August 12, 2019 - The 4th round of the Croatia First League was held from August 9 to 11, 2019. The 4th round saw a derby between Osijek and Dinamo, and Rijeka and Hajduk recorded their first defeats. 

Osijek v. Dinamo (0:0)

Osijek and Dinamo opened the 4th round on Friday, August 9, 2019, at City Garden Stadium in front of 5,127 fans. 

It was a mostly even game where both teams had periods of strength and opportunities to score, which they failed to capitalize. Osijek, however, missed too many easy shots on goal in, which should have put them in the lead on a handful of occasions. 

Osijek is currently in 5th place with 7 points, while Dinamo remains in 1st place with 10 points. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Varaždin (2:2)

Inter and Varaždin met on Saturday, August 10, 2019, in Zaprešić in front of 484 spectators. 

Inter opened the scoring spree in the 15th minute with a goal by Bosec, though Varaždin equalized just 7 minutes later after Stolnik scored for 1:1. Inter retook the lead in the 28th minute for 2:1 at the half. Just minutes after, Varaždin’s Sambolec was booked for a double yellow and sent off the pitch. Glavica then scored for Varaždin to equalize in the 54th minute. The game ended at 2:2. 

Inter is currently in 9th place with two points, while Varaždin is in the last place with one. 

Lokomotiva v. Istra 1961 (4:1)

Lokomotiva and Istra met at Kranjčevićeva Street on Saturday, August 10, 2019, in front of 522 fans. 

Lokomotiva scored two goals in the first half - by Datković in the 34th and Ivanušec in the 38th for 2:0 at the half. Ćuže came back with one goal for Istra in the 79th minute for 2:1, though Drozdek and Kastrati secured another two for Lokomotiva in two minutes. The game ended at 4:1. 

Lokomotiva is in 7th place with 3 points, while Istra is in 6th with 6. 

Slaven Belupo v. Hajduk (2:1)

Belupo and Hajduk met on Sunday, August 11, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 2,879 spectators. 

Puclin scored first to put Belupo in the lead in the 37th minute for 1:0 at the half. Hajduk’s Jakoliš was shown a red card in the 56th minute, forcing the Split club to play with a man down for the remainder of the game. Belupo also saw one of their players get booked for a double yellow in the 79th minute. 

Krstanović scored a penalty for Belupo in the 84th minute for 2:0, though Eduok managed one for Hajduk in the 6th minute of injury time for the final score of 2:1. 

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 3 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 9 points. 

Gorica v. Rijeka (2:0)

Gorica and Rijeka met on Sunday, August 11, 2019, to close out the 4th round in Velika Gorica in front of 2,893 spectators. 

Ndiaye scored for Gorica in the 46th minute for 1:0 at the half. Suk increased Gorica’s lead in the 67th minute for 2:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 4th place with 7 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 9. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

August 4, 2019 - The 3rd round of the Croatian First League was held from August 2 to 4, 2019. Each 3rd round victory achieved by Osijek, Hajduk, Dinamo, Rijeka, and Istria featured three goals.

Dinamo v. Gorica (3:1)

Dinamo and Gorica opened the 3rd round of the Croatian First League on Friday, August 2, 2019, in front of 2,676 spectators at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. 

Spanish superstar Dani Olmo scored for Dinamo first in the 22nd minute for 1:0 at the half. Moro increased Dinamo’s lead in the 57th minute for 2:0, while Gojak made it 3:0 in the 83rd minute. Lovrić managed to score Gorica’s only goal in the 86th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 9 points while Gorica is in 6th place with 4 points. 

Istria 1961 v. Varaždin (3:1)

Istria and Varaždin met for the second game of the 3rd round on Friday, August 2, 2019, in front of 1,922 spectators at Aldo Drosina stadium in Pula. 

Ćuže scored for Istria already in the 9th minute of the game for 1:0, which was the score at halftime. Ćuže came back with another goal in the 48th minute for 2:0, though a penalty was awarded to Varaždin ten minutes later to bring the score to a less comfortable 2:1 for Istria. 

