March 16, 2021 - After the Croatian Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, Istra 1961 and Gorica advance to the semifinals against Rijeka and Dinamo. 

Istra 1961 advanced to the Croatian Cup semifinals after defeating the third division Oriolik from Oriovac 3-0 (0-0). Two goals were scored by Japanese player Taichi Hara (61, 86), while Mario Živatović scored an own goal in the 89th minute.

In the small town of Oriovac, halfway between Gradiška and Slavonski Brod, Istra reached the semifinals of the Cup in tough playing conditions - rain, wind, and a sloppy pitch. 

Third division club Oriolik, for whom this is the greatest success in its 98 years, dominated in the first half. In the first nine minutes, Batalo and Marušić missed nearly guaranteed chances to score.

A penalty came in the 61st minute when Hara escaped from offside and scored for the Istra lead. Hara scored again in the 86th minute, and the final 3-0 was the work of Oriolik's Živatović, who scored an own goal in the 89th minute.

In the second quarterfinal on Tuesday, Gorica topped Hajduk 3-0 in Velika Gorica. Gorica and Hajduk also played just three days ago in the HNL, which ended 1:1

Kristijan Lovrić was Gorica's hero, scoring an early goal in the 9th minute for 1-0 at the half. Lovrić scored his second goal of the match for 2-0 in the 83rd minute, while Nimely made it 3-0 in the final minute of regulation time. Ivan Dolček scored for Hajduk in the 60th minute but it was called offside. 

Advancing to the Cup semis is Gorica's greatest achievement in club history.

In the other quarterfinal matches played at the beginning of the month, Rijeka celebrated at Osijek (2-1) and Dinamo at home against Slaven Belupo (2-0). 

In the semifinals, Gorica will play against Dinamo at Maksimirr, and Istra 1961 will host Rijeka in Pula.

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

March 15, 2021 - The 25th round of the Croatian First League was held from March 12 to 14, 2021. This round saw Hajduk and Gorica draw, while Dinamo and Osijek recorded blowout victories against Varazdin and Sibenik. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (1:1)

Rijeka and Slaven Belupo opened the 25th round on Friday, March 12, 2021, at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka. 

While the first half ended without goals, Andrijasevic gave Rijeka the lead in the 52nd minute, though van Bruggen scored the equalizer for Belupo with 15 minutes to go for the 1:1 result. 

Rijeka is currently in 5th place with 33 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 23. 

Lokomotiva v. Istra 1961 (0:1) 

Lokomotiva and Istra met on Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Navarro scored the only goal of the match in the 38th minute for 0:1 Istra. Simic scored from offside for Lokomotiva at the start of the second half which was called back thanks to VAR. 

Lokomotiva is currently in the last place with 20 points, while Istra is in 8th with 23. 

Gorica v. Hajduk (1:1)

Gorica and Hajduk met in Velika Gorica on Saturday, March 13, 2021. 

Hajduk's Mujakic scored an own goal for Gorica in the 6th minute, giving the home team the early lead. Hajduk's Atanasov came back to equalize for Hajduk for 1:1 at the half. Neither team could score in the second half. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 48 points, while Hajduk has moved to 4th place with 33. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo (0:5)

Varazdin and Dinamo met in Varazdin on Sunday, March 14, 2021. 

Atiemwen opened the scoring spree for Dinamo with a goal in the 7th minute. Misic and Gavanovic followed with goals in the 16th and 24th minutes, making it 0:3 for Dinamo at the half. 

Two goals by Orsic in the 70th and 78th minute made it 0:5, which was the final score of the game. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 22 points, while Dinamo is in first place with 57. 

Sibenik v. Osijek (0:4)

Sibenik and Osijek closed out the 25th round on Sunday, March 14, 2021, in Sibenik. 

Kleinheisler scored the first goal for Osijek in the 13th minute for 0:1. Mierez and Santini increased Osijek's lead at the start of the second half for 0:3 in the 49th minute. Erceg scored Osijek's last goal for the 0:4 final score.

