February 17, 2020 - The 22nd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 14 to 16, 2020. Dinamo recorded their second defeat of the season, while Hajduk struggled against Slaven Belupo once again.

Lokomotiva v. Istra 1961 (2:0)

Lokomotiva and Istra opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 14, in Zagreb in front of 320 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Lokomotiva’s Uzini scored in the 63rd and 67th minutes for 2:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 5th place with 34 points, while Istra is in 9th place with 15.

Inter Zapresic v. Varazdin (1:2)

Inter and Varazdin met in Zapresic on Saturday, February 15, 2020, in front of 2,045 spectators. 

Inter was in the lead first thanks to a goal by Serderov in the 19th minute for 1:0 at the half. 

Benko equalized for Varazdin in the 60th minute, and Petkovic gave them the lead in the 70th minute for a final score of 1:2.

Inter is currently in 8th place with 17 points, while Varazdin is in 10th with 15.

Slaven Belupo v. Hajduk (2:1)

Belupo and Hajduk met on Saturday, February 15, 2020, in Koprivnica in front of 2,912 spectators. 

Hajduk was awarded a penalty early the game, which Eduok scored for the lead (0:1). However, a double yellow for Juric in the 37th minute saw Hajduk play with a man down for the rest of the game. 

Bacelic-Grgic equalized just before halftime for 1:1.

Krstanovic scored the winning goal of the game in the 88th minute for the Belupo victory. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 21 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 41.

Osijek v. Dinamo (1:0)

Osijek and Dinamo met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, February 16, 2020, in front of 6,450 spectators.

The second half made up for the uneventful first half. First, Dinamo’s Dilaver was shown his second yellow of the game in the 67th minute, which forced Dinamo to play with a man down. In the 77th minute, Maric scored for Osijek, which gave them the 1:0 lead. 

The chances for Dinamo to equalize were even slimmer once Stojanovic was shown a red card in the 4th minute of injury time, and coach Nenad Bjelica was ejected from the pitch two minutes later. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 38 points, while Dinamo remains in 1st with 53. 

Gorica v. Rijeka (0:0)

Gorica and Rijeka closed out the 22nd round on Sunday, February 16, 2020, in Velika Gorica.

Neither team was able to score throughout the game, which ended 0:0.

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 38.

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

February 14, 2020 - The Poljud Museum and Hajduk Interpretation Center projects were presented in Split on Hajduk's 109th birthday. 

Hajduk.hr reports that the Poljud Museum and the Hajduk Interpretation Center will be housed on approximately 2,500 square meters, located below the eastern stand of Poljud Stadium. Through a series of interactive interpretive elements, visitors will be told through three floors (basement, ground floor and first floor) the centuries-old story of Split sport and Hajduk and the unique architectural narrative of the stadium.

The biggest challenge for the project team was certainly to interpret and present the unique relationship between the Split club and Split and Hajduk fans in general, that specific, almost phenomenological connection that is created by birth and never breaks.

It is these topics that open Hajduk’s story. Through the first topics - 'Idea and Genesis' and 'A Brief Overview of the History of Split Sports', visitors will be introduced to Split's sporting beginnings, the development of the most important sports and sports clubs, trophies and historical moments and the most influential athletes throughout history. Fabjan Kaliterna, the initiator of the development of a series of sports in Split, is also represented within the whole. 

After exploring the rich sports history, visitors are presented with a series of the interactive content as a key theme of the setup - the relationship between the fans and the club through the ‘Outside View' theme. First, through the testimonies of numerous famous and celebrated Split athletes who talk first-hand about what it was like to take their first sports steps in Split and how the city rewarded and celebrated their greatest sports achievements. It will also tell the story of the city's specific attitude to sports in general. 

In addition to showing Split as a sports city through these stories, it will also give the visitor an insight into the special sports heart of Split, the habit of citizens to celebrate the greatest athlete achievements and organize grand receptions for their winning athletes. This element of interpretation is crucial to understanding the relationship between Split and Hajduk, which rests on the aforementioned mutual appreciation, but is far deeper and more specific. Visitors see this relationship and its features in the 'Inside View' theme, which will offer a series of testimonials from fans who will talk about why they love Hajduk and what role that club plays in their lives. It will be intimate confessions, personal perspectives, and emotions conveyed to a specific multimedia platform. The original stories conclude the first stage of the setup, which continues on the first floor.

