May 26, 2023 - Hajduk will meet Šibenik in the last round of SuperSport HNL on Sunday, and apart from this being the last match of the season, it carries even more significance as Hajduk goalkeeper and the 2018 World Cup silver medalist Danijel Subašić will say goodbye to his football career.

This is the second time that Subašić played for Hajduk. He first arrived on loan from Zadar in the summer of 2008, and later Hajduk bought out his contract. After that, Subašić moved to Monaco in January 2012 and won the French championship in 2017. He was also named the best goalkeeper of the French championship that same year, reports Index.hr.

He returned to Hajduk in September 2021 as a 36-year-old. In total, he made 132 appearances for the Split club. He has not played in goal this season, and it is unknown whether he will defend against Šibenik in his farewell. With the Croatia national team, he won the silver medal at the World Cup in 2018 and was one of their key players.

Hajduk invited all fans to come dressed in white to Poljud on Sunday.

"We invite all fans, members and season ticket holders, sponsors and friends of the Club and all those who have Hajduk in their hearts to fill the Poljud stands to the last seat. Let's all dress in white shirts and come see off the old season and wish the team and the Club good luck in the new one. Because Hajduk makes us happy, regardless of everything else we are doing and where we are."

To celebrate winning the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup, Hajduk is also organizing an exciting entertainment program that will start on Sunday at 10 am.

From 10 am to 4 pm, all fans can take photos with the Cup trophy, the same one that Hajduk lifted again in Rijeka against Šibenik. The trophy will be set up under the eastern stand. 

A DJ will be in charge of warming up the atmosphere from noon. Prize games are also organized in the amusement park for children and mascot Rico will join the Fan Zone from 2 pm. Then, from 4:15 pm, singer Jasna Zlokić and other surprise guests will raise the atmosphere for all generations of fans at Poljud. Hajduk and Šibenik kick off at 5 pm. 

Source: Hajduk

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

May 24, 2023 - Hajduk beat Sibenik 2-0 at Rujevica Stadium on Wednesday in the Croatian Cup final! It's the first time the Split club has celebrated the Croatian Cup trophy back to back. 

We're in the final week of the SuperSport HNL season week, and with that, we get to see who will celebrate the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup ahead of the 36th round played this weekend. Hajduk and Šibenik met in the final from 19:00 at Rujevica in Rijeka. Interestingly, the two teams also meet in the final round of the league on Sunday. Hajduk has already clinched second place, while Šibenik has been relegated from first league football.

Hajduk was the big favorite and has also been in great form. They haven't conceded a goal in six games, nor have they lost. The Cup final was also unique for Hajduk. It was the first time in eighteen years that Hajduk had the opportunity to win the trophy two seasons in a row. 

Hajduk had loud support from the stands. Most of the east stand was filled with fans from Split, while the north stand was reserved for Šibenik fans who bought only a few hundred tickets for the final. Rujevica was thus not sold out, and around 6,500 fans were in attendance. 

Regarding the lineups for each team, Hajduk was without Mikanović, Lovrencsics, and Kalik, while Šibenik could not count on Điro and Radonjić due to injuries.

Lineups

Hajduk: Lučić - Sigur, Awaziem, Ferro, Melnjak - Pukštas, Krovinović - Sahiti, Benrahou, Mlakar - Livaja

Šibenik: Đaković - Kvržić, Perić, Kvesić, Mina - Đorić, Soldo - Arai, Hiroš, Dolček - Špeljak 

Match report

Hajduk found the back of the net in the 4th minute, but Mlakar's goal was disallowed after VAR. Hajduk completely dominated Sibenik so far at Rujevica.

Hajduk continued to dominate, but they didn't have any great opportunities in the next 20 minutes. On the other hand, Šibenik, now in the second division, held their own at Rujevica.

Hajduk had two great chances in the 39th minute. Mlakar was one on one with the keeper, who brilliantly saved before the ball went out for a corner. Livaja just missed the goal off the corner. 

A minute of stoppage time was played, and the first half ended 0-0. 

Hajduk put on the pressure in the first few minutes of the second half, but Melnjak missed an open goal. 

Hajduk had their 8th corner in the 56th minute, and Livaja headed to the right of the goal. Sibenik had 0 corners at this point. 

And then it happened. Benrahou shot into Šibenik's defense. After the rebound, the ball reached Melnjak, who scored for Hajduk and the 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute! 

Sibenik held their own to not concede another goal, but Hajduk's defense remained solid and tried to get their second.  

Four minutes of stoppage time were added. 

