January 10, 2022 - HNS joins the technological revolution in international football. In cooperation with two Croatian companies - AMPnet and Biznisport - the Croatian Football Federation introduces the loyalty Vatreni crypto token and mobile application.

HNS will thus give millions of loyal Croatia fans more opportunities to interact with players, participate in HNS decisions, and other opportunities that will be exclusively available only to owners of the Vatreni crypto token, writes the Croatian Football Federation. 

"By stepping into the crypto market, we are following global trends, and we want to connect even better with our fans and provide them with opportunities they have not had before. I am especially proud to work with Croatian companies in this project because we believe that Croatian knowledge in IT is absolutely competitive and that we get partners who are equally committed to cooperation like us," said the president of HNS Marijan Kustić.

The official crypto partner of HNS is the Croatian company AMPnet, which provides its technology exclusively for tokens.

"Thank you, HNS, for your cooperation and shared desire to provide all fans of the Croatia national football team with an even better experience with the Vatreni loyalty token. With the support of HNS and the integration of AMPnet technology and Biznisport partners, we will be able to participate in making certain decisions, the right of priority when buying tickets, and discounts with HNS partners.

They will also have the opportunity to win, earn or buy exclusive products not available elsewhere. In addition, the token owner will be able to use the token for payment because it is compatible with Electrocoin's Paycheck application, which allows cryptocurrency payments in more than 200 places, such as Konzum, Ferivi, Ulaznice.hr, Football Mania, Sancta Domenica, Hrvatska pošta and others," said AMPnet CEO Mislav Javor.

The pre-sale of a limited number of Vatreni loyalty tokens is not yet available to everyone. All those interested in buying the token can get more information and apply for the waiting list here: https://token.hns-cff.hr 

Important note:

Vatreni crypto token is, by its nature, a cryptocurrency. Investing in cryptocurrencies is extremely risky and should not be undertaken by anyone who does not have enough knowledge. The cryptocurrency market is only partially regulated, so potential investors cannot count on all forms of protection available to them in the traditional financial market. If you do not master the matter so that you know how to receive cryptocurrencies on a digital wallet and keep them safe, do not indulge in investing in cryptocurrencies.

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

January 2, 2022 - Will Croatia win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? One British psychic who predicted Brexit, Boris Johnson's victory, and juicy Royal Family news seems to think so. 

As we welcome a new year, football fans can hardly stop thinking about just how busy this calendar year is for their beloved sport, and they can't help but predict what they think will happen in 2022.

Gol.hr reports that one interesting forecast has been made by the British psychic Jemima Packington, better known under the working name Mystic Veg, who predicts the future with the help of asparagus. Yes, you heard that right.

"Croatia will be the world champion in football, and the World Cup in Qatar will be shrouded in controversy," pointed out the British psychic.

The British tabloid Mirror claims that Mystic Veg successfully predicted Brexit, Boris Johnson's victory in the parliamentary elections, Harry and Meghan's departure from the royal family, and many other events.

"I accurately predict 75 to 90% of things. I've been told that my predictions this year are among the most controversial, but I'm just following what the asparagus tells me," says Mystic Veg.

Whether or not Mystic Veg is correct remains to be seen, as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar takes place this winter, from November 21 to December 18. Croatia's World Cup group rivals will not be revealed until April this year. Nevertheless, Croatia should be in the second strongest hat. 

But even before the World Cup, Croatia will compete in the UEFA Nations League against France, Denmark, and Austria, in an intense schedule that hosts four games in June and two in September this year. 

Croatia will also begin preparing for the busy year ahead with two friendly matches in March. We will find out if Mystic Veg is correct about the World Cup in precisely 349 days, or 11 months and 15 days.

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

December 17, 2021 - The UEFA Nation's League Group 1 schedule has been announced. Croatia will open the competition with home games against Austria and France next June. 

The European Football Federation (UEFA) has announced the Nations League Group 1 schedule, which features the national teams of Croatia, France, Denmark, and Austria.

"We are in the elite group and every opponent is tough, but I can say that the draw was not bad. It seems to me that it will be easier than the first two years and I expect, of course, good results. I was expecting Italy, but we got France from the strongest hat. There is no way we can avoid them and I guess we have to play until we beat them. Austria and Denmark are national teams we can play with," was how Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić reacted to the draw held on Friday. 

"The Nations League is always important, but it has caused me problems in the past because we were not successful. Now I expect better games and to present ourselves properly. There will be good matches, the group is great and everything will be great preparation for the World Cup in Qatar," concluded Dalić.