The first floor is reserved entirely for Hajduk’s history. Through introductory stories in the theme 'Development of the club's coat of arms and kit over time', through presenting the most important facts from the club's past and interactive multimedia systems, visitors will uncover the club's centuries-old history, and the most valuable sports figures - from the founders to the players and coaches through 'Hajduk 1911 to today'. 

The emergence of the Torcida fan group, an integral part of Hajduk, is also interpreted in this topic. The interpretation will be placed on specific visual platforms that accompany the decades. Visual platforms are a kind of homage to the unique construction of the Poljud roof, built by the MERO technique. The same technique is applied in the implementation of the aforementioned visual platforms, which are also unique in the world (surface banners in combination with graphic maps from the rear and interpretation texts from the front, with integrated multimedia and product design solutions, all in harmony with the dominant glass floors of the floor first floor).

After learning about the club's history, visitors descend into the basement, which is a kind of showroom setup. In this section, the topic "The Museum of Poljud" presents the origin of the idea and the construction of the Poljud Stadium into its basic features. The entirety of 'Historic Retrospective', 'Hajduk and Torcida', 'Torcida First Hand' is replaced, and the latter offers a personal experience by showing the fans in the north stands and the most beautiful choreographies of Torcida. The space is equipped as a 9D cinema.

The basement also contains a corridor through which visitors can enter the eastern stand or take a tour of the stadium and club rooms with prior notice. It is important to note that visitors are allowed to continually update their lineups through booths where they will be able to record their testimony of the Hajduk and Split experience, or comment on a Hajduk match, and the content will then be played on one of the screens in the facility.

With accompanying facilities - a souvenir shop/fan shop, multifunctional halls for various exhibitions, lectures and games, a tasting room designed after the Prague beer pub 'U Flek' where the Hajduk story began - the Poljud Museum and the Hajduk Interpretation Center will be a place that is attractive and educational, and where interactive content presents the unique story of this Split club.

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

February 13, 2020 - Hajduk Split has announced a vibrant program for its 109th birthday, which is celebrated on February 13. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the club made every effort to mark the birthday with dignity, and to bring together the Hajduk family in large numbers as appropriate. On this occasion, the Hajduk Interpretation Center and the Poljud Museum project will be presented.

Hajduk’s 109th birthday will also mark the 75th anniversary of Hajduk’s official honor by the Free France sports team. It will also mark a quarter-century since Hajduk’s first team was received by Pope John Paul the Second (1995).

The centerpiece of the celebration will begin at noon. The book "Hajduk and the World" will be promoted in the cinema hall of Poljud stadium. The book is authored by the club chronicler Jurica Gizdić. At the same place, the Hajduk Interpretation Center and the Poljud Museum will be presented.

Another showcase will open in honor of the legendary footballer and club official Dr. Šime Poduje. The Vis native was one of the most deserving people in the rebuilding of the club in 1944 as HŠK Hajduk. He played 226 games for Hajduk and scored 87 goals. He was a member of the 1927 and 1929 Hajduk championship teams.

At 9 am, a mass was held at St. Anthony's Church at Poljud for all the deceased players, coaches, fans, officials and members of the club.

Thereafter, wreaths were laid for all fans and members of the club in the Homeland War at the northern stand of the Poljud stadium, and at 10:30 am for all the deceased footballers at the Hajduk grave at Lovrinac Cemetery.

Program

9:00 - Holy Mass in the Church of St. Anthony at Poljud for deceased players, coaches, fans, officials and club members

9:45 - Wreaths in the northern stand for fans and club members killed in Homeland War

10:30- Wreaths for all deceased footballers at Hajduk's grave at Lovrinac Cemetery

12:00 - Promotion of the book "Hajduk and the World", by Jurica Gizdić and presentation of the Hajduk Interpretation Center and the Poljud Museum, both in the cinema hall at Poljud

13:15 - Showcase opening of the legendary footballer and official Dr. Šime Poduje in the trophy salon of the senior team

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

February 10, 2020 - The 21st round of the Croatian First League was held from February 7 to 9, and saw wins for the top three teams in the standings - Dinamo, Hajduk, and Rijeka.