And Hajduk was awarded a penalty in the final minutes off a Pukstas foul in the box! Livaja scored for 2-0! 

The match ended 2-0 for Hajduk, winning the Croatian Cup trophy for the second consecutive time!  

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

April 5, 2023 - Šibenik has knocked out Dinamo in the SuperSport Croatian Cup semi-final, beating them 2:1 at Šubićevac Stadium! 

It is the second final in history for Šibenik. Šibenik lost to Hajduk in its first final in 2010. With this loss, Dinamo continues its downward spiral, achieving only one victory in its last six appearances.

Dinamo visited Šubićevac weakened by the absence of Bruno Petković and Luka Ivanušec. Behind the Croatian champion were a series of bad results and only one victory in the last five meetings. Even so, Dinamo entered the match brilliantly and took the lead with a goal by Josip Drmić in the 40th second. 

Dinamo could have increased their lead in the 13th minute. Dominik Livaković sent a long ball to Menalo, who came out alone in front of Đaković, but the home goalkeeper saved his shot, deflecting the ball into the corner.

Šibenik had their first and only chance in the first half in the 20th minute. Dario Čanađija found Ivan Dolček in the penalty area, but he couldn't get a decent shot off. 

In the 37th minute, Dinamo shook the home team's net for the second time, and Drmić was the scorer again. However, this time VAR was not on his side. The striker was offside at the beginning of the play, and the goal was disallowed.

Dinamo had a new chance in the 57th minute. Mišić sent a great ball to Baturina, who rushed down the right wing and put it in front of the goal, but Kvržić prevented the shot.

Šibenik came back with a free kick a few minutes later, but there was no real danger in front of Livković's goal. In the 66th minute, Šibenik threw all their cards into the attack. Iker Pozzo, Dejan Radonjić, Duje Čop, and Amer Hiroš entered the game. Just six minutes later, Šibenik equalized with a goal by Spanish midfielder Pozzo.

It was a quick counter from the hosts, the Spaniard first pushed the ball to Radonjić. With a bit of luck, the ball returned to Pozzo, who scored from close range into an empty goal.

After conceding the goal, Dinamo increased their rhythm. In the 80th minute, Marko Bulat had a great shot from a free kick. Four minutes later, Dinamo hit the net again, but VAR once again ruled it offside, and Menalo's joy was short-lived.

When it seemed that the match would go into extra time, Šibenik shocked the Croatian champion. Kvržić made a perfect cross from the right, and Čop made an even better header for the incredible Šibenik victory! 

Slaven Belupo and Hajduk meet in the second semi-final on April 12 in Koprivnica, and the final is on May 24 at Rujevica in Rijeka.

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

March 1, 2023 - The teams in the SuperSport Croatian Cup semi-finals have been decided, with Slaven Belupo, Šibenik, Dinamo, and Hajduk as the final four left in the competition.

Slaven Belupo was the first to advance to the SuperSport Croatian Cup semi-finals. The first semi-final was played on Tuesday at the "Ivan Kušek Apaš" stadium in Koprivnica. Slaven Belupo beat the best second-division team, Rudeš 2:0. Belupo scored its first goal in the 88th minute after Benedik Mioč's shot bounced off the visiting defender Luka Pavković and into the net. Filip Hlevnjak scored for the final 2:0 in the first minute of stoppage time.

On Wednesday, the remaining three Croatian Cup quarter-final matches were played.

Šibenik reached the Croatian Cup semi-finals for the second time in the club's history, winning 2:0 away to the second league team NK BSK Bijelo Brdo. Knežević scored for Šibenik in the 20th minute and Arai in the 88th minute for the victory. 

In the next Cup quarter-final, Dinamo beat Lokomotiva after extra time 3:1 (1:1, 0:1) and qualified for the SuperSport Croatian Cup semi-finals. 

Lokomotiva took the lead with a goal by Silvio Goričan in the 37th minute, but Dario Špikić leveled the score at 1:1 in the second half, taking the game to extra time. Josip Drmić scored for Dinamo in the 47th second of extra time. Robert Ljubičić set the final result in the 117th minute. 

Hajduk was the last semi-finalist to qualify, beating Osijek 2:1 (1:0). Last season's Cup winner dominated most of the match. In the 21st minute, 16-year-old Luka Vušković scored for 1:0. In the 77th, Filip Krovinović scored for 2:0. Osijek's only goal was scored by 16-year-old Filip Živković, who made it 1:2 in the 84th minute. Interestingly, the young Hajduk player wrote the history of Hajduk and Croatian football in this quarter-final match. At 16 years and five days, Luka Vušković became the youngest scorer in the history of Hajduk's first team.