Croatia will open the competition in June next year with home games against Austria (June 3) and France (June 6). This will be followed by away matches against Denmark (June 10) and France (June 13). Croatia will play at home against Denmark on September 22 and visit Austria on September 25 to close out the group stage. 

The cities hosting the group matches will be announced at a late date.

SCHEDULE

June 3, 2022: Croatia - Austria

June 6, 2022: Croatia - France

June 10, 2022: Denmark - Croatia

June 13, 2022: France - Croatia

September 22, 2022: Croatia - Denmark

September 25, 2022: Austria - Croatia

It is not yet known how this Nations League season will affect the qualifications for Euro 2024. UEFA has said that this has not yet been decided.

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

December 16, 2021 - The UEFA Nations League draw was held tonight. Croatia has been drawn into Group 1 against France, Denmark, and Austria. The 2022 Nations League competition will be played next June and September. 

Croatia learned who they will play in the 2022 Nations League tonight. The Croatia national team will play in the elite A league against 

Croatia was placed in the third strong hat and could not be drawn against England, Poland, and Switzerland. As in the previous edition, Croatia would face two stronger opponents and a slightly less attractive national team from the weakest, 4th hat.

Potential opponents for Croatia in the A league were one national team from each of these three strong groups:

Group 1: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium
Group 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany
Group 4: Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary

What is particularly interesting are the dates that UEFA has planned for these six group matches. Due to the complicated football calendar thanks to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will be played in November and December next year, the Nations League dates have been tightened to just two months.

Namely, the Nations League will be played in June and September, with four games in just two weeks in June next year, while two games are planned for September.

From June 2 to 14, i.e., across 12 days, UEFA has planned four games to be played every three days. This term is not ideal, as footballers will already be exhausted after the club season come to an end. 

It is not yet known how this Nations League season will affect the qualifications for Euro 2024. UEFA has said that this has not yet been decided.

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

December 13, 2021 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 10 to 12, 2021. This round saw Lokomotiva and Hajduk finish 3:3, Rijeka lose to Gorica, and Osijek jump to first place. Here is our HNL Round 19 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Hr Dragovoljac (3:0)

Istra and Dragovoljac opened the 19th round on Friday, December 10, 2021, in Pula in front of 296 fans. 

Mahmoud opened the match with a goal for Istra in the 19th minute for 1:0. Bande increased Istra's lead to 2:0 eight minutes later. Lisica confirmed Istra's win with a goal in the 72nd minute for the final 3:0. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 18 points (and one game less), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 7. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (3:3)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk met in Zagreb on Saturday, December 13, 2021, in front of 2,776 fans. 

An own goal by Elez put Lokomotiva in the lead in the 11th minute. Livaja equalized for Hajduk in the 33rd for 1:1 at the half. Maric put Lokomotiva back in the lead in the 63rd minute, before Mlakar scored two goals in the 76th and 80th for the 2:3 Hajduk lead. A Katic own goal 6 minutes later gave Lokomotiva the 3:3 draw. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 24 points, while Hajduk is in 4th with 34 (and one game less).

Rijeka v. Gorica (1:2)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica on Saturday, December 11, 2021, in front of 3,082 fans. 

Rijeka was weakened when Ampem received his second yellow in the 34th minute, forcing Rijeka to play with a man down for the rest of the match. Lovric scored for the Gorica lead in the 64th minute, and Delfi made it 0:2 in the 75th. Drmic scored one for Rijeka three minutes later for the final 1:2. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 37 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 29. 

Osijek v. Sibenik (3:1)

Osijek and Sibenik met on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.

Mierez put Osijek in the lead from the 3rd minute, followed by a Bohar goal three minutes later for 2:0. Marin scored for Sibenik a minute after that for 2:1, though Kleinheisler scored in the 33rd for 3:1 at the half, which was also the final score.

Osijek has jumped to first place with 39 points, while Sibenik is in 7th place with 19. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Belupo closed out the 19th round on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

Andric put Dinamo in the lead in the 13th minute, followed by Orsic goals in the 19th and 25th minutes for the final 3:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 3rd place with 34 points (and two games less), while Belupo is in 9th with 16. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

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

December 9, 2021 - Great news for Croatia football fans worldwide as Zlatko Dalić will extend his Croatia contract until 2024. 

The Croatian Football Federation president Marijan Kustić and the Croatian A national team coach Zlatko Dalić agreed to extend their cooperation, and the 2018 World Cup finalist coach signed a new contract that binds him to the UEFA European Championship in 2024, announced HNS.