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 26 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 55. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

March 8, 2021 - The 24th round of the Croatian First League was held from March 5 to 7, 2021. In this round, Dinamo tops Rijeka 2:0, and Osijek and Gorica draw at City Garden Stadium. 

Istra 1961 v. Sibenik (3:2)

Istra and Sibenik opened the 24th round on Friday, March 5, 2021, in Pula. 

Sahiti put Sibenik in the lead with one minute to go in the first half (0:1). Grzan scored a penalty for Istra 10 minutes later to equalize, and Ivancic put Istra in the lead two minutes after that for 2:1. Hara gave Istra the 3:1 lead in the 63rd minute, and Sibenik's Bulat scored for 3:2 in the 75th minute for the final result. 

Istra is currently in last place with 17 points, while Sibenik is in 6th place with 26. 

Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Belupo and Lokomotiva met in Koprivnica on Saturday, March 6, 2021. 

Neither team was able to score, and the match ended at 0:0.

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 20. 

Hajduk v. Varazdin (2:0)

Hajduk and Varazdin met on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Colina opened the match with a goal for Hajduk in the 8th minute (1:0). An own goal by Memija just before the half made it 2:0. Hajduk's Fossati and Varazdin's Guera Djou were given their second yellows and sent off the pitch in a dramatic end to the match. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 22. 

Osijek v. Gorica (1:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at City Garden Stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, Dieye gave Gorica the 0:1 lead in the 55th minute. Osijek didn't equalize until the 88th minute when Bohar scored a penalty for 1:1.  

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 52 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 47. 

Dinamo v. Rijeka (2:0)

Dinamo and Rijeka closed out the 24th round on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium.

Ivanusec scored Dinamo's first goal in the 27th minute for 1:0 at the half. Orsic increased Dinamo's lead in the 65th minute for 2:0, which was the final result. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 54 points, while Rijeka dropped to 5th with 32. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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

March 4, 2021 - Hajduk jumps to 2nd in HNL player value thanks to an impressive winter transfer window that brought in Lovre Kalinić, Marco Fossati, Marko Livaja, and Alexander Kačaniklić.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that after the winter transfer window, Hajduk is again the second HNL team in player value.

Only two months ago, due to the disastrous summer and autumn, the club's value, according to Transfermarkt, dropped to EUR 20.5 million, which placed it only fourth in the league standings, even behind Rijeka (24.2) and Osijek (20.9). As the results fell, so did the value of Hajduk's players.

However, the market activity during the winter and bringing in players like Lovre Kalinić and Marko Livaja certainly enhanced the club, thus bringing it a new value.

First, the President of the Management Board, Lukša Jakobušić, brought back goalkeeper Kalinić on loan from Aston Villa in December (until the end of June this year). Then, Hajduk's sports director Mindaugas Nikoličius showed his worth, bringing in the brilliant Marko Livaja, who had terminated his contract with AEK Athens, and Swedish winger Alexander Kačaniklić, who once played in England for Fulham and the French Ligue 1.

Midfielder Marco Fossati completed the quartet of experienced players who strengthened Hajduk this winter, arriving on loan from the Italian second league club Monza.

Including the departures of Gyurcso, Ljubić, Delić, and Radić, who also have a certain price, Hajduk became richer by almost five million euro compared to December last year (25.3).

Osijek is close to EUR 24.8, and Rijeka is not far from EUR 23.8. At the top, of course, is Dinamo with EUR 103.3 million, which is more than Hajduk, Osijek, Rijeka, and even Gorica (19.4) combined.

The HNL table confirms that these numbers are not necessarily a guarantee of success, as Osijek is practically equal to Dinamo, Gorica is third, and Hajduk is fifth. 

At EUR 3 million, Livaja is the most expensive of Hajduk's new players. Only Mijo Caktaš (3.7) has a higher price than him. Kalinić is worth EUR 2.8 million, Kačaniklić EUR 1.2 million, and Fossati EUR 400,000.

Not only did they raise the value on paper, but these players also left an excellent first impression. This is especially true of Kalinić, who came first. His presence has a calming effect on the rest of the team, and last week his heroics saved Hajduk's victory against Rijeka, defending Andrijašević's penalty in the final seconds of the match.