The draw for the semi-final meetings will take place next Monday.

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

April 6, 2022 – The Vukovar Gymnastics Club performed outstandingly in the 1^st round of the Croatian Cup, bringing home team gold and an array of individual medals.

As hrv writes, the 1^st round of the Croatian Cup in the Basic Program of Women's Sports Gymnastics was held on April 3 at the Sokol Centre in Osijek in the organisation of the Osijek-Žito Gymnastics Society. The Vukovar Gymnastics Club had representatives in all categories in the team and individual competition. The oldest category was the only one without new competitors. In the other three categories, in addition to already experienced competitors, new members of the competition group performed. In the junior category, one new competitor performed, while in the cadet and junior categories half of the team consisted of girls who all took part in a competition for the first time. All of them did very well and successfully completed the first competition. Special praise goes to those who won individual medals in their first official competition: Lea Služek, Franka Markešić, and Iris Špehar.

The Vukovar Gymnastics Club was the most successful in this competition where the gymnasts in all categories won the team 1^st place, as well as the most individual medals. All Vukovar’s gymnasts performed as follows:

Cadets – team 1^st place. Individually: 1^st Ema Županović, 2^nd Franka Markešić, 3^rd Una Baždar 5^th Jana Cvetković, 8^th Marina Đerđ and 9^th Franka Ljubić.

Younger juniors – team 1^st place. Individually: 1^st Služek Lea, 2^nd Špehar Iris, 6^th Mirosavljević Adrijana, 7^th Gavrilović Ljiljana, 11^th Velerajter Natali, 18^th Horvat Livija.

Juniors – team 1^st place. Individually: 1^st Badanjak Helena, 2^nd Gavrilović Olivera, 4^th Jaman Mirjam, 5^th Božanović Ana, 10^th Mirosavljević Marijana and 11^th Roša Lorena.

Younger seniors – team 1^st place. Individually: 1^st Gužvić Kristina, 2^nd Ivanković Tena, 4^th Skokić Lana, 5^th Andrašević Dijana and 9^th Mašić Tea.

The next competition for the Basic Program will be held in June.

After this competition, The Vukovar Gymnastics Club has brought home another 4 team gold medals, and individually 4 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze medal.

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

March 9, 2022 - Rijeka topped Osijek in the final minutes of a thrilling extra time to secure a spot in the Croatian Cup final against Hajduk on May 26! 

Rijeka and Osijek met in the Croatian Cup semifinal at Rujevica on Wednesday. In the other semifinal played last week, Hajduk beat Gorica for a spot in the final at Poljud on May 26.

Rijeka reached the semifinal by eliminating Pitomača (0:7) in the last 32, Oriolik Oriovac (0:6) in the round of 16, and knocking out Dinamo in the quarterfinal at Maksimir. Goran Tomić's team celebrated 3:1 and it was also the last game for coach Damir Krznar on the Dinamo bench.

Osijek did not concede a goal on their way to the semifinal. They defeated Bednja Beletinec 0:3, then Rudeš 0:2 in the last 16, after which they hosted Slaven Belupo in the quarterfinal. Osijek and Belupo played for 120 minutes before a penalty shootout which Osijek won. 

Before this Cup match, Osijek played 0:0 against Lokomotiva on Friday in the Croatian First League, while Rijeka beat Slaven Belupo 3:0 on Saturday, separating these two teams by only one point.

Lineups

Rijeka: Labrović, Velkovski, Čestić, Krešić, Bušnja, Čerin, Pavičić, Selahi, Vukčević, Vučkić, Drmić

Osijek: Ivušić, Cheberko, Škorić, Lončar. Grgić, Žaper, Kleinheisler, Leovac, Fiolić, Caktaš, Mierez

Recap

Rijeka took the 1:0 lead in the 20th minute with a goal by Krešić. Gnezda Čerin sent a freekick into Osijek's penalty area, which Krešić headed into the goal for the lead. 

Osijek equalized in the 42nd minute for 1:1 thanks to Mijo Caktaš, scoring the 11th goal of his career against Rijeka and the first in the Osijek jersey.

Josip Drmić put Rijeka back in the lead in the 77th minute for his 18th goal of the season. In the 2nd minute of stoppage time, Mance equalized for Osijek to send the match into extra time! 

While the first half of extra time went without a goal, with the nerves of penalties on the horizon, Merkulov scored in the 188th minute for the Rijeka lead and ultimate win for a spot in the Croatian Cup final against Hajduk on May 26! 

