Marin Brbić led Hajduk as the president for four years, from 2012 to 2016. He was remembered as the man who managed to save the club from bankruptcy during one of its toughest times. On Wednesday, Hajduk announced that Brbić would lead the club once again. 

You’re all probably familiar by now with the Hajduk v. Liam Gallagher story - and if you’re not, here's a quick recap. Namely, Liam Gallagher and his clothing label Pretty Green have been accused of copying the badge of Hajduk Split, which can be seen on some of their latest arrivals. You can read our initial story here. 

Numerous media reports in Croatia and England have picked up the story since, and now the question remains of whether Hajduk will move forward with the legal action they are currently considering. 

Liam Gallagher, however, claims there is no relation between the features on his Pretty Green garments and Hajduk Split. He even released a Tweet over the weekend saying he’ll see Hajduk in court over the accusation.

“All these cray reports bout the man and his glorious fashion label being accused of ripiforcation of the rubadub dub in Croatia  it bears the soul of a scooter rally mod badgeiforcation I’ll see you in court ya big girls blouses pffff.”

All these cray reports bout the man and his glorious fashion label being accused of ripiforcation of the rubadub dub in Croatia ?? it bears the soul of a scooter rally mod badgeiforcation I’ll see you in court ya big girls blouses pffff

— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) February 28, 2019

Well, while there might be similarities to a mod badge, this Pretty Green badge is still far too close to that of Hajduk. 

Did Liam ask Hajduk for permission? Could Hajduk actually take Gallagher to court? Experts chimed into Slobodna Dalmacija on March 4, 2019, to tell us more. 

“From what I have seen, there are very reasonable suspicions that this is a plagiarism of Hajduk and Hajduk's legal team, according to what is seen in the media on this subject, has a strong point in the legal battle to prove the violation of copyright,” says designer Petar Jerković from Split, the owner of the company "Visualsport", which works with the design of sports jerseys, and whose works were often the target of plagiarism.

“I'm not a lawyer, but what I know as a designer, is that it's a matter of plagiarism if seventy percent of the work is the same, and in this case, it's more than that. The ratios, colors, shapes, even the border of the coats of arms are identical. It is hard to believe that the person who designed the coat of arms at Pretty Green didn’t at least see the Hajduk badge before,” says Jerković, adding that, of course, now everything is a matter of proving it in court, that is, if Hajduk's legal team decides to seek justice at all.

“As far as I know, there is English law, which is the protection of intellectually owned property, which is much more rigorously set than the European one, but in reality it is not easy to conduct such court processes because they last and cost,” says designer Jerković, who is currently leading a court dispute of the same nature, and has already experienced plagiarism several times from different parts of the world.

“Frankly, when someone does it outside of our borders, it's challenging to handle, because such court processes, I repeat, are costly. But in this case, if there is a dispute at all, it will be primarily a graphics expert who will give an opinion on the similarities and differences between the two badges. If it was about different colors, and if the checkers, I do not know, were yellow and black, then Pretty Green might have been the author of the coat of arms, but I think that there is simply too much of a similarity here for it to be a coincidence.

In addition, if the model is not the Hajduk coat of arms, but the emblems of the subculture group from England, then Liam Gallagher must prove it in the eventual trial,” says Jerković, who reminds that the fight for copyright protection is one of the most critical issues of today.

Designer Boris Ljubičić, who has been seriously involved in design and national identity throughout his career, agrees that this is most likely plagiarism. 

“Yes, they say that if it covers seventy percent, then it is plagiarism, and this is the question of up to ninety percent of the elements!’

Will Hajduk continue with legal action after all? I guess we will wait and see. 

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

March 4, 2019 - The Croatian First League’s 23rd round saw Hajduk, Rijeka and Gorica win, while Dinamo and Osijek pulled draws over the weekend. 

March 1, 2019 - Liam Gallagher, known best as the frontman of Oasis, has denied claims that his clothing label Pretty Green copied the badge of Hajduk Split. 

February 25, 2019 - The 22nd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 22 to 24, 2019, and featured the highly anticipated derby between Dinamo and Osijek. 

While the bura wind ripped through Croatia’s coast this week, there was no stopping the Croatian First League, which was held despite the blustery winds. The weekend saw some exciting matchups, like Hajduk and Gorica who are neck-and-neck on the table, Dinamo and Osijek who were first and second, and Belupo and Inter in 7th and 8th. 

Without further ado, here is our Croatian First League round 22 recap. 

Rudeš v. Rijeka (2:4)

Rudeš and Rijeka opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 22, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva street stadium in front of 279 fans. 

While Rudeš was the first to score with a penalty by Vuco in the 15th minute, Rijeka did not take long to come back. Gorgan nailed a penalty in the 41st minute, and just three minutes later, Acosty scored for 1:2 at the half.

