to warm up before the last leg of the tour.

And what a finale it was: an early dinner and wine tasting at the Jagunić winery, a family-run establishment and part of the wine road on Plešivica hill. We got there just in time to see the sun set over the rolling hills - quite a scenic backdrop even in the middle of December, and I can only imagine how sublime the view gets in spring when the entire landscape is in bloom.

It was evident how much love and care goes into everything the Jagunić family does, from grape growing and winemaking to hosting guests in their restaurant. We got a taste of the region’s traditional cuisine with a wonderful four course meal, each course paired with a different Jagunić wine.

The family predominantly produces sparkling wines, as well as whites and amber orange wines. They’re made from several grape varieties grown in their own vineyards. As our host explained during his warm welcome speech, their approach to winemaking starts with the soil and ends at the table; they control every step of the process.

Genuine hospitality and a superb eno-gastro experience. It’s a spot not to miss - pair it with a visit to Samobor or the nearby Jastrebarsko town and you have yourself a fantastic day trip. We certainly enjoyed discovering some of the fine things Zagreb County has to offer - thanks for having us, and until next time!