Zlatko Dalić took over the Croatian national team in October 2017 and managed to bring them to the FIFA World Cup in Russia through a complicated playoff round. As a result, Dalić led Croatia to the World Cup final, i.e., the silver medal that inscribed that generation in the history of Croatian football.

Dalić then successfully qualified for EURO 2020. Croatia advanced to the second round of the competition. He then became the first Croatia coach to qualify for three major competitions, winning first place in Group H in qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar. Between those qualifiers, Dalić and Croatia twice managed to stay in the Nations League elite group. 

At the Croatian Football Federation headquarters, President Kustić agreed to continue cooperation with the most successful coach in the history of Croatian football.

"I thank President Kustić and the leadership of the Federation for this expression of trust. I have pointed out many times that there is no more tremendous honor for me than leading the Croatia national team. Although considerable responsibility and pressure come with this job, leading your national team is the most incredible privilege a coach can have. That is why I did not hesitate when the HNS proposed I continue cooperation. The past few months have convinced me that we are on the right path; I feel great energy and ambition to continue to work great results with this refreshed Croatia and thus make our people happy.

Furthermore, I am convinced of our success in qualifying for EURO 2024. Considering that the host is Germany, I believe that we will have an unforgettable atmosphere and the support of our fans. That image is an incredible motive for my further work," said coach Dalić.

"Of course, Zlatko should have unlimited credit with all of us based on the silver medal in Russia, but everything he did with the national team after that silver shows that he is the ideal man to lead Croatia. He achieved all the goals, won groups to qualify for big competitions, and at the same time he was highly successful in the demanding change of generations, so today we again have a team with excellent prospects. Zlatko is a man who unites, who promotes togetherness, puts his whole self into this work and for us, it was only logical to extend this successful collaboration. Thank you to him for accepting our proposal and making it easy to agree on everything. The Federation will, as before, give full support to the coach and the national team.

We are looking forward to new challenges and new successes," said the HNS president Marijan Kustić.

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

December 8, 2021 - After leading Hajduk to a 2:0 victory against Dinamo during the 'Eternal Derby' in the 18th round of the Croatian First League, scoring a goal and an assist in his first Maksimir derby, Marko Livaja brought his status as a football icon among Hajduk fans to new heights.

Hajduk received a spontaneous welcome reception in Split after the match in Zagreb on Sunday, and Livaja was notably the hero of the Split club. But the celebration did not stop there, and in the spirit of the Hajduk-Dinamo rivalry, many songs were sung by the fans, some of which are considered hate speech and derogatory, reports Gol.hr.

A video has thus surfaced of Marko Livaja and 2018 World Cup finalist Danijel Subašić joining in on the singing at a local nightclub, which has now resulted in an investigation by the disciplinary judge of the Croatian First League for inappropriate behavior and violating the Code of Conduct for football employees, HNS said.

Just how much pomp has reigned around Marko Livaja in the aftermath of the Eternal Derby is perhaps best illustrated by the following data. From December 6 to the morning of December 7, Marko Livaja was the most viewed footballer on the popular website for football values, Transfermarkt.

Behind Livaja in second place was Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, the 21-year-old Brazilian who also plays in excellent form, while behind the two were the world's most famous footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo and recent Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi.

It's safe to say that Livaja's brilliant performance at Maksimir, as well the controversy around the anti-Dinamo songs, contributed to why so many searched for his name online. 

Hajduk's #10 has scored 16 goals in 20 appearances this season and has four assists. According to Transfermarkt, Livaja is worth 3.5 million euros.

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

December 6, 2021 - The Croatian Cup semifinal draw was held at the Croatian Football Federation headquarters on Monday. 

In the Croatian Football Cup semifinals, Rijeka will play against Osijek at Rujevica Stadium and Hajduk will face Gorica at Poljud, according to the draw held on Monday in Zagreb.

The semifinal matches will be played on March 1 and 2, 2022. There were no top seeds in the draw and the semifinals will be played in one match.

The Cup final will be played on May 22 next year at Poljud Stadium in Split.

This is a great opportunity for Hajduk, which has played 19 consecutive Cup games away. Hajduk last won the Cup in 2013, which is also the last trophy for the Split club. Hajduk has the chance to play two home games in the Cup and a historic opportunity for their first trophy in eight years. The last time Split hosted the Cup was in March 2016 in the semifinal match against Dinamo.

The Rijeka and Osijek match will certainly be a bit more competitive, though Rijeka will have the home pitch advantage. 

Split will be the seventh different host of the final match for the Croatian Cup since the decision was made in 2016 that only one match will decide the winner of this trophy. The hosts of the previous six finals were Osijek, Varaždin, Vinkovci, Pula, Šibenik, and Velika Gorica.