In the second half, Gorgan hit another goal for 1:3 in the 60th minute and Puljić scored to make it 1:4 for the visiting team. Rudeš did come back to get one more goal after Juranović scored in the 81st. The game ended at 2:4. 

Rudeš remains in the last place on the table with 4 points, while Rijeka has now moved into second place with 41 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Inter Zaprešić (0:1)

Belupo and Inter met in Koprivnica on Saturday, February 23, 2019, in front of 513 fans. 

The first half was quiet and went without goals - and the second half was not much more exciting. Serderov scored for Inter in the 68th minute, which is how the game ended. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 21 points, while Inter is in 8th with 21. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (0:0)

Hajduk and Gorica met at Poljud stadium in front of 6,708 fans on Saturday, February 23, 2019. 

As both teams had to fight against the brutal bura in addition to one another, not much could be accomplished. The game ended without goals. 

Hajduk is currently in 6th place with 31 points, while Gorica is in 5th place with 32. 

Istria 1961 v. Lokomotiva Zagreb (0:0)

Istria and Lokomotiva met in Pula on Sunday, February 24, 2019, in front of 816 fans. 

It was another scoreless game which did not see much excitement from either team. The game ended 0:0. 

Istria is currently in 9th place with 17 points, while Lokomotiva is in 4th with 36. 

Dinamo v Osijek (3:0)

Dinamo and Osijek closed out the 22nd round with the highly anticipated derby at Maksimir stadium on Sunday, February 24, 2019, in front of 4,304 fans. 

Coming off a high after advancing into the last 16 of the Europa League, Dinamo had no intention of slowing down. Andrić scored first for Dinamo in the 8th minute to make it 1:0, and Atiemwen sacred for 2:0 in the 21st minute. 

Rrahmani scored in the 60th minute for 3:0 to secure the Dinamo blowout over the Osijek club. 

Dinamo remains in the first place with 57 points, while Osijek has now fallen to third place with 40 points. 

You can see the Croatian First League table here. 

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

February 20, 2019 - The recognizable badge of Hajduk Split has caught the eye of one of music’s greatest frontmen. 

Jasmin Huljaj is no longer the Hajduk president, which was confirmed at a press conference held on Monday afternoon. Huljaj resigned from his position after only six months, reports Index.hr on February 18, 2019. 

Interestingly, the Croatian media received the call just 45 minutes ahead of the press conference, without any hints about the meeting until Huljaj’s address.

"This is my personal decision I made after six months of work in Hajduk. My family situation also contributed to my decision making. I definitely felt that I had to communicate with the Supervisory Board, the decision was made, and we are working together on a smooth transition. We’ve had an excellent transfer period, we sorted the finances and the club system. I will do my best with NO and the new president to make sure the transition works as smoothly as it has. We formed a scouting office, we have achieved all goals, we did not complete the transfer period in some countries, but we are happy. I will be available to the new president of the club for advice and support, even after I leave the club. This is an emotional moment for me, but I see it as the club's progress. I'm happy with the people I've worked with and see that they are doing well,” said Huljaj, adding:

“I went with small steps, of one month, three months, and set goals, which was first the financial condition of the club - we set it up, and I'm pleased with it. I'm happy with the sports committee, we started to plan and work ahead of time. Today we plan two to three transfer deadlines in advance. The decision matured me, it was not easy, but I'm proud of how it is now. I am equally satisfied with the Supervisory Board."

The representatives of the Supervisory Board repeatedly pointed out that no one influenced his decision, and that Huljaj is staying with the club and would help the new president with advice.

Huljaj succeeded Ivan Kos in July last year, and under his leadership, Hajduk achieved a record transfer by selling Ante Palaversa to Manchester City.

“I remain a Hajduk fan, I will lobby for Hajduk wherever I get, I will be here to help the new president... I will return to legal business and dedicate more to my family in Rijeka,” added Huljaj, who made the decision to leave in January, but at the request of the Supervisory Board, remained for the first three rounds of the second part of the season.

"I am proud of the financial stability of the club and the fact that we have awakened the work community and other organs of the club."

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

February 18, 2019 - The 21st round of the Croatian First League featured the Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk. 

The 21st round of the Croatia First League was played from February 15 to 17, 2019. While the most exciting part was the Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk, the weekend did exhibit some surprises - like Osijek struggling to get past Istra, or Lokomotiva drawing with the last-placed team. 

Without further ado, here is our Croatian First League 21st round recap. 

Lokomotiva v. Rudeš (0:0)

Lokomotiva and Rudeš met at Kranjčevićeva street stadium to open the 21st round on February 15, 2019. 

It was a rather slow game which saw no goals and no real excitement. In front of 324 fans, Lokomotiva and Rudeš drew 0:0. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 4th place with 35 points, while Rudeš is in last with 4. 