Ćuže, however, saved the day with a hattrick and his third goal in the 73rd minute for the 3:1 Istria win. 

Istria is currently in 5th place with 6 points while Varaždin is in 8th with 0. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (3:1)

Rijeka and Slaven Belupo met at Rujevica stadium on Saturday, August 3, 2019, in front of 4,289 spectators. 

Čolak opened the game with a goal for Rijeka in the 24th minute, which was followed with one by Lončar in the 30th for 2:0 at the half. Krstanović managed a goal for Belupo in the 47th minute, though Rijeka secured their victory in the 73rd minute after Tomečak scored for 3:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 9 points while Belupo is in 9th place with 0. 

Hajduk v. Lokomotiva (3:0)

Hajduk and Lokomotiva met at Poljud stadium in Split on Sunday,  August 4, 2019, in front of 15,156 spectators. 

Hajduk’s first goal came in the 40th minute after a brilliant assist by Eduok found the boot of Caktaš for 1:0. Just three minutes later, Eduok scored a goal of his own for 2:0 at the half. 

But Hajduk wasn’t done scoring yet, and Nejašmić hit a rocket for 3:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 9 points while Lokomotiva is in the last place with 0. 

Osijek v. Inter Zaprešić (3:1)

Osijek and Inter met on Sunday, August 4, 2019, in front of 1,855 spectators at City Garden Stadium to close out the 3rd round. 

While Inter was the first to score thanks to a goal by Serderov in the 20th minute, Osijek picked up the pace in the second for two goals in two minutes to take the lead (Bočkaj 68’, Kleinheisler 69’). 

Mance secured Osijek’s win in the 75th minute for 3:1. 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 6 points while Inter is in 7th with 1. 

You can find the full HNL table here. 

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

The 2nd round of the Croatian First League was held from July 26 to 28, 2019, and featured big wins for Hajduk and Dinamo, while Osijek suffered a major upset to Gorica. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Istria 1961 (0:2)

Inter and Istria met on Friday, July 26, 2019, at the Zaprešić stadium to open the 2nd round of the 2019/20 season. 

While the first half went without goals, Istria’s Cuze scored in the 83rd minute for the 0:1 lead, and increased the lead in the 93rd minute for the 0:2 Istria win.

Inter is currently in 7th place with one point, while Istria is in 6th with 3 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:3)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saturday, July 27, 2019, in Koprivnica for the second game of the 2nd round in front of 2,517 spectators. 

Dinamo’s Petković was quick to score in the 4th minute for a 0:1 Dinamo lead. Atiemwen increased Dinamo’s lead to 0:2 five minutes before the half. Dinamo secured one last goal in the 89th minute thanks to Moro, and walked away with a 0:3 victory. 

Belupo is currently in the last place with 0 points, while Dinamo is in 1st place with 6 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka met on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva stadium in Zagreb in front of 829 fans. 

The game went without goals until the final minutes when Rijeka’s Čolak scored in the second minute of added time for the 0:1 win. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 9th place with no points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 6 points. 

Gorica v. Osijek (3:1)

Gorica and Osijek met on Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,280 spectators. 

Gorica was the first to score in the 35th minute thanks to a goal by Ndiaye for 1:0 at the half. Miya increased Gorica’s lead to 2:0 in the 53rd minute,  and Ndiaye came back with his second goal of the match for 3:0 in the 75th minute! While there was not much hope for Osijek, they were able to get one goal in the 90th minute thanks to Marić. 

Gorica is currently in 4th place with 4 points, while Osijek is in 5th place with 3 points. 

Varaždin v. Hajduk (0:3)

Varaždin and Hajduk met on Sunday, July 27, 2019, to close out the 2nd round at the NK Varteks stadium in front of 5,132 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Hajduk pressed in the second half to score all three goals of the game - the first by Dolček in the 49th minute, then a Caktaš penalty in the 55th, and a debut goal for new Hajduk player Eduok in the 86th for 0:3. 