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (1:0)

Istra and Varazdin opened the 21st round on Friday, February 7, 2020, in Pula in front of 625 spectators. 

The only goal of the game came in the 30th minute when Grzan scored for Istra’s lead and, ultimately, the win. 

Istria is currently in 9th place with 15 points, while Varazdin is in 10th place with 12. 

Osijek v. Inter Zapresic (1:1)

Osijek and Inter met at City Garden Stadium on Saturday, February 8, 2020, in front of 2120 spectators. 

Osijek’s Lopa was sent off the pitch in the 16th minute after a double yellow, forcing Osijek to play with a man down for the remainder of the game. Inter took the lead with a goal by Tsonev in the 32nd minute, though Maric equalized in the 37th for 1:1, which is how the game ended. 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 35 points, while Inter is in 8th with 17.

Hajduk v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Hajduk and Lokomotiv met at Poljud on Saturday, February 8, 2020, in front of over 11,000 fans. 

Hajduk’s goal came in the 28th minute thanks to Eduok for 1:0 at the half. Mujakic received a red card with four minutes to go in the game, though Lokomotiva was unable to equalize. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 41 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 31.

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (1:0)

Rijeka and Belupo met on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at Rujevica stadium.

Colak scored the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute for 1:0. Belupo’s Mikulic was given a red card in the 72nd minute. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 37 points, while Belupo is in 7th place with 18.

Dinamo v. Gorica (2:0)

Dinamo and Gorica closed out the 21st round on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at Maksimir stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, Theophile-Catherine scored in the 72nd minute for 1:0, and Kadzior increased Dinamo’s lead to 2:0 in the 86th minute for the final score of the game. Gorica’s Suk received a red card in the 50th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st with 53 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 30.

You can see the full HNL table here.

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

February 3, 2020 - The Croatian First Football League returned on Friday after a long winter break. Dinamo and Hajduk, currently first and second in the standings, both booked victories to open the spring season.

Inter Zapresic v. Istra 1961 (2:0)

Inter and Istra met on Friday, January 31, 2020, to open the spring season in Zagreb in front of 906 fans.

Thanks to two early goals for Inter in the 11th minute (Mitrovic) and an own goal in the 26th (Bosancic), Inter was not only 2:0 up at the half, but held their lead until the final whistle. 

Inter is currently in 8th place with 16 points, while Istra is in 9th with 12.

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka met on Saturday, February 1, 2020, in Zagreb in front of 863 fans. 

Kastrati scored the first goal of the game to put Lokomotiva in the 1:0 lead at the half. Kastrati scored his second goal of the game in the 71st minute for 2:0. Rijeka’s Loncar came back with a goal in the 86th minute for the final score of 2:1.

Lokomotiva is currently in 5th place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 34. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:2)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saturday, February 1, 2020, in Koprivnica in front of 2,323 fans. 

Dinamo’s first goal of the game came right before halftime when Ivanusec scored for 0:1. 

Petkovic increased Dinamo’s lead at the start of the second half for 0:2 in the 53rd minute, which was the final score of the game. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 18 points, while Dinamo is in 1st place with 50 points.

Varazdin v. Hajduk (0:3)

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Sunday, February 2, 2020, at NK Varteks Stadium in front of 5,043 fans.

After a missed penalty, Hajduk finally took the lead in the first half thanks to Jradi, who made the game 0:1 in the 42nd minute.

A penalty in the 72nd minute (Caktas) and another in the 4th minute of added time (Eduok) made the game 0:3 for Hajduk.

Varazdin is currently in the last place with 10 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd place with 38.

Gorica v. Osijek (0:0)

Gorica and Osijek closed out the 20th round on Sunday, February 2, 2020, in Velika Gorica in front of 689 fans.

Neither team was able to score and the game ended 0:0.

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 30 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 34. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

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

January 29, 2020 - The Croatian First Football League returns this weekend. Inter Zaprešić and Istra will open the spring season in Zagreb on Friday.

The new season of the Croatian First Football League began on July 19, 2019. Dinamo currently leads the table to claim the Croatian champion title once again.