Rijeka v. Hajduk (0:0)

Rijeka and Hajduk met for the highly anticipated Adriatic Derby on Saturday, February 16, 2019, at Rujevica stadium in front of 6,527 fans. 

While Rijeka was the favorite to win, Hajduk continued with their winning mentality and made it anything but easy for Rijeka. A Hajduk goal was called back in the first half, and the game ended in a goalless draw. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 38 points, while Hajduk is in 6th with 30. 

Gorica v. Inter Zaprešić (2:2)

Gorica and Inter met in front of 1,629 fans at Radnik stadium on Saturday, February 16, 2019. 

Inter was the first to take the lead with two goals in the first six minutes by Serderov and Rak. Gorica’s Lovrić came back with one in the 11th minute for 1:2, Zwolinski missed a penalty in the 47th, and Suk came back to equalize in the 84th for 2:2.

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 31 points, while Inter is in 8th with 18. 

Osijek v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Osijek and Istra met on Sunday, February 18, 2019, at City Garden stadium in front of 2,252 fans. 

It was another mostly unexciting game between Osijek and Istra, which saw no goals in the first half. It wasn’t until the 68th minute that Abazaj scored for a 1:0 Osijek win. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 40 points, while Istra is in 9th with 16. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Belupo closed out the 21st round of the Croatian First League at Maksimir on Sunday, February 17, 2019, in front of 2,383 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Dinamo managed three in the second - by Hajrović in the 67th, Orsić in the 78th, and Musa in the 88th. Dinamo won 3:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 54 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 21. 

You can check out next week's games here. 

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

February 13, 2019 - On this day 108 years ago, the beloved football club of Dalmatia, Hajduk Split, was found. 

Hajduk was born in a Prague pub by four Split students, Fabian Kaliterna, Lucijan Stella, Ivan Šakić and Vjekoslav Ivanišević. Delighted by the football played in the world's top clubs, like Sparta and Slavia, they came to the idea of establishing a football club in Split. Despite the Split people's initial lack of understanding, the idea quickly captivated the city. 

Only the name of the club had yet to be chosen. Professor Josip Barač suggested "the club should be called Hajduk", which was accepted with enthusiasm. Hajduk was officially registered on February 13, 1911. 

The first president of the club was Dr. Kruno Kolombatović, and the first coach Čeh Oldrich Just. In their first official match, Hajduk lost 0:9 to Calcio Spalato. 

Hajduk has made it to the Champions League quarter-final three times

Through its rich history, Hajduk has won 18 Championships in five countries, 15 National Cups and 5 Super Cups, and its biggest European achievements are the three Champions League quarter-finals and one semi-final of the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup.

Hajduk boasts the oldest fan group in Europe

As soon as the World Cup in Brazil ended, marked by fantastic and fanatical Brazilians, a group of Split students in Zagreb decided to form a fan group based on the Brazilian Torcida. Hajduk’s Torcida was thus founded on October 28, 1950, by engineering student Vjenceslav Žuvela. Thanks to their loud chants and cheering, Torcida became the twelfth player of Hajduk and helped them win their first post-war title. On October 29, 1950, Hajduk played against Red Star to become the champion of Yugoslavia.

According to the 2005 GfK survey, 24% of the total Croatian population supports Hajduk. Hajduk has fans all over Croatia and even in the world, and there are fans clubs in Australia, America, and across Europe. 

Hajduk is one of the few clubs that has never been relegated from the First League

The Poljud club has never dropped out of the First League, which is rare even in the world. Hajduk's last title, however, was won in 2005, when Niko Kranjčar, Nenad Pralija, Vladimir Balić, Dragan Blatnjak, Hrvoje Vejić, and others were part of the club. 

Who has played for Hajduk?

Many famous Croatian footballers have gone through the Poljud dressing room, and some left an incredibly deep mark in the history of the club like Vladimir Beara, Frane and Jozo Matošić, and Bajdo Vukas.

In addition to them, the Hajduk jersey has been worn by Ivica Šurjak, Stipe Pletikosa, Darijo Srna, Aljoša Asanović, Niko Kranjčar, Milan Rapaić, Slaven Bilić, Ivan Strinić, Danijel Subašić, Blaž Slišković, Zlatko Vujović, Alen Bokšić, Vlade Kragić, Ante Žanetić and many others.

In its 108 years, Hajduk has been led by numerous coaches, and the most significant achievements were achieved by Luka Kaliterna (two championships), Ljubo Benčić (three championships), Tomislav Ivić (three cups and three championships), Stanko Poklepović (championship and super cup) and Ivan Katalinić (two championships, two cups and two super cups).

To the club that lives forever, Happy 108th Birthday, Hajduk!

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

Source: Index.hr

February 11, 2019 - The 20th round of the Croatian First League began on February 8th with Rudeš and Osijek and ended on February 10th with Hajduk and Lokomotiva.