Varaždin is currently in 8th place with zero points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 6 points. 

You can find the full HNL table here.

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

June 19, 2019 - Croatian clubs Dinamo, Osijek, and Hajduk have learned of their opponents in the Champions League and Europa League for the 2019/20 season. 

Namely, Dinamo Zagreb will kick off their Champions League campaign this year in the 2nd qualifying round where they will meet the winner of FC Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova and FC Saburtalo from Georgia. 

The first match will be played in Moldova or Georgia on July 23 and 24, while the return match will be held on July 30 or 31 at Maksimir in Zagreb.

With its coefficient of 29,500, Dinamo had the status of a top seed in the first qualifying round draw. 

ℹ️ The official result of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round draw.

(matches 23/24 July & 30/31 July)#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/Ms1mGm0Jr2

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 19, 2019

Sheriff is expected to advance over Saburtalo, and Dinamo should make it to the 3rd qualifying round. Otherwise, Sheriff is an old acquaintance of Zagreb, and in the last decade, they have met three times in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League. In 2010, the Moldavian club went ahead thanks to a penalty shoot-out, while there was no dilemma in 2012 - Dinamo celebrated 5:0. In 2013, the draw coupled the two clubs again, and Dinamo went through with a 4:0 aggregate.

In the Europa League, Hajduk Split will meet Gzira United from Malta in the 1st qualifying round of the competition. If they advance, they will face the winner of FK Ventspils and Teuta. 

Osijek will enter the competition in the 2nd qualifying round and unfortunately pulled the most difficult rival. Namely, Osijek will play against the better of CSKA Sofia and Montenegrin club OFK Titograd. CSKA Sofia was a club both Osijek and Hajduk, who were in the same group for the draw, wanted to avoid.

The biggest stars of the Bulgarian club, which finished second in the championship with five points behind Ludogorets in first, are Portuguese midfielder Tiago Rodrigues and Ruben Pinto. According to Transfermarkt, CSKA is worth eight million euros more than Osijek, and Titograd is nine times more expensive.

If Hajduk advances past the Malta club, they will play against Ventspils from Latvia or Teuta from Albania. In the clash of the Latvian and Albanian teams, it is difficult to determine the favorite. Ventspils only secured fifth place in the championship this season. Teuta came in third last season and was led by former Hajduk player Tomislav Bušić.

The first matches of the 2nd qualifying round are played on July 25, with the return match one week later. Osijek and Hajduk will play away in the first round. 

Rijeka is included in the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League and will be a top seed. 

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

For the seventh year in a row, Croatia national team captain Luka Modrić was named the best Croatian footballer in the past season, while Dinamo Zagreb player Dani Olmo won two awards - the best young player and best player of the Croatian First Football League, reports HRT on June 2, 2019. 

The member of the Croatian champion and U-21 Spain team was unable to attend the awards ceremony in Opatija but thanked everyone for the honor in a video message. 

“I’m sorry that I could not be with you tonight in Opatija, but I have obligations with the Spain U-21 team. Therefore, I thank all the players and coaches who voted for me. You know that Zagreb is my second home,” said Olmo.

The winner of all possible individual awards in the past year, a footballer who broke the decade-long domination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or, was named the best for the seventh year in a row by the Croatian Association “Football Union" (HUNS). Thus, the trophy again ended in the hands of Luks Modrić, although his season with Real Madrid was modest and without trophies.

HNS

“Thanks to everyone who voted for me, this award means a lot to me because it comes from the players themselves and the professional staff. Of course, most thanks to my teammates without which I would not receive any individual prizes,” Modrić said and announced that Real Madrid would show in the next season that they are the best club in the world.

The award for the best Croatian female player went to 26-year-old Leonarda Balog of ŽNK Split.

The best goalkeeper award went to Dinamo’s Dominik Livaković and the coach of the Croatian champions, Nenad Bjelica, was named the best coach in the HNL. 

