May 17, 2021 - Coach Zlatko Dalic has announced the preliminary EURO 2020 Croatia player list. 

The Croatia national team has entered the last month of preparations for the European Championship, which opens on June 13 at Wembley against England at 3 pm.

Coach Zlatko Dalic has known the starting lineup and the list for the Euro for a long time. UEFA's rule change gave him three additional positions and he can now take 26 players to the tournament.

Dalic announced their names today at 1 pm, accompanied by the coach of the U21 national team Igor Bišćan, who will reveal his team against Spain for the U21 Euro semifinals in Maribor on May 31.

"We are gathering on May 25 in Rovinj. Only a dozen players, and on the 28th another dozen of them. After that, Kovačić will come, and then the young members of the national team. I must say that this call is not final."

Croatia layer list:

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković - Dinamo, Lovre Kalinić - Hajduk, Simon Sluga - Luton, pretpoziv: Ivica Ivušić

Defenders: Šime Vrsaljko - Atletico Madrid, Domagoj Vida - Bešiktaš, Josip Juranović - Legia, Dejan Lovren - Zenit, Duje Ćaleta-Car - Marseille, Borna Barišić - Glasgow Rangers, Mile Škorić - Osijek, Joško Gvardiol - Dinamo. Pretpoziv: Uremović and Pongračić

Midfielders: Luka Modrić - Real Madrid, Marcelo Brozović - Inter, Milan Badelj - Genoa, Mateo Kovačić - Chelsea, Nikola Vlašić - CSKA Moskva, Mario Pašalić - Atalanta, Luka Ivanušec. Pretpozivi: Moro, Majer and Bašić.

Strikers: Bruno Petković - Dinamo, Ivan Perišić - Inter, Andrej Kramarić - Hoffenheim, Josip Brekalo - Wolfsburg, Ante Rebić - Milan, Mislav Oršić - Dinamo, Ante Budimir - Osasuna. Pretpozivi: Lovrić and Livaja.

The Croatia national football team will gather on May 25 at the beginning of preparations for the Euro, which will traditionally be held in Rovinj. After the friendly against Armenia, the national teal will have a final check on June 6 against Belgium in Brussels, from where they will travel to the base camp in St. Andrews on June 8. 

The UEFA EURO 2020 will take place between June 11 and July 11, 2021. Croatia plays in Group D (London/Glasgow) with England (hosts), Scotland (hosts), and the Czech Republic.

Croatia opens its EURO campaign on Sunday, June 13, against England (15:00, London). On Friday, June. 18, Croatia plays. The Czech Republic in Glasgow, Scotland (18:00). Croatia's final group stage match is against Scotland on June 22 in Glasgow (21:00). 

The top two in each group plus the four best third-placed teams go through to the knockout phase. The round of 16 is scheduled from June 26 to 29. The quarterfinals are held on July 2 and 3, the semifinals on July 6 and 7. The final will be played on July 11 at Wembley Stadium in London. 

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May 17, 2021 - The 35th round of the Croatian First League was held on May 15 and 16, 2021. This round saw Hajduk defeat Sibenik, while Rijeka topped Varazdin to remain in 4th place. Here is our HNL round 35 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo (1:0)

Istra and Belupo opened the 35th round on Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Pula. 

While the first half went without goals, the only goal of the match came at the start of the second half when Vuk scored for 1:0 and the eventual Istra victory. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 29 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 31. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (0:2)

Lokomotiva and Osijek met in Zagreb on Saturday, May 15, 2021. 

Zaper scored Osijek's first goal which was called offside thanks to VAR in the 14th minute. The first half ended at 0:0. Kleinheisler scored in the 60th minute to finally put Osijek in the lead, though Mierez missed a penalty 13 minutes later to keep the game 0:1. Bohar scored for 0:2 in the 3rd minute of added time. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 30 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 74. 

Varazdin v. Rijeka (2:3)

Varazdin and Rijeka met in Varazdin on Sunday, May 16, 2021. 

Obregon scored the first goal for Varazdin in the 34th minute for 1:0 at the half. Rijeka's Menalo equalized in the 62nd minute, and Capan put Rijeka ahead five minutes later for 1:2. Drmic made it 1:3 for Rijeka in the 79th minute, and Novoselec scored in the 84th for a final score of 2:3.

Varazdin is currently in last place with 28 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 58. 

Sibenik v. Hajduk (0:2)

Sibenik and Hajduk met in Sibenik on Sunday, May 17, 2021. 

While the first half went without goals, a Livaja header made it 0:1 for Hajduk in the 58th minute. Jakolis increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 in the 70th. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 35 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 57. 

Gorica v. Dinamo (0:3)

Gorica and Dinamo closed out the 35th round in Velika Gorica on Sunday, May 16, 2021. 

The Croatian champions were too strong for Gorica with two goals by Gavranovic already in the first half (3', 36'). Lovric missed a penalty for Gorica in the 87th minute. Gavranovic secured a hat-trick with a final goal in the 3rd minute of added time for 0:3.