In any case, Hajduk succeeded in the transfer window, perhaps even better than the fans expected. The first impressions are positive, the value of the team has grown, and now it must only be translated into results on the pitch. 

HNL Clubs in millions (compared with Decemberr 2020)

1. Dinamo 103.3 (+2.7)

2. Hajduk 125.3 (+4.8)

3. Osijek 124.8 (+3.9)

4. Rijeka 123.8 (-0.4)

5. Gorica 119.4 (-0.9)

6. Lokomotiva 113.8 (-0.9)

7. Istra 1961 119.8 (+3.2)

8. Varaždin 118.0 (-0.9)

9. Slaven Belupo 117.8 (+0.6)

10. Šibenik 117.5 (+0.5)

11. Total 243.5 (+12.6)

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

March 3, 2021 - The first two rounds of the Croatian Cup quarterfinals were held on Wednesday. Rijeka and Dinamo are the first two Croatian clubs to secure their spot in the semifinals. 

The current Croatian Cup titleholders celebrated 2:1 on the road against Osijek in the first quarterfinal match of this year's Croatian Cup.

Rijeka's Robert Murić scored the leading goal in the 7th minute for 1:0. Osijek equalized in the 14th minute thanks to captain Mile Škorić. In the 35th minute, Rijeka goalkeeper Nevistić saved Mierez's penalty. The winning goal for Rijeka was scored again by Murić from a penalty kick in the 71st minute.

Slobodan Kadic

In his first game on the Rijeka bench, Goran Tomić came to victory and took the defending champions to the semifinals.

This was the first time Nenad Bjelica's Osijek were defeated at City Garden Stadium. The match at City Garden Stadium was reffed by Mario Zebec. 

Dinamo and Slaven Belupo met in the second quarterfinal match at 5 pm at Maksimir, only three days after Dinamo won against Belupo 3:0 at the same stadium. 

Dinamo coach Zoran Mamić rested goalkeeper Dominik Livaković and defender Rasmus Lauritsen this match, instead giving a chance to Mario Gavranović, Marko Tolić, and Lirim Kastrati. 

While the first half ended 0:0, a Dinamo penalty scored by Bruno Petkovic in the 70th minute helped the Zagreb club turn the game around. Captain Arijan Ademi scored eight minutes later for 2:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Recall, Gorica v Hajduk and Oriolik v Istra 1961 will play their quarterfinal round matches on March 16 and 17, 2021. Hajduk secured the last quarterfinal spot on Tuesday after beating Zagreb 3:0 at Veslačka Street Stadium in Zagreb.

The semi-final matches are scheduled for March 31, and the final will be played on May 19, 2021. 

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

March 2, 2021 - Hajduk tops NK Zagreb 3:0 in the final Croatian Cup round of 16 match on Tuesday. 

Hajduk beat Zagreb 3:0 at Veslačka Street Stadium in Zagreb on Tuesday and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Croatian Cup, where they will play away against Gorica later this month. 

Like other clubs in the lower leagues, NK Zagreb does not have a license to play league matches, so they readied for the match against Hajduk by playing friendlies.

On the other hand, Hajduk entered the match coming off two league victories in the past two weeks, both against Rijeka at Rujevica. Between those matches, most of the team was quarantined due to COVID-19. 

The match ended 0:0 at the half, though that quickly changed when coach Paolo Tramezzani subbed on Marko Livaja, Marco Fossati, and Darko Todorović.

In the 58th minute, Jairo scored for 0:1 Hajduk. Six minutes later, Zagreb was left with a player less as Karlo Strunje received his second yellow card, and in the 66th minute, Livaja scored from a free-kick to increase Hajduk's lead to 0:2.

Jairo sealed Hajduk's victory in the 70th minute after Livaja played him phenomenally for 0:3.

Croatian Cup Quarterfinals

Osijek - Rijeka (Wednesday, March 3 at 14:30)
Dinamo - Slaven Belupo (Wednesday, March 3 at 17:00)
Oriolik - Istria 1961 (Wednesday, March 17 at 15:00)
Gorica - Hajduk (Tuesday, March 16 at 17:00)

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

March 1, 2021 - Goran Tomić has been named the new coach of Rijeka!