The best team of the Croatian First League included five Dinamo players, three from Rijeka, two from Hajduk and one from Lokomotiva. The top 11 includes Dominik Livaković, Zoran Kvržić, Kévin Théophile-Catherine, Emir Dilaver, Filip Bradarić, Luka Ivanušec, Dani Olmo, Domagoj Pavičić, Bruno Petković, Jakov Puljić, and Jairo de Macedo da Silva.

For the first time, the best player of the Croatian First Futsal League named. The award went to Duško Martinac of HMNK Vrgorac. Ivan Bebek won the best referee for the first time.

The special award "Good Spirit of Croatian Football" was awarded to the longtime doctor of the Croatia national team Boris Nemec.

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

May 27, 2019 - The 36th round of the Croatian First League closed out the 2018/19 season on Sunday with the highly anticipated 'Eternal Derby’ between Dinamo and Hajduk. Sunday’s games, which were all held at 7 pm, also included a meeting between Osijek and Inter, and Lokomotiva and Gorica. 

Without further ado, here is our recap for the final round of the Croatian First League this season. 

Istra 1961 v. Rudeš (2:0)

Istra and Rudeš, the two worst-placed teams this season, met on Friday, May 24, 2019, in Pula to open the final round of the season in front of 392 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Iglesias scored for Rudeš in the 63rd minute for 1:0, and Pavić secured the win for the home team thanks to a goal in the 92nd minute for 2:0. 

Istra ended the season in 9th place with 25 points, while Rudeš finished in last with 14. 

Slaven Belupo v. Rijeka (1:1)

Belupo and Rijeka met in Koprivnica on Saturday, May 25, 2019, in front of 872 fans. 

Another game where the first half went without goals, it was Belupo’s Plantak to score first for 1:0 in the 57th minute, though their lead didn’t last long thanks to an equalizer by Acosty in the 64th for 1:1. 

Belupo finished the season in 7th place with 37 points, while Rijeka finished in 2nd with 67. 

Osijek v. Inter Zaprešić (3:1)

Osijek and Inter met on Sunday, May 26, 2019, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2,820 fans. 

Inter was the first to score thanks to a goal by Postonjski in the 15th minute. Osijek equalized in the 42nd minute after Lepa scored for 1:1 at the half. 

Pilj put Osijek in the lead with a goal in the 50th minute, and Bočkaj closed out the victory for Osijek with a goal in the 83rd for 3:1. 

Osijek finished the season in 3rd place with 62 points, while Inter finished in 8th with 31. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (2:3)

Lokomotiva and Gorica met on Sunday, May 26, 2019, in Zagreb in front of 380 fans. 

Lovrić scored for Gorica in the 14th minute to put the away team in the lead at the half, though Ivanušec came back for Lokomotiva to equalize 1:1. Gorica retook the lead thanks to Miya’s goal in the 52nd, and Lovrić secured another in the 60th minute for 1:3. Burić was able to get one back for Lokomotiva in the 92nd minute, and the game ended 2:3. 

Lokomotiva finished the season in 6th place with 49 points, while Gorica finished in 5th with 59. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (3:1)

Dinamo and Hajduk met on Sunday, May 26, 2019, to close out the final round of the 2018/19 season in front of 15,433 fans. 

Hajrović scored for Dinamo in the 20th minute for 1:0 at the half. Gavranović increased Dinamo’s lead at the start of the second half for 2:0 in the 49th minute and scored again less than 10 minutes later for 3:0. 

Hajduk was able to come back with one goal thanks to Caktaš in the 68th minute, who was named the top goalscorer of HNL this season. 

Dinamo finished the season in first place with 92 points, while Hajduk finished in 4th with 62 points. 

You can find the full table here. 

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

May 21, 2019 - The 35th round of the Croatian First League was held from May 18 to 20, 2019. The second to last round of the season saw Hajduk move into third place and Osijek fall to fourth after a loss to Gorica.

