April 21, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors side made Croatian football history tonight, beating AC Milan 3-1 in the UEFA Youth League semi-final! The young Hajduk side will play in the final on Monday against AZ Alkmaar. 

Hajduk was the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. Tonight, they continued to write history. 

On their way to the UEFA Youth League finals, Hajduk knocked out football giants including Shakhtar, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund.

The UEFA Youth League finals are usually played at the Colovray Sports Center in Nyon, the headquarters of UEFA. This year, due to the extremely high interest of the participating clubs, the games were held at the FC Servette stadium in Geneva.

Earlier today, AZ Alkmaar beat Sporting Lisbon on penalties for a spot in the final. 

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan, Đolonga, Jurić-Petrašilo, Vušković, Š. Hrgović, Pukštas, Kavelj, Skoko, Vrcić, Antunović, Brajković

Milan: Nava, Bozzolan, Nsiala-Makengo, Coubis, Casali, Stalmach, Eletu, Zeroli, Cuenca, El Hilali, Sia

Match report

Both sides played cautiously for the first 15 or so minutes, though Hajduk had better chances. Vrcic just missed a great ball in the box from Pukstas in the 18th minute. Milan finally showed up in the 38th minute and began pressing Hajduk's defense, but Hajduk reacted well with counterattacks. The first half ended 0-0. 

Everything changed in the second half. A quick goal from Vrcic in the 51st minute put Hajduk ahead, followed by a stunning header into the goal by Pukstas in the 69th. Hrgovic made it 3-0 for the Split club just 7 minutes later! 

While the winner was all but confirmed at this point, Milan did find the back of the next in the 83rd minute, and Hajduk goalkeeper Buljan had to make some stellar saves to make sure that didn't happen again. 

With five minutes of stoppage time added, Milan had no luck, and Hajduk advanced to their historic UEFA Youth League final on Monday!  

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 20, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors will play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League final tournament on Friday, April 21, against the young AC Milan side. 

All matches are played at Servette FC stadium in Geneva. Sporting and AZ Alkmaar will play in the first semi-final match, while Hajduk will meet Milan in the second on Friday at 6 pm. 

The Hajduk U19s qualified for the 'Youth Champions League' semi-finals after defeating Borussia Dortmund on penalties at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Milan advanced to the semis with a 2-0 victory against Atletico Madrid.

The young Hajduk side trained at Poljud until Wednesday when UEFA's production team arrived to film a short documentary about their journey to the semi-finals and the Split club itself.

"They will follow the young Hajduk players and their activities from the last training session at Poljud stadium until the departure and landing in Switzerland, where on Friday, they will have the support of over 3,500 fans who have bought tickets for the Hajduk sector," said Index.hr earlier this week. 

Hajduk coach Marijan Budimir took 24 players to compete in the final tournament: Ivan Bosančić, Borna Buljan, Davyd Fesyuk, Niko Đolonga, Mateo Jurić-Petrašilo, Luka Vušković, Boško Jemo, Marko Capan, Mate Antunović, Jere Vrcić, Roko Brajković, Šimun Hrgović, Noa Skoko, Rokas Pukštas, Domagoj Begonja, Tomislav Arković, Duje Reić, Nino Duić, Krešimir Nazor, Niko Pavić, Marin Ćalušić, Mark Hrvojević, Frane Bobanović and Ante Kavelj.

Šimun Hrgović will try to continue a series of excellent games in this elite European competition.

"Our first goal is to get to the final. I have played all the previous Youth Champions League matches, and now we have reached the semi-finals, and we are proud of that. Of course, Milan is a respectable opponent, but we want to finish this," said the young Hajduk player.

Hajduk's assistant coach Zvonimir Milić pointed out that it is an exceptional honor to represent one's club, city, and country on the big stage.

"In two seasons of the Youth Champions League, we played 12 games and were never defeated in 90 minutes. All the players are available this time, which we are thrilled and grateful for, and the fact that many fans will be cheering us on in Geneva gives us special satisfaction," said Milić.