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

March 2, 2022 - The first Croatian Cup semifinal match was played tonight at Poljud Stadium in Split between Hajduk and Gorica, with Hajduk winning 2:1 for a spot in the final on May 26 at Poljud!

Hajduk was a big favorite in the semifinal match against Gorica, which has just suffered five Championship defeats. Hajduk suffered a heavy 3:1 loss to Rijeka in the Croatian First League derby on Saturday.

Since the final is too being played at Poljud, Hajduk fans expected a victory against Gorica and a spot in the final. 

Gorica has thus far led head-to-head, with eight wins with five defeats, but has lost two of three games against Hajduk this season.

Lineups

Hajduk: L. Kalinić, Mikanović, Katić, Elez, Melnjak, Grgić, Fossati, Sahiti, Biuk, Livaja, Mlakar

Gorica: Kotarski, Jovičić, Steenvoorden, Mitrović, Babec, Kalik, Krizmanić, Pršir, Keita, Atiemwen, Dieye

Recap 

Hajduk came out much more aggressively in the first 5 minutes of the match, pressuring the Gorica defense and goalkeeper.  A Livaja cross in the 5th minute was a top chance for Hajduk, with Stipe Biuk heading over the crossbar. 

Gorica attacked well in the 8th minute before Hajduk countered and Sahiti just missed the goal. 

Gorica had a chance in the 11th minute which was headed over the goal. Hajduk continued to press and a brilliant ball in from the right found Grgić's head which went just over the post.  

Sahiti tried shooting from the left-wing but it was an easy save for the Gorica keeper. Livaja danced around the Gorica defense in the 16th minute but hit wide of the goal. Gorica had an unsuccessful counterattack two minutes later. 

Hajduk had two of their best opportunities in the 20th minute but both were saved by Kotarski. 

Gorica held possession for the next few minutes and managed a shot off which went wide of the Hajduk goal.  

A quick 1-2 in front of Kotarski's goal found the boot of Grgić who had another stellar opportunity for Hajduk but his shot was also wide.  

Gorica seemed to only pressure thanks to quick counterattacks but nothing was dangerous. Their first corner came in the 29th minute. 

In the 32nd, Mikanović sent the ball in to Liivaja who found the back of the net, but VAR ruled the goal offside. 

However, it didn't take long for Hajduk to get their goal. Melnjak scored for 1:0 in the 39th minute! 

A Hajduk free kick right outside the box was awarded 2 minutes to go in the half - and Marko Livaja hit the post! 

Hajduk had 57% of the possession in the first half and 8 shots on goal to Gorica's two.

The second half started without any changes on either side.

Hajduk's attacking game continued in the first 8 minutes of the second half. Gorica had their first shot at the keeper in the 53rd minute. Gorica's first corner of the second half came two minutes later. 

Gorica had their best chance of the match in the 57th minute when Pršir shot just wide of Hajduk's goal. A potential penalty for Hajduk was checked by VAR in the 60th minute but was ruled out. 

Just a few minutes later, Livaja's free kick outside the box found the head of Melnjak for 2:0 in the 64th minute!

Stipe Biuk was subbed off for Nikola Kalinić in the 66th minute. 

Gorica subbed Dieye for Cruz and Brbec for Suk in the 70th minute. Hajduk made changes two minutes later - Sahiti was subbed off for Atanasov and Mlakar for Ljubicic. 

In the 79th minute, Gorica subbed Mitrovic for Musa and Suk for Golubickas. 

A mistake in Hajduk's defense gave Gorica a corner in the 83rd minute though they were unable to get past Hajduk's defense.   

Vukovic and Colina came on for Grgic and Melnjak in the 86th minute. The ref added 5 minutes of stoppage time. 

VAR awarded a penalty for Gorirca in the final minutes which Kalik scored for the final 2:1.

Gorica was unable to get past Hajduk's defense for another goal, giving Hajduk the 2:1 victory and spot in the Croatian Cup final! Rijeka and Osijek will play in the second semifinal on March 9. The final is on May 26 in Poljud.

Only one game is played in the Croatian Cup semifinal, and if there is no winner after 90 minutes, extra time is played and then penalties.

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

December 6, 2021 - The Croatian Cup semifinal draw was held at the Croatian Football Federation headquarters on Monday. 

In the Croatian Football Cup semifinals, Rijeka will play against Osijek at Rujevica Stadium and Hajduk will face Gorica at Poljud, according to the draw held on Monday in Zagreb.

The semifinal matches will be played on March 1 and 2, 2022. There were no top seeds in the draw and the semifinals will be played in one match.

The Cup final will be played on May 22 next year at Poljud Stadium in Split.