The former Lokomotiva coach arrives at Rujevica after Simon Rožman left the club on Saturday. Recall, Rijeka suffered a 0:1 defeat to Hajduk in the 23rd round of the HNL on Saturday. 

Goran Tomić came to Rujevica on Sunday. The Šibenik native, who did a top job with Lokomotiva last season, finishing 2nd in the HNL with a spot in the Champions League, recently lost his engagement in China, and ideally fits into the "long-term solution" Rijeka is after. In the Cup final last summer, Tomić lost with Lokomotiva against Rijeka and Rožman in Šibenik.

Tomić left Lokomotiva in early January to succeed Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the bench of Chinese Premier League Guangzhou City. His visa to China was denied after he contracted COVID-19.

Rijeka was taken over by Slovenian expert Simon Rožman in September 2019, when he succeeded Igor Bišćan, who went to the U-21 national team. In the first season on the Rijeka bench, Rožman won the Cup, beating Lokomotiva 1:0 in the final, and won third place in the Croatian championship. Only 12 days ago, he signed to extend his contract with Rijeka.

"Goran Tomić is the new coach of the Croatian Football Club Rijeka. Tomic signed a contract for a year and a half with the possibility to extend for another year. Goran, welcome," announced Rijeka on its Twitter page.

HNK Rijeka presented Goran Tomić at a press conference at 2 pm. 

"I was given a great honor and opportunity to lead one of the largest Croatian clubs. I want to be the coach of a great club and fight for trophies and the highest goals and I thank you for the trust and honor that was shown to me," said Tomić.

"As soon as Rijeka's call came, I didn't hesitate for a second. I come full of energy and confidence in the desire to turn the situation around for the better. I will do everything in cooperation with the headquarters to achieve the goals of Rijeka. There is quality in the team and I will do everything possible in a short period of time to be ready," he added.

Sports director Ivan Mance also wished the new coach all the best.

"At the beginning, we want to thank Simon Rožman for his cooperation, the results show how good he was. He achieved great success, won the Croatian Cup, and achieved placement in the Europa League group stage. I am happy that our first and only candidate for coach has become the coach of Rijeka. Goran, I wish you all the luck in the world and a lot of success."

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

March 1, 2021 - The 23rd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 26 to 28, 2021. In this round, Osijek comes back to beat Varazdin, and Hajduk records another win at Rujevica against Rijeka. 

Varazdin v. Osijek (2:3)

Varazdin and Osijek opened the 23rd round on Friday, February 26, 2021, in Varazdin. 

Peco scored the first goal of the match in the 16th minute for 1:0 Varazdin, which Herrera increased to 2:0 five minutes later. Varazdin could not hold onto their lead for long, with an Osijek penalty in the 52nd minute (Mierez) bringing them back in the game. Santini equalized for Osijek in the 68th minute, and Mierez scored again for the 2:3 win 10 minutes later. 

Varazdin is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 51. 

Sibenik v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Sibenik and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, February 27, 2021, in Sibenik. 

Neither team was able to score in the 0:0 draw. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 26 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 19. 

Rijeka v. Hajduk (0:1)

The thrilling Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk was played on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at Rujevica Stadium. 

The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Umut scored thanks to Livaja's debut assist for 0:1 Hajduk. Rijeka was awarded a penalty in the final seconds of the match (96'), but Andrijasevic shot at goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic for the critical Hajduk win. Rijeka's coach Simon Rožman resigned after the match, and the club should announce a new coach soon. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Hajduk is in 5th place with 29. 

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (2:1)

Gorica and Istra met on Sunday, February 28, 2021, in Velika Gorica. 

Istra's Bande scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute, which was the score at the half. Lovric equalized for 1:1 in the 50th minute, and Mudrinski gave Gorica the lead in the 73rd minute for the 2:1 final result. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 46 points, while Istra is in 10th place with 14. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Slaven Belupo closed out the 23rd round on Sunday, February 28, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

The first half went without goals after a VAR decision called Lauritsen's goal offside in the 37th minute. Gvardiol scored Dinamo's first goal in the 60th minute, followed by Tolic four minutes later for 2:0. Gavranovic made it 3:0 in the 90th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 51 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 21. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.  