The current season is especially interesting because five clubs, or half the league, will fight in European competitions in the summer of 2020. The first and second-placed teams will qualify for the Champions League, while the third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams will compete in the Europa League qualifiers.

This season of the Croatian First Football League is played as in previous seasons, with a total of 36 rounds.

The first half-season ended on December 18 with back-to-back games between Dinamo and Rijeka, and the big news for the spring part of the season is that video technology (VAR) will be used.

1st round:

Osijek - Slaven Belupo 2:0
Dinamo - Lokomotiva 3:0
Rijeka - Varaždin 2:1
Gorica - Inter Zaprešić 1:1
Hajduk - Istra 1961 2:0

2nd round:

Inter Zaprešić - Istra 1961 0:2
Varaždin - Hajduk 0:3
Lokomotiva - Rijeka 0:1
Slaven Belupo - Dinamo 0:3
Gorica - Osijek 3:1

3rd round:

Dinamo - Gorica 3:1
Istra 1961 - Varaždin 3:1
Rijeka - Slaven Belupo 3:1
Hajduk - Lokomotiva 3:0
Osijek - Inter Zaprešić 3:1

4th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Varaždin 2:2
Lokomotiva - Istra 1961 4:1
Slaven Belupo - Hajduk 2:1
Gorica - Rijeka 2:0
Osijek - Dinamo 0:0

5th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Dinamo 1:2
Rijeka - Osijek 1:1
Hajduk - Gorica 3:0
Istra 1961 - Slaven Belupo 2:3
Varaždin - Lokomotiva 1:1

6th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Lokomotiva 1:2
Slaven Belupo - Varaždin 1:1
Gorica - Istra 1961 1:1
Osijek - Hajduk 1:0
Dinamo - Rijeka 3:0

7th round:

Rijeka – Inter Zaprešić 1:1
Hajduk – Dinamo 1:0
Istra 1961 -  Osijek 0:0
Varaždin – Gorica 1:3
Lokomotiva – Slaven Belupo 6:1

8th round:

Dinamo - Istra 1961 1:0
Inter Zaprešić - Slaven Belupo 3:1
Gorica - Lokomotiva 0:0
Osijek - Varaždin 2:2
Rijeka - Hajduk 1:1

9th round:

Lokomotiva - Osijek 2:1
Slaven Belupo - Gorica 2:0
Varaždin - Dinamo 1:0
Hajduk - Inter Zaprešić 3:1
Istra 1961 - Rijeka 0:3

10th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Gorica 0:2
Slaven Belupo - Osijek 0:4
Lokomotiva - Dinamo 0:4
Varaždin - Rijeka 0:2
Istra 1961 - Hajduk 1:1

11th round:

Istra 1961 - Inter Zaprešić 2:2
Hajduk - Varaždin 2:0
Rijeka - Lokomotiva 1:1
Dinamo - Slaven Belupo 1:0
Osijek - Gorica 2:1

12th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Osijek 3:3
Gorica - Dinamo 2:4
Slaven Belupo - Rijeka 1:2
Lokomotiva - Hajduk 0:0
Varaždin - Istra 1961 1:0

13th round:

Varaždin - Inter Zaprešić 0:1
Istra 1961 - Lokomotiva 0:2
Hajduk - Slaven Belupo 2:0
Rijeka - Gorica 1:2
Dinamo - Osijek 1:0

14th round:

Dinamo - Inter Zaprešić 1:0
Osijek - Rijeka 3:2
Gorica - Hajduk 2:1
Slaven Belupo - Istra 1961 0:0
Lokomotiva - Varaždin 2:1

15th round:

Lokomotiva - Inter Zaprešić 3:1
Varaždin - Slaven Belupo 0:0
Istra 1961 - Gorica 2:2
Hajduk - Osijek 3:2
Rijeka - Dinamo 0:5

16th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Rijeka 1:4
Dinamo - Hajduk 1:1
Osijek - Istra 1961 1:0
Gorica - Varaždin 1:0
Slaven Belupo - Lokomotiva 1:0

17th round:

Slaven Belupo - Inter Zaprešić 3:0
Lokomotiva - Gorica 4:0
Varaždin - Osijek 1:1
Istra 1961 - Dinamo 1:2
Hajduk - Rijeka 0:4