Hajduk is the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first from Croatia to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 14, 2022 - AC Milan beat Dinamo in the second round of the Champions League Group E. The Italian champion defeated the Croatian champion 3:1 at San Siro Stadium. 

The Italian champion led 2:0 with goals from Olivier Giroud in the 45th minute and Alexis Saelemaekers in the 47th minute. After a great action with Petković, Mislav Oršić reduced the score to 1:2 in the 56th minute, but Tommaso Pobega brought Milan back in the 77th for 3:1. 

At the beginning of the game, Milan quickly tried to gain an early advantage, closing the Croatian champion into their penalty area. However, apart from Olivier Giroud's shot in the ninth minute, there were no dangerous shots for Livaković.

The game was pretty equal, though Milan had better chances. In the 28th minute, Moharrami tried to score, and Mislav Oršić came even closer to the goal in the 36th minute. 

Milan could have taken the lead in the 21st minute, but Moharrami reacted well before Rafael Leao and prevented a goal. Milan also tried a long-range shot without success. 

Milan took the lead before halftime, and in the last moments of the first half, the referee called a foul on Josip Šutalo for a Milan penalty. Giroud scored for 1:0 Milan.

At the start of the second half, Rafael Leao broke through the left side with ease, crossed, and found Alexis Saelemaekers, who headed under the crossbar for 2:0.

Dinamo came back into the game in the 56th minute after a great action by Oršić and Petković. Petković deceived Milan's defense, and Oršić scored for 2:1. 

Milan scored again in the 77th minute when Pobega fiercely scored from ten meters for 3:1.

With this victory, Milan takes first place in the group with four points. Dinamo has three points, while RB Salzburg is third with one point and a game in hand, and Chelsea is last with zero. 

Dinamo will visit RB Salzburg next on October 5 when Milan visits Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 17, 2021 - Mario Mandžukić donates his March salary to the Milan Club Foundation, which encourages projects that help vulnerable youth.

Mario Mandžukić has proven himself countless times as a great humanitarian, and with his last move, he's done it again.

The 2018 World Cup finalist with Croatia is on contract with AC Milan until the end of the season, according to which he earns 1.8 million euro. Mario arrived in Milan in January, when he signed the six-month contract, and has been out of action for two months due to an injury he suffered in late February.

Thus, the former Croatia striker decided to waive his salary for the month of March because he was injured. Club President Paolo Scaroni confirmed the news on Friday, saying that the Croatian striker gave up his salary for March. He did not play anyway and donated it to the club's organization instead. 

"An extraordinary gesture that shows the professionalism and ethics of Mario Mandzukić. With this, he showed how much he respects the club. Thus, Mandžukić gave up his salary in favor of the Milan Club Foundation, which finances projects related to young people in difficult social and property status. The foundation promotes sports as an element of social inclusion for youth," Scaroni told the Italian news agency ANSA.

"Fondazione Milan is a public charity linked to the wider scope of AC Milan’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. The Foundation was set up in 2003 with the simple aim of doing something good for the community and expressing solidarity with those in difficulty. Since then, Fondazione Milan has supported many needy situations, both in Italy and abroad. We share the values of sport with youngsters, to help them have a positive attitude to life. We play the game of life with them as pro-active players of change. Over the years, thanks to all those who have made donations and the commitment of those in the AC Milan group—First Team, Glories and Staff—we have raised over 10 million euros and put in place more than 160 projects," reads the Milan Club Foundation website.

Mandžukić has nine more games to prove himself by the end of the season. It is not certain that Milan will use the option to extend his contract to next season. If that happens, Mandžo will have another 3.6 million euro at his disposal. 

Source: Jutarnji List

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February 8, 2021 - Ante Rebic returned to the AC Milan squad after recovering from an injury, and after that from COVID-19. However, it didn't take long for him to become reacquainted with the goal. 