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 59 points, while Dinamo became already became Croatian champions this season, with 82 points in 1st place. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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May 13, 2021 - Borna Sosa's statement for the Croatian Football Federation has been released. 

The young Croatia national team player Borna Sosa sent a statement to the Croatian Football Federation, the media, and the public, which TCN transmits in its entirety.

"A lot has happened in my life in the past few days that has left its mark on me, especially on my sports career.

I will not shy away from my own responsibility for the situation I have found myself in, although, at the time I decided on my national team career, I believed I was doing the right thing.

I made the wrong decision and turned out to be naive.

Like any athlete, as a child, I dreamed of performing in big competitions. I still dream of them, without thinking about money or other material values, and of course, I also dream of performing at European and World Cups.

But even in that dream, I have no illusions that many will not understand me, and I do not blame them for that. The responsibility for this situation is mine alone, from the misunderstanding of what the Croatian Football Federation communicated to me to the decision I made, obviously motivated to reach the goal in another, perhaps shorter way.

I made my debut for the younger Croatia national teams in 2012 and played 56 games. There were better and worse performances, but I am proud of every game I played in the Croatia jersey.

The decision I made was wrong, and I have to take responsibility for it myself. If the Croatian Football Federation and coaches believe that despite everything, I can contribute to the success of our national teams, I will respond to their invitation and make myself available.

Finally, I sincerely apologize to the Croatian (sports) public, the fans of the Croatia national football team, and the Croatian Football Federation, whom I thank for the patience, understanding, and correctness they showed me in this situation."

You can read more about the Borna Sosa saga HERE.

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May 13, 2021 - The 34th round of the Croatian First League was held on May 11 and 12, 2021. In this round, Hajduk shocks Gorica at Poljud with a 4:0 victory while Osiejk topped Sibenik 3:0 at home. A look at our HNL round 34 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Istra and Lokomotiva opened the 34th round on Tuesday, May 10, 2021, in Pula. 

Pivaric scored a penalty in the 38th minute to put Lokomotiva in the lead before Gonzalez equalized for Istra just before the whistle for halftime (1:1). Neither team was able to score in the second half. 

Istra is currently in 10th place with 26 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 30. 

Osijek v. Sibenik (3:0)

Osijek and Sibenik met at City Garden Stadium on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. 

Osijek's Zaper scored from offside in the 28th minute to keep the match 0:0 at the half. Mierez missed a penalty in the 58th minute, but Santini finally got a goal in for Osijek in the 65th minute for 1:0. Mierez got his chance 8 minutes later when he scored for 2:0. Gyursco scored in the final minutes of added time for a final score of 3:0

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 71 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 35. 

Slaven Belupo v. Rijeka (0:2)

Belupo and Rijeka met on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Koprivnica.

Andrijasevic put Rijeka in the lead just before the half with a goal in the 40th minute for 0:1. Drmic scored in the 69th minute for 0:2, which was the final score of the match. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 55. 

Dinamo v. Varazdin (2:2)

Dinamo and Varazdin met at Maksimir Stadium on Wedneday, My 12, 2021. 

Ivanusec scored an early goal for Dinamo to make it 1:0 in the 9th minute, but Elezi equalized in the 34th for 1:1. Peric put Dinamo back in the led for 2:1 at the half. Herrera equalized for Varazdin in the 59th minute for the final 2:2 result. 

Dinamo has already clinched the Croatian Championship title and sits in 1st place with 79 points, while Varazdin is in 9th with 28. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (4:0)

Hajduk and Gorica closed out the 34th round on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Hajduk's first goal was thanks to a steller free-kick by Mario Vuskovic for 1:0 in the 14th minute. Kacaniklic made it 2:0 after a brilliant display by Hajduk wonderkid Duje Biuk. Only 7 minutes later, Marko Livaja scored a penalty to make it 3:0, and Biuk got his chance after humiliating the Gorica defense for 4:0 in the 39th minute. 

An own goal for Hajduk happened in the final seconds of the game, which was ultimately called offside by VAR. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with  54 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 59. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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May 11, 2021 – The Borna Sosa story has stirred quite a bit of commotion with his announcement of switching national teams from Croatia to Germany. The story got a new twist that might complicate things even more.

Even though the football season is almost over the news of the day in Croatia is one about Borna Sosa. This talented 23 years old left-back player is exactly what the national team needs now. His outstanding performances both in his club and Croatia U21 national team made him a young player to watch. But it wasn’t just Croatian officials that were watching him.

German Football Federation was quick to approach the player. They managed to sway him to come to play for the German national team. Borna’s mother was born in Germany and he now has the legal right to claim German citizenship. The decision was a shocking one for the Croatian football public and especially painful given the specific talents and the position Borna Sosa excels at. We have already reported on the details of this story as well as on the interview in which he explained his decision. The case seemed pretty much closed. However, the latest news out of Germany puts another shocking spin on the entire story.