18th round:

Inter Zaprešić - Hajduk 1:1
Rijeka - Istra 1961 2:0
Dinamo - Varaždin 1:0
Osijek - Lokomotiva 4:0
Gorica - Slaven Belupo 2:0

19th round:

Gorica - Inter Zaprešić 1:1
Osijek - Slaven Belupo 3:2
Dinamo - Lokomotiva 1:0
Rijeka - Varaždin 3:1
Hajduk - Istra 1961 2:1

20th round: 

Inter - Istra 1961 (Friday, 31 January at 18:00)
Varaždin - Hajduk (Sunday, 2 February at 15:00)
Lokomotiva - Rijeka (Saturday, 1 February at 15:00)
Slaven Belupo - Dinamo (Saturday, 1 February at 17:30)
Gorica - Osijek (Sunday, 2 February at 17:30)

21st round:

Osijek - Inter Zaprešić (Saturday, 8 February at 15:00)
Dinamo - Gorica (Sunday, 9 February at 17:30)
Rijeka - Slaven Belupo (Sunday, 9 February at 15:00)
Hajduk - Lokomotiva (Saturday, 8 February at 17:30)
Istra 1961 - Varaždin (Friday,  7 February at 18:00)

22nd round:

Inter Zaprešić - Varaždin (Saturday, 15 February at 15:00)
Lokomotiva - Istra 1961 (Friday, 14 February at 18:00)
Slaven Belupo - Hajduk (Saturday, 15 February at 17:30)
Gorica - Rijeka (Sunday, 16 February at 17:30)
Osijek - Dinamo (Sunday, 16 February at 15:00)

23rd round:

Dinamo - Inter Zaprešić (Sunday, 23 February at 15:00)
Rijeka - Osijek (Saturday, 22 February at 17:30)
Hajduk - Gorica (Saturday 22 February at 15:00)
Istra 1961 - Slaven Belupo (Sunday, 23 February at 17:30)
Varaždin - Lokomotiva (Friday, 21. February at 18:00)

24th round (28 February – 1 March):

Inter Zaprešić - Lokomotiva
Slaven Belupo - Varaždin
Gorica - Istra 1961
Osijek - Hajduk
Dinamo - Rijeka

25th round (3 – 5 March):

Rijeka - Inter Zaprešić
Hajduk - Dinamo
Istra 1961 - Osijek
Varaždin - Gorica
Lokomotiva - Slaven Belupo

26th round (7 – 9 March):

Inter Zaprešić - Slaven Belupo
Gorica - Lokomotiva
Osijek - Varaždin
Dinamo - Istra 1961
Rijeka - Hajduk

27th round (13 – 15 March):

Hajduk - Inter Zaprešić
Istra 1961 - Rijeka
Varaždin - Dinamo
Lokomotiva - Osijek
Slaven Belupo - Gorica

28th round (20 – 22 March):

Inter Zaprešić - Gorica
Slaven Belupo - Osijek
Dinamo - Lokomotiva
Varaždin - Rijeka
Istra 1961 - Hajduk

29th round (3 – 5 April):

Istra 1961 - Inter Zaprešić
Hajduk - Varaždin
Rijeka - Lokomotiva
Dinamo - Slaven Belupo
Osijek - Gorica

30th round (9 – 11 April):

Inter Zaprešić - Osijek
Gorica - Dinamo
Slaven Belupo - Rijeka
Lokomotiva - Hajduk
Varaždin - Istra 1961

31st round (17 – 19 April):

Varaždin - Inter Zaprešić
Istra 1961 - Lokomotiva
Hajduk - Slaven Belupo
Rijeka - Gorica
Dinamo - Osijek

32nd round (21 – 23 April):

Inter Zaprešić - Dinamo
Osijek - Rijeka
Gorica - Hajduk
Slaven Belupo - Istra 1961
Lokomotiva - Varaždin

33r round (25 – 27 May):

Lokomotiva - Inter Zaprešić
Varaždin - Slaven Belupo
Istra 1961 - Gorica
Hajduk - Osijek
Rijeka - Dinamo

34th round (1 – 3 May):

Inter Zaprešić - Rijeka
Dinamo - Hajduk
Osijek - Istra 1961
Gorica - Varaždin
Slaven Belupo