Namely, in his first game back, Ante Rebic scored two goals (in just one minute and 9 seconds, may we add) in AC Milan's 4:0 win against Crotone on Sunday. The remaining two goals were scored by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored the 500th and 501st goals of his career.

Rebic was the highest to jump after the corner in the 69th minute and scored for 3:0. Rebic scored his second goal of the game and fourth this season in the championship only a minute later. Ibrahimovic shot on goal, Calhanoglu passed the ball to Rebic, who scored from a volley. The Turkish footballer assisted Rebic's first goal as well. 

After the match, Rebic appeared before the press in a live program and praised Ibrahimovic, whom he considers one of the best football players in history.

"I'm happy about the goals I scored. The last game against Crotone didn't end well for me, but today was great. I was unlucky for the first three or four months here because I got injured right away, and then I got coronavirus. Now I'm back and will be even better," said Rebic and continued to praise Ibrahimovic.

"He is a great professional. One of the best players in history. He is a real example to all of us," Rebic concluded.

With this win, AC Milan is at the top of the Serie A table with 49 points, just two ahead of Interr. 

Milan will play against Spezia in the next round. On February 21, they await the highly anticipated Milan derby against Inter, which could be crucial for the moment race for Scudetto.

Source: Index.hr

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

January 19, 2021 - Exciting Croatian football transfer news, as Mario Mandzukic signs with AC Milan. 

Mario Mandzukic has become a player of AC Milan! This will be the case at least until the end of the current competition season, for which the former Croatia national team player will receive 1.8 million euros. If Milan qualifies for the Champions League, Mario will stay at San Siro next season, and should earn twice as much - 3.6 million, reports Jutarnji List.

"AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of Mario Mandžukić. The Club and the striker have agreed on a deal until the end of the current season with an option to extend the contract for the next one.

Born in Slavonski Brod (Croatia) on May 21, 1986, Mario Mandžukić started his professional career in 2004 with NK Marsonia before joining NK Zagreb and GNK Dinamo Zagreb. In Summer 2010, he moved to Germany to play for VfL Wolfsburg (60 appearances and 20 goals) and Bayern Munich (88 appearances and 48 goals). In the 2014/15 season, he went on to play for Atletico Madrid, scoring 20 goals in 43 appearances before joining FC Juventus. In his five seasons with FC Juventus, he made 162 appearances and scored 44 goals. In January 2020, he joined Qatari side Al-Duhail with one goal in 7 appearances.

Mandžukić has won 24 trophies, including 1 UCL, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Cup World Cup, 9 championships, and 12 between national Cups and Super Cups. He is the second-best scorer ever on the Croatian national team with 33 goals in 89 appearances.

Mario Mandžukić will wear the number 9 jersey," the club released in a statement on Tuesday morning.  

After arriving from Zagreb on a private flight on Sunday night, Mario spent Monday performing medical examinations and was flawless both at the doctor’s and in the physical endurance test. He spent the afternoon and evening in a hotel in Milan and left for AC Milan Tuesday morning to sign the contract. 

Recall, Mandzukic could not sign on Monday because Milan played (and won) a Serie A game away in Cagliari. After the match, Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke about Mario's arrival:

"I am very happy. There will be two of us to scare the opponents now!"

Milan's next match is against Atalanta at San Siro on Saturday at 6 pm, which could be the debut match for Mario and his return to Serie A. Interestingly, Mario played his last minutes in the Italian championship against Atalanta, on May 19, 2019. Mandzukic scored 44 goals in 162 games for Juventus between 2015 and 2019.

Mandzukic will have his first training session in Milan immediately after signing the contract around 11:30 am. 

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

TCN recently announced that Zvonimir Boban left his role at FIFA to return to AC Milan as the club's Chief Football Officer. Now, in collaboration with Paolo Maldini, he is preparing a team that should compete for the biggest medals in Italy.

In all likelihood, this team should feature a strong Croatian contingent, and if all goes to plan, Boban is looking to bring four Croatian players to Milan this summer, reports Index.hr on June 27, 2019. 