Recall, in the quarterfinal matches which were played on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, Gorica topped Istra on penalties, Hajduk beat Lokomotiva 6:3, and Osijek beat Belupo on penalties. In the last quarterfinal, Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1, which forced the resignation of Dinamo coach Damir Krznar. 

The sports betting company SuperSport became the title sponsor of the Croatian Football Cup this year. The most massive football competition thus bears the name SuperSport Croatian Football Cup for the 2021/22 season.

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

December 6, 2021 - The 18th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 4 to 6, 2021. This round saw Hajduk win the 'Eternal Derby' against Dinamo, while Osijek and Gorica drew, and Istra and Belupo will close out the round tonight. Here is our HNL round 18 recap (so far). 

Gorica v. Osijek (1:1)

Gorica and Osijek opened the 18th round on Saturday, December 4, 2021, in Velika Gorica in front of 673 fans. 

Prsir scored for the Gorica lead in the 6th minute, which they maintained until the 3rd minute of stoppage time when Osijek's Hiros scored for 1:1 at the half. Kleinheisler was booked for his second yellow in the 61st minute, forcing Osijek to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 26 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 35 (and one game less). 

Rijeka v. Hr. Dragovoljac (4:1)

Rijeka and Dragovoljac met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, December 4, 2021. 

Rijeka's scoring spree started in the 16th minute when Obregon found the back of the net for 1:0. Muric increased Rijeka's lead to 2:0 in the 44th minute. Muric scored again in the 47th minute to increase Rijeka's lead to 3:0, but Petkovic gave Dragovoljac some hope with a goal in the 67th minute for 3:1. Muric secured his hattrick with his third goal in the 80th minute for the final 4:1. 

Rijeka is currently in first place with 36 points (and one game less), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 7. 

Lokomotiva and Sibenik (1:1)

Lokomotiva and Sibenik met in Zagreb on Sunday, December 5, 2021. 

Gorican put Lokomotiva in the lead in the 39th minute with a goal for 1:0 at the half. Curic equalized for Sibenik in the 66th minute for 1:1. which was the final score. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 23 points, while Sibenik is in 7th with 19. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (0:2)

Dinamo and Hajduk met in the 'Eternal Derby' on Sunday, December 5, 2021, in front of around 10,000 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Hajduk's king Marko Livaja chipped Livakovic for 0:1 in the 60th minute. Then, Livaja assisted Sahiti at the top of the box for a late-match screamer in the 4th minute of stoppage time and the final 0:2 for Hajduk. 

Dinamo is currently in 4th place with 31 points (and two games less), while Hajduk is in 3rd with 34 (and one game less). 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo - December 6, 2021, at 18:00.

Istra and Belupo will close out the 18th round on Monday evening. Istra is currently in 8th place with two games behind, while Belupo is in 9th place with one game behind.  We will update this article once the match finishes. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

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

December 2, 2021 - After the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup quarterfinal matches came to a close on Wednesday, the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation decided that the Croatian Cup final match would be played in Split, namely at Poljud Stadium.

This season, the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup final will be played at Poljud Stadium, which is comforting news for Hajduk fans after the Split club advanced to the semifinals with a victory against Lokomotiva Tuesday. The Croatian Football Federation decided on Poljud after choosing between Karlovac, Koprivnica, and Split, reports HNS.

At the suggestion of the HNS Competition Commission, the Executive Board of the Federation decided that the final of the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup will be played at the Poljud Stadium in Split and that the final match will be played on May 26, 2022. It will be the first Croatian Cup final at Poljud played in a single game.

On Monday at 11 am, the draw will decide which pairs are in the semifinals. Gorica, Hajduk, Osijek, and Rijeka remain in the competition, and the matches are scheduled for March 2022. 

After the draw at noon, Hajduk president Lukša Jakobušić will meet with HNS president Marijan Kustić at the federation's headquarters on Vukovarska, a year after meeting with his predecessor Davor Šuker, when he said he would "leave the federation alone," reports 24 Sata. 

Since 2016, when the Croatian Cup changed the format and one final match was introduced, the Cup final has been hosted by Osijek, Varaždin, Vinkovci, Pula, Šibenik, and Velika Gorica.

Recall, in the quarterfinal matches which were played on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Gorica topped Istra on penalties, Hajduk beat Lokomotiva 6:3, and Osijek beat Belupo on penalties. In the last quarterfinal, Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1, which forced the resignation of Dinamo coach Damir Krznar. 

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