35th round (8 – 10 May):

Slaven Belupo - Inter Zaprešić
Lokomotiva - Gorica
Varaždin - Osijek
Istra 1961 - Dinamo
Hajduk - Rijeka

36th round (15 – 17 May):

Inter Zaprešić - Hajduk
Rijeka - Istra 1961
Dinamo - Varaždin
Osijek - Lokomotiva
Gorica - Slaven Belupo

Source: Gol.hr

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

January 22, 2020 - The International Institute for Football History and Statistics has released a table of the most successful clubs in 2019, with the Croatian champion Dinamo coming in 11th place.

According to the calculations of the International Institute of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), the current European champion Liverpool is the best club in 2019, ahead of Spanish club Barcelona, Manchester City and Brazil's Flamenco, the only South American representative among the top ten.

Croatian clubs are led by national champion Dinamo, which is just behind the top ten, in a high 11th place with 234 points, ahead of Brazilian greats Palmeiras and Atletico Mineira. Dinamo has thus moved up an impressive ten places from the also successful 2018 ranking.

Recall, in 2019, Dinamo became the Croatian champion in April, securing the 30th championship title in the club's history and the 20th title for the club in independent Croatia.  

Furthermore, Dinamo also advanced to the Champions League group stage. Though they finished last in the group, they had an impressive 4:0 win against Atalanta and drew to Shakhtar Donetsk twice. Dinamo was not as lucky against Manchester City, one of the best clubs in the world, losing 2:0 away and 1:4 at Maksimir. 

The Croatian Cup champion Rijeka holds 108th place with 126 points, between teams Petro de Luanda and Al Nassar, followed by Osijek (200th), Hajduk (217th), Gorica (290th) and Lokomotiva (340th).

IFFHS, Club Ranking for 2019:

1. Liverpool 316
2. Barcelona 293
3. Manchester City 284
4. Flamengo 275
5. Celtic 269
6. Valencia 268
7. Ajax 249,5
8. Chelsea 249
9. PSG 243
10. Wolverhampton 236
11. Dinamo Zagreb 234
...
108. Rijeka 126
...
200. Osijek 94
...
217. Hajduk 90
...
290. Gorica 74
...
340. Lokomotiva 67

Source: HNS

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

December 23, 2019 - Igor Tudor is the new coach of Hajduk Split!

After almost five years, Igor Tudor will again take over the Hajduk bench in early January. The club confirmed that the 40-year-old Split football expert would lead the team through their 2020 winter preparations. The first official match of the newly appointed Hajduk strategist after 2015 will be in February against Varazdin.

Tudor first sat on the Hajduk bench back in 2013 as a celebrated Hajduk player and Croatia national team member. Shortly after taking over Hajduk, Tudor won the Croatian Football Cup, in which Hajduk topped Lokomotiva.

Tudor’s first term as Hajduk coach was from April 2013 until February 2015, and over the three seasons, he led Hajduk in a total of 77 official games, affirming several young players. In the meantime, he has led the Greek club PAOK, the Turkish clubs Karabukspor and Galatasaray, and has twice been coach of the Italian club Udinese.

Tudor served as Eduard Reja's professional staff in the 2009/10 season and worked at the Hajduk Academy as a cadet trainer before his first term on the Hajduk bench.

Igor Tudor made his debut for Hajduk as a player on October 11, 1995, in a Cup match against Marsonia. In total, he recorded 127 appearances in the Hajduk jersey, with 11 goals scored. He left Hajduk in 1998 for Juventus, Italy, where he achieved some of the most significant successes in his rich player career, which he completed in the summer of 2008, where he began, in his favorite Hajduk jersey. He won the bronze medal at the 1998 World Cup in France with Croatia. 

We will have more info on the signing soon.

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

December 16, 2019 - Hajduk officially presented Mario Stanic and Ivan Kepcija as new members of the club at a press conference at Poljud on Monday. 

The club sent out a call to the media Monday morning that a press conference would begin at noon, without specifying the subject matter. In the meantime, we’ve learned that the Split club presented President Marin Brbic's new closest associates - namely, Mario Stanic and Ivan Kepcija. Stanic has been named President Brbic's new advisor on sports policy, and Kepcija the new sports director.