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

February 28, 2021 - Coach Simon Rožman (37) resigned after Rijeka's defeat to Hajduk (0:1) at Rujevica in the 23rd round of the HNL on Saturday. The club's management accepted his resignation.

"Simon Rožman is no longer the coach of Rijeka. After the defeat to Hajduk, Rožman offered, and the HNK Rijeka management accepted his resignation, and the model of terminating his contract will be agreed upon. Rožman arrived in Rijeka at the end of September 2019, after which he won the Croatian Cup in 2020. This season placed in the Europa League group stage, where he achieved remarkable results in the competition against Napoli, Real Sociedad, and AZ Alkmaar. HNK Rijeka wishes Simon all the best in the continuation of his career," reads the club's statement, as reported by Index.hr. 

The Slovene coach decided to leave Rijeka after another loss to Hajduk. 

"We had two unforced substitutions due to injuries. When I pulled Čerin out, our midfield fell. Hajduk used that. Then we gave everything in the attack. We can't even score from the penalty spot. We need to gather our heads; we need to rest. We gave everything we have; we were 'all in.’ We had 15 shots on target," he said after the loss.

Rožman took over Rijeka in September 2019 when he succeeded Igor Bišćan, who went to the U-21 national team. In the first season on the Rijeka bench, he won the Cup, beating Lokomotiva 1:0 in the final.

He was in third place in the championship, and as the winner of the Cup, he qualified for the Europa League, in which he first defeated the Ukrainian club Colossus and then the strong Copenhagen. Rijeka was drawn into a terribly difficult Europa League group with Napoli, Alkmaar, and Real Sociedad and won a respectable four points.

Eleven days ago, Rožman signed a new contract with Rijeka until 2024.

"Thanks to the club once again for their support, it means a lot to the entire professional staff, and I believe that together we can achieve our goals in the future. The wish of all of us in Rijeka is to continue on the same path. At this moment, the situation may not look the best, We thank the club for thinking the same way, and we all want to develop content on the field together, promote young players to be sustainable, but do not forget the result ambition which is always to try to win a trophy and play in European competitions," said Rožman at the time.

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

February 22, 2021 - The 22nd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 19 to 21, 2021. In this round, Osijek tops Rijeka 2:0 at City Garden Stadium. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (2:2)

Belupo and Sibenik opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 19, 2021, in Koprivnica. 

Ampem scored for the Sibenik lead in the 21st minute for 0:1, which Juric increased to 0:2 in the 39th minute. 

Knoll and Ilicic came back with goals for Belupo in the final minutes of the first half to equalize 2:2, which was the final result.

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 21 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 25. 

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (0:1)

Istra and Varazdin met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Pula. 

The first half went without goals as Istra's Loncar missed a penalty in the 32nd minute. The only goal of the match came in the 88th minute when Varazdin's Senic scored for 0:1, which was the final result. 

Istra is currently in last place with 14 points, while Varazdin is in 7th with 22. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (0:3)

Lokomotiva and Gorica met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Steenvoorden opened Gorica's scoring spree with an early goal in the 10th minute, which was the score going into the half. Dieye increased Gorica's lead to 0:2 in the 74th minute, and Mitrovic made it 0:3 less than 10 minutes later for 0:3. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 9th place with 18 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 43. 

Osijek v. Rijeka (2:0)

Osijek and Rijeka closed out the 22nd round on Sunday, February 21, 2021, at City Garden Stadium. 

Osijek's Mierez scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute for 1:0 at the half. Mierez increased Osijek's lead to 2:0 in the 69th minute, which was the final result. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 48 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 32. 

The eternal derby between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud was postponed as 12 Hajduk players are infected with COVID-19. The match will be played in the first possible free term, and the decision on the date will be made later. You can read more about the decision on Hajduk.hr. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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