This is a great opportunity for Hajduk, which has played 19 consecutive Cup games away. Hajduk last won the Cup in 2013, which is also the last trophy for the Split club. Hajduk has the chance to play two home games in the Cup and a historic opportunity for their first trophy in eight years. The last time Split hosted the Cup was in March 2016 in the semifinal match against Dinamo.

The Rijeka and Osijek match will certainly be a bit more competitive, though Rijeka will have the home pitch advantage. 

Split will be the seventh different host of the final match for the Croatian Cup since the decision was made in 2016 that only one match will decide the winner of this trophy. The hosts of the previous six finals were Osijek, Varaždin, Vinkovci, Pula, Šibenik, and Velika Gorica.

Recall, in the quarterfinal matches which were played on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, Gorica topped Istra on penalties, Hajduk beat Lokomotiva 6:3, and Osijek beat Belupo on penalties. In the last quarterfinal, Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1, which forced the resignation of Dinamo coach Damir Krznar. 

The sports betting company SuperSport became the title sponsor of the Croatian Football Cup this year. The most massive football competition thus bears the name SuperSport Croatian Football Cup for the 2021/22 season.

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

December 2, 2021 - After the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup quarterfinal matches came to a close on Wednesday, the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation decided that the Croatian Cup final match would be played in Split, namely at Poljud Stadium.

This season, the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup final will be played at Poljud Stadium, which is comforting news for Hajduk fans after the Split club advanced to the semifinals with a victory against Lokomotiva Tuesday. The Croatian Football Federation decided on Poljud after choosing between Karlovac, Koprivnica, and Split, reports HNS.

At the suggestion of the HNS Competition Commission, the Executive Board of the Federation decided that the final of the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup will be played at the Poljud Stadium in Split and that the final match will be played on May 26, 2022. It will be the first Croatian Cup final at Poljud played in a single game.

On Monday at 11 am, the draw will decide which pairs are in the semifinals. Gorica, Hajduk, Osijek, and Rijeka remain in the competition, and the matches are scheduled for March 2022. 

After the draw at noon, Hajduk president Lukša Jakobušić will meet with HNS president Marijan Kustić at the federation's headquarters on Vukovarska, a year after meeting with his predecessor Davor Šuker, when he said he would "leave the federation alone," reports 24 Sata. 

Since 2016, when the Croatian Cup changed the format and one final match was introduced, the Cup final has been hosted by Osijek, Varaždin, Vinkovci, Pula, Šibenik, and Velika Gorica.

Recall, in the quarterfinal matches which were played on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Gorica topped Istra on penalties, Hajduk beat Lokomotiva 6:3, and Osijek beat Belupo on penalties. In the last quarterfinal, Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1, which forced the resignation of Dinamo coach Damir Krznar. 

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

December 2, 2021 - After Rijeka won in the Croatian Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, the coach of the Croatian champion Dinamo, Damir Krznar, has resigned.

Krznar took over Dinamo in mid-March this year after being assistant to former coach Zoran Mamić. Recall, Mamić had to leave the Dinamo bench due to a final conviction. Krznar led the team in a 3:0 victory against Tottenham in the Europa League round of 16, reported HRT.

Dinamo has been in a crisis and lost 1:3 to Rijeka under Krznar's leadership in the Croatian Cup on Wednesday. 

Dinamo on Sunday expects the eternal derby against Hajduk in the 18th round of the First HNL and in eight days a visit to West Ham United in the last, 6th round of Europa League. 

Krznar took responsibility in a statement after the relegation in the Cup, 

"The fact that the result was not obtained, that the result was not delivered, both in the Cup and in the championship - we are limping. We have an extremely tough game against Hajduk; we enter it shaken. My moral act is to do everything for the team. Dinamo has always been in the first place. It is the team that comes first. I assess that at this moment, the team needs a positive shock. Maybe it is a good opportunity, as I address our fans, to thank them for their support, those who gave their support, and to apologize to those who did not have enough and who are dissatisfied with the reason. Right now, I may still be a little hot, but I don't think the situation will change tomorrow either. I am resigning from this position for the team to make one positive step, one mental shock, which is needed. I wish luck to the new coach; I wish luck to Dinamo," said Krznar.

Who will lead Dinamo in their next two key games will be known today after an 11 am press conference.

Željko Kopić, the head of Dinamo's football school and the most experienced of the remaining experts employed in Maksimir, should lead the team in the derby on Sunday. But, depending on that outcome, he may end the winter season on the bench.

Dinamo's management is expected to appoint a new head coach during the winter break, but more will be known after today's conference.

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