Inter Zaprešić v. Dinamo (2:3)

Inter and Dinamo met in Zaprešić in front of 1,688 spectators to open the 35th round on Saturday, May 18, 2019. 

While it was Kadzior to score the first two goals for Dinamo (5’, 17’), Inter’s Ajayi came back with a goal in the 32nd, and Tsonev with another in the 35th to equalize. Dinamo was awarded a penalty in the 61st minute which Andrić scored for 2:3.

Inter is currently in 8th place with 31 points, while Dinamo has already claimed the Croatian championship and sits in first with 89 points. 

Rijeka v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Rijeka and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Rujevica stadium in front of 3,068 fans. 

Murić scored the only goal of the game in the 36th minute, which ultimately gave Rijeka the home win. 

Rijeka is currently in second place with 66 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 49. 

Hajduk v. Istra 1961 (4:1)

Hajduk and Istra met at Poljud in front of no fans on Sunday, May 19, 2019. 

While Istra was the first to score thanks to Ivančić in the 6th minute, Hajduk picked it up in the second half and managed four goals. Caktaš scored first in the 48th minute, followed by Gyurcso in the 56th for 2:1. Jairo scored in the 77th minute for 3:1, and Nejašmić in the 93rd for 4:1. 

Hajduk is currently in third place with 62 points, while Istra is in 9th with 22. 

Gorica v. Osijek (1:0)

Gorica and Osijek met on Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,693 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, it was Gorica’s Suk to score in the 57th minute for 1:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 56 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 59. 

Rudeš v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Rudeš and Belupo closed out the 35th round on Monday, May 21, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva street stadium in front of 83 fans. 

The first half went without goals and it wasn't until a penalty for Belupo in the 78th minute that Delić scored for 0:1. 

Rudeš remains in the last place with 14 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 36. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

May 16, 2019 - The 34th round of the Croatian First League was held on May 14 and 15, 2019. In one of the few mid-week rounds, we saw Rijeka fall to Osijek, and Hajduk crush the last-placed Rudeš, inching them even closer to securing that sacred 4th European spot. 

Without further ado, here is our 34th round recap.

Istra 1961 v. Inter Zaprešić (0:1)

Istra and Inter met in Pula on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, to open the 34th round in front of 488 fans. 

The first and only goal of the game was scored by Inter’s Serderov, which gave the away team the 0:1 win. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 22 points, while Inter is in 8th with 31. 

Rudeš v. Hajduk (1:4)

Rudeš and Hajduk met on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva street stadium in front of 738 fans. 

Hajduk’s Mijo Caktaš was the first to score with a goal in the 17th minute for 0:1. Caktaš increased Hajduk’s lead to 0:2 with another goal in the 58th minute, though Rudeš was able to come back with one thanks to Lisakovich who scored in the 62nd. Caktaš nailed a hattrick in the 65th minute for 3:1, and Jradi scored one minute later for the final score of 1:4. 

Rudeš remains in the last place with 14 points, while Hajduk sits in 4th with 59.

Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Belupo and Lokomotiva met on May 15, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 315 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, it was Belupo to score first thanks to a penalty scored by Mateus for 1:0. Lokomotiva was able to equalize in the 75th minute for 1:1. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 33 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 49. 

Dinamo v. Gorica (3:1)

Dinamo and Gorica met on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at Maksimir in front of 610 fans. 

Dinamo’s Moro scored first in the 17th minute, which was followed by a goal from Olmo in the 21st for 2:0. Gorica did come back with one goal in the 25th thanks to Ndiaye for 2:1 at the half. 

After Petković missed a penalty in the 66th minute, it was Leovac to score in the 71st minute for the Dinamo win.

Dinamo has already clinched the title and is in the first place with 86 points, while Gorica is in 5th place with 53. 

Osijek v. Rijeka (2:1)

Osijek and Rijeka met on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, to close out the 34th round at City Garden Stadium in front of 2,032 fans. 

