June 7, 2022 - The 8th Croatian Football Federation Executive Board session was held in Solin on Monday, at which a decision was made on the names of men's football competitions in the upcoming season.

On Monday, the Croatian Football Federation Executive Board met in Solin ahead of the UEFA League of Nations match between Croatia and France at Poljud, reports HNS.

A decision was made that the highest level of competition in men's football will again be called the Croatian Football League, while the second, third, and fourth levels will be called, respectively, the First Football League, the Second Football League, and the Third Football League. Subsequently, it is possible to add to these names the name of the title sponsor of each level of competition.

"We wanted to single out the first stage of the competition and give additional importance to the lower stages of the competition, so we considered several solutions. In the end, we decided to return the first stage of the competition to its original and recognizable name, Croatian Football League, which has become common among fans, in public, and in the media, which we have witnessed in recent years when the name was the First League, but we all said that it is ours - HNL.

In this way, we paid tribute to the history and recognition of the HNL while avoiding international expressions such as "premier" or "elite," which have no tradition in Croatian football. We have also emphasized second, third, and fourth level clubs. Furthermore, we will continue to strengthen all marketing, promotional and commercial aspects," said HNS President Marijan Kustić.

The Executive Board also accepted the decision on distributing funds from the TV rights contract, whereby the largest part will go to the clubs of the Croatian Football League - 9.33 million euros. The rest of the funds will be directed to the First Football League, 1st ŽNL, 1st HMNL, HNK for youth, HNK for women, and HNK in indoor soccer.

The Executive Board determined the participants in the competition from the first to the third level, i.e., the qualification for the First and Second Football Leagues.

The new Ordinance on Football Competitions, the Ordinance on Club Cooperation, the Licensing Report for the Competition Year 2022/23, the Report on the Organization of Football Camps in Australia and the USA, and the document Basics of Veteran Football were adopted.

The Executive Board also decided to purchase artificial grass needed to build seven more lawns in counties across the country.

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

June 10, 2021 - It's been a year since fans were in the stands, and as the epidemiological situation improves, progress is being made to bring back spectators. But will vaccinated fans at Croatian stadiums be the reality? A closer look. 

Croatian football stadiums could finally be open to the public at the beginning of the championship season, in the second half of July. But it is likely to be only for people who have been vaccinated, T.portal has learned from several sources.

A formal decision on this will be announced in the meantime and could only be postponed if there is a dramatic deterioration of the epidemiological situation.

The first round of the Croatian national championship takes place on July 16, 17, and 18, and a week after that, Croatian clubs will start their campaigns in European competitions. Almost the entire last season was played in front of empty stadiums, and there are increasingly loud demands to allow the return of spectators.

The director of the Split-Dalmatia County Teaching Institute for Public Health, Željka Karin, confirmed for T.portal that things are moving in this direction. Apparently, the official initiative will come from her.

"If the favorable situation persists until July, we will propose to the National Headquarters to open stadiums at least in part of their capacity, for people who have been vaccinated," Karin told T.portal. She added that, if the need arises, vaccinations can be organized for football fans and citizens who want to attend the matches in the coming days and weeks.

The National Headquarters unofficially said that this development was 'quite real.'

The Split Basketball Club also invited its fans to get vaccinated and organized a special action for those who want to return to the stands.

"KK Split has organized for all its fans, members, shareholders, friends, and players vaccination against COVID-19 at the Institute of Public Health, Vukovarska 46. On Thursday, June 10, from 12 to 2 pm, just come, bring your ID and health card; the 'code' for vaccination is KK Split - yellow family. Let's be responsible, let's be in the stands next season!" published the Split club on its website.

At the moment, Croatia has sufficient quantities of vaccines, and in some counties, the vaccination of interested citizens has already been organized without prior notice. In Split, for example, it is held at the Spaladium arena every working day from 12 to 2 pm.

Citizens who really want to return to stadiums and halls will have to calculate the amount of time needed to be fully vaccinated. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are given in two doses three weeks apart, after which it is necessary to wait another two weeks to receive a valid Covid confirmation. So a total of five weeks after receiving the first dose.

The Johnson vaccine is given in only one dose. Still, after that, it is necessary to wait another 22 days to form antibodies and for documents to be issued to attend such public events.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centers and vaccination points across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

Follow the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.