"With us is Mario Stanic, a celebrated international footballer, and Ivan Kepcija, a respected junior specialist. I see this combination as a long-term solution to our sports policy," said President Brbic.

"First of all, hello to everyone. I am happy to see you. I would also like to thank President Brbic and Hajduk for their confidence. This is a great honor; we come as professionals with a vision. Personally, I think Hajduk is at some kind of a turning point, which means that they will continue to monitor the football market or turn to themselves. I would rather not be a part of a Hajduk that follows fashion but creates it,” Stanic said.

"Hello everyone, it is a great privilege to be a part of a club like this. I hope that together with Mario, I will contribute to raising the quality in all segments of the club. As Mario said, I also do not like to talk much but to work and that the work of all of us will be judged,” said Kepcija.

Mario Stanic was born in Sarajevo on April 10, 1972, and is a celebrated Croatia national team member and bronze medalist at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Stanic started his football career at FC Zeljeznicar, and also played for Croatia Zagreb, Sporting Gijon, SL Benfica, Club Brugge, AC Parma and Chelsea.

He made 49 appearances for the Croatia national team, scoring seven goals, which includes Croatia's historic first goal at the World Cup.

Ivan Kepcija was born on May 9, 1982, in Pula and graduated with a BA in Economics from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb and Kinesiology at Saint Mary's College of California.

In the US, he worked as a football coach and technical director of the San Ramon Soccer Club. He started his coaching career in 2004 as a coach at the Jadran Youth School in Poreč. A year later, he went to the United States to study, where he stayed until 2014.

For three years, he was the Deputy Leader of the GNK Dinamo Academy, which he joined in 2014, and at the same time, he served as assistant coach to then-coach Ferdi Milin for the U-19 Croatia national team, which lasted two years.

From 2017 to 2018, Ivan Kepcija was the sports director of the Warsaw Legia. 

More info soon...

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December 16, 2019 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 13 to 15, 2019. This was the final round of the winter season for all clubs apart from Dinamo and Rijeka, who will make up their 6th round game on December 18, 2019. As the table stands now, Dinamo sits in first, Hajduk in second, and Rijeka in third place. 

Gorica v. Inter Zapresic (1:1)

Gorica and Inter opened the 19th round on Friday, December 13, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 689 fans. Zwolinski scored for Gorica in the first minute of the game to make it 1:0. Muhammed saw his second yellow card just before the half, forcing Gorica to play with a man down for the entire second half. Tsonev equalized for Inter in the 69th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 29 points, while Inter is in 8th place with 13. 

Rijeka v. Varazdin (3:1)

Rijeka and Varazdin met at Rujevica stadium on Saturday, December 14, 2019, in front of 3,865 fans. 

Acosty opened the scoring spree for Rijeka with a goal in the 12th minute for 1:0 at the half. Colak increased Rijeka’s lead to 2:0 in the 47th minute. A penalty for Varazdin in the 83rd saw a 2:1 result, though Colak scored again for Rijeka in the 90th for a final score of 3:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 34 points, while Varazdin is in the last place with 12. 

Dinamo v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Dinamo and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at Maksimir stadium in front of 1,935 fans. 

The first half went without goals, and Dinamo’s only goal of the game came when Olmo scored in the 67th minute.

Dinamo is currently in first place with 44 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 28. 

Osijek v. Slaven Belupo (3:2)

Osijek and Belupo met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, December 16, 2019, in front of 2,058 fans. 

Maric scored for Osijek in the first minute of the game for 1:0 at the half. Lulic equalized in the 51st minute for 1:1, though a Maric penalty and a goal by Kleinheisler increased Osijek’s lead to 3:1 by the 65th minute. Bozic scored for Belupo in the 72nd for the final score of 3:2. 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 33 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 18. 

Hajduk v. Istra 1961 (2:1)

Hajduk and Istra closed out the 19th round at Poljud on Sunday, December 16, 2019, in front of 6,262 fans. 

Istra was the first to score with a goal by Fintic right before the whistle blew for the half for 0:1. However, two goals from Caktas in the 62nd and 69th minutes saw Hajduk celebrate 2:1 in the end. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 35 points, while Istra is in 9th with 12. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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