Namely, the former Deputy Secretary General of FIFA is after Andrej Kramarić and Nikola Moro, and has allegedly already started negotiations, writes the Italian media. Additionally, AC Milan could even see the promising Josip Brekalo and Dejan Lovren.

"Now that Zvone is back in Milan, the club is back in a good position," said Andrej Kramarić’s agent recently about the possible transfer of the 28-year-old footballer who currently plays for Hoffenheim. While Milan is not the only club after the Croatian striker, by the sounds of it, they’re the closest to bringing him to Serie A. The transfer should amount to about 30 million euro.

Dinamo's Nikola Moro also has Boban’s interest, and Milan allegedly already sent an official offer to Maksimir, though the price the Italians will have to pay for the young Croat will inevitably be higher. Boban was also impressed by Josip Brekalo at the U21 Euros in San Marino. 

In Croatia’s final game against England, Brekalo scored two goals, which was all Boban needed to see to try to bring him over to the club this summer. 

It is known that the new Milan coach Giampaolo wants to play in the 3-5-2 formation, which requires another stopper. One of the leading candidates is yet another Croat, Dejan Lovren. The Liverpool defender has lost his place in the first 11, and it is not unlikely that he will soon find somewhere new to continue his career. So why not Milan?

This is just some of the Croatian transfer news, as Mateo Kovačić should sign with Chelsea today, Ivan Peršić could see a move to Arsenal, and Ivan Rakitić could be leaving his beloved Barcelona. 

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

Zvonimir Boban has said goodbye to FIFA and is turning a new page of his career back at his beloved AC Milan.

Gol.hr reports on June 14, 2019, that Zvonimir Boban has left his position as the Deputy Secretary General of FIFA to join AC Milan where he will assume the function of Chief Football Officer, the umbrella world football team announced in a statement on Friday. 

“I will always be grateful to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the opportunity he gave me after his election in 2016. True to his manifesto pledge to ‘bring football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football’, he had the courage to entrust a former footballer with such a far-reaching role within the organization.

I feel really honored and privileged to have worked on such important projects to take FIFA back to its rightful place, far away from past scandals and a tarnished image. Looking back, I feel a real sense of accomplishment about my contribution to these big changes over the last three years.

I have been entrusted with leading important projects such as the revamp of the FIFA Club World Cup and the successful bidding process for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, as well as the revolutionary VAR project, which has managed to make the beautiful game fairer and protect its integrity.

None of this could have been achieved without the support of the President and amazing colleagues who are dedicated to serving the game of football across the globe. There may have been some debates along the way, but we have always upheld our motto of ‘Living Football’ and I will be eternally thankful to everyone,” Boban said on the official FIFA website. 

“It is extremely difficult to leave FIFA, but I followed my heart and my passion when making this decision, as was the case when I accepted the challenge of joining FIFA. The people at AC Milan are my family and the city of Milan and Italy are my home. I have a burning desire to help this glorious club, which means so much to me, to return where it belongs. Zurich now also has a special place in my heart after three wonderful years in Switzerland," concluded Boban for FIFA. 

Milan stated on its website announced that Boban would take on the new role of Chief Football Officer. The task will be to supervise and coordinate club sports activities, which will be chaired by director Ivan Gazidis and technical director Paolo Maldini.

Boban has been a part of FIFA since 2016 as a special advisor to Gianni Infantino and was effectively the second man in FIFA. Now, he returns to a club where he was a member for 10 years, from 1991 to 2001.

"I am very happy to return to my beloved Milan. I will contribute to bringing the club back where it deserves to be. Milan must be a leading and winning club, it's natural to his history and supporters,” Boban told the official club page. 

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

The good news continues for Croatian footballer Ivan Strinić as AC Milan has now officially announced the footballer will return to the pitch next week following a heart condition. 

Ivan Strinić will make a return to the football pitch!