Rijeka was the first to score thanks to a goal by Colak in the 11th minute, though Osijek’s Marić equalized in the 24th minute for 1:1. Rijeka’s Pavić was sent off the pitch after a double yellow in the 39th minute. 

Marić scored again for Rijeka in the 48th minute, giving Osijek the home win. 

Osijek is currently in third place with 59 points,  while Rijeka is in 2nd with 63. 

You can see the HNL table here. 

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

HNS and the Croatian football refereesare intensely preparing for the introduction of the VAR (video assistant referee) system.

Under the watchful eye of IFAB, an independent regulatory body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football, selected judges are undergoing complex training so that, in about a year, they are ready to use VAR in the Croatian football league. The Croatian Football Federation organized a media demonstration of the system, which is introduced in this part of Europe first, reports Gol.hr on May 14, 2019. 

"VAR technology is the most important and fastest revolution in modern football. It was used for the first time in 2016 and has been used in the most important games of the 2018  World Cup. Our vision for VAR technology and video aids is as little interference in the game as possible," said IFAB Technical Director and former English football referee David Elleray at the presentation of VAR technology in Sesvete.

All involved in this project agree; the introduction of VAR technology is the most demanding project of HNS. Disagreements with referees, which have hovered over the Federation for years, generated many affairs that would have been minimized by introducing VAR.

“Twelve referees are now preparing for their VAR license and 13 AVAR licenses. That will be enough in the first season, and when these referees get their license we will train the younger referees from the talent program for VAR,” said Ante Kulušić, president of the HNL Referee Commission.

The VAR room will include only the VAR Chief Referee, AVAR or Assistant Referee, and VAR Technician. The rules about using VAR are very detailed and strict.

"VAR serves solely as an aid and as a second chance. Thus, VAR will not judge, and the stories that VAR judges for referees and make decisions is not correct. VAR is only an aid that corrects bad and obvious errors, and only four instances are allowed to be viewed in the recording. Things like whether a goal was scored from the offside position, whether there was a handball and the like, whether there should be a penalty or one was unfairly given, and if a direct red card was given - and I note direct, not a second yellow. So these are four things that can only be viewed through VAR technology. Everything else is not allowed,” said Bruno Marić, a former referee who led the instruction.

The mode of communication between the judges in the room and those in the field is also prescribed. Improvisation does not exist because they know exactly who is talking and what phrases are being used.

Croatia's most experienced judge, Ivan Bebek, has already been introduced to VAR technology

“I had the chance to go to Saudi Arabia where I had the opportunity to referee at the invitation of their Football Federation, and I can tell you that I was more tired and sweat more in the VAR room than I do on the field. It is a ferocious responsibility. On the field, people can understand the referee’s mistake if you're slightly wrong or far away, and in the VAR room when you have all the benefits of repetitive footage, you simply should not make mistakes,” Ivan Bebek said.

However, mistakes are not entirely excluded, because VAR referees need to find the right angle of view, if available. Bruno Marić has been in many controversial situations during his career and said he would be happy if VAR existed then.

"Because of the two, three situations that have created a lot of problems in my life, VAR technology would certainly help me, or at least somebody would believe that my decisions were more accurate because sometimes using VAR technology comes to the credibility of decisions that are made in the field. If I could turn back time with some of my decisions, I would certainly have used VAR technology,” says Bruno Marić.

Some referees have already asked to work exclusively in the field and outside the VAR room, and it will probably take time for teams to feel comfortable in the VAR room. Assistant referee Sanja Rođak Karšić, who will soon ref at the women’s World Cup, will be exclusively on the ground.

"I will not take on the role of AVAR because I would still like to focus on just refereeing; it is quite complicated and complex,” said Sanja Rođak Karšić.

If everything goes according to plan, VAR will be used in the HNL from the spring of 2020. 

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

May 6, 2019 - The 32nd round of the Croatian First League was held from May 3 to 5, 2019. The 32nd round was crucial for Hajduk, Lokomotiva, Gorica, and Osijek, who are all fighting for a spot in the top 4.