The Final Twist?

In order to have Sosa playing for the German national football team after already playing for the Croatia U21 team, he needs permission from FIFA, football’s global governing body. As index.hr reports, there is a new clause added in FIFA rulebook since September 2020 that states a player switching national teams needed to already have had citizenship of the nation he is switching to before he played for the national team he is switching from. In other words, Borna Sosa needed to already have had dual Croatian and German citizenship at the time when he played for the Croatia youth team. Borna Sosa applied for German citizenship this year, so this is not the case. Because of this, FIFA will most probably decline the German request.

This is quite a shock, not just because of the fact Sosa might not be allowed to play for Germany. It is very unusual for a serious football association to make a mistake like that, not checking basic rules and regulations. If FIFA decides to disallow this change in national teams, this will be quite an embarrassing episode for German officials. Going public with announcements of Sosa’s possible place in the national team might backfire spectacularly.

At the end of the story, Croatia might end up with the left-back player the fans were dreaming of. The question is, will there be bad feelings after the Germany saga.

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To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

May 10, 2021 - The 33rd round of the Croatian First League was held from May 7 to 9, 2021. In this round, Gorica topped Osijek, Hajduk was better than Varazdin, and Dinamo secured the Croatian championship title after defeating Rijeka at Rujevica. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (3:1)

Lokomotiva and Belupo opened the 33rd round on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Krstanovic scored the first goal of the match in the 9th minute for the Belupo lead. Simic scored an offside goal for Lokomotiva to keep Belupo in the lead, but Simic returned 4 minutes later to equalize for 1:1 (25'). Kacavenda made it 2:1 for Lokomotiva in the 65th minute, while a double yellow for Maric saw Lokomitva play with a man down from the 71st minute. 

Pivaric scored in the 90th for 3:1 final score. 

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 29 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 31. 

Sibenik v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Sibenik and Istra met on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Sibenik. 

The match's only goal came in the 48th minute when Sahiti scored for the Sibenik lead and eventual win. Bailone was sent off the pitch in the 73rd minute, forcing Sibenik to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 35 points, while Istra is in the last place with 25. 

Gorica v. Osijek (1:0)

Gorica and Osijek met in Velika Gorica on Friday, May 7, 2021. 

Jovicic scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute. The game was nearly impossible to play due to adverse weather conditions. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 59 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 68. 

Varazdin v. Hajduk (0:1)

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Varazdin. 

The match's only goal came in the 89th minute when Livaja scored a penalty for the Hajduk win. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 27 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 51. 

Rijeka v. Dinamo (1:5)

Rijeka and Dinamo closed out the 33rd round on Sunday, May 9, 2021, at Rujevica. 

Menalo put Rijeka in the lead in the 1st minute of the game for 1:0. Dinamo's Gvardiol scored from offside in the 16th minute, but an own goal by Galovic saw Dinamo equalize for 1:1 in the 43rd. 

Misic put Dinamo ahead in the 48th minute, and another Rijeka own goal (Capan) made it 1:3 for Dinamo one minute later. Orsic scored in the 64th for 1:4, and yet another own goal in the final minutes by Vukcevic gave Dinamo the 1:5 victory. 

With this win, Dinamo became Croatian champions for the 22nd time, three rounds before the end of the championship. Rijeka sits in 4th place with 51 points. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

May 9, 2021 - Borna Sosa, one of the most talented young Croatian football players and a member of the U21 national team, has decided to play for the national team of Germany. The 24-year-old footballer talks to Index.hr about his decision.

An unforgettable day is behind Borna Sosa, one of the greatest Croatian talents who, with a brilliant game in the Bundesliga, provoked the legendary Oliver Bierhoff and the German Football Federation to urgently arrange for his German citizenship and status in their national team. The young defender has just made the most important transfer in his career and announced that he would play for Germany in the future, while Croatia has been left without the player it has been waiting for for 20 years, since the farewell of Robert Jarni.

Sosa is one of the best offensive defenders in Europe, plays as a left-back, and excels in the Stuttgart jersey, where he arrived from Dinamo in 2018 in a transfer worth six million euros. He was a member and occasional captain of the U21 Croatia national team, but he never received an invitation from the A team. When the news about the acquisition of the German Federation was published on Friday, panic started in all HNS structures. 

The first HNS operative, director Marijan Kustić, claims that he found out about the German Football Federations' offensive the day before yesterday, coach Zlatko Dalić believes that Sosa knew he should make his debut in the match against Malta in March and that his former assistant Ivica Olic led the operation, while the young football player says that he never saw Olic, but received messages through intermediaries.

Sosa agreed to tell Index.hr his side of the story and made claims that could cause great damage to the responsible HNS operatives.

In the Croatian media, your transfer to the national team of Germany is the topic of the day, but there are many different messages and contradictory statements. Did you get to read any of that?

Yes, I have seen the statements in the Croatian media, and I will answer everything you ask me.

Tell us what is true. Why did you decide to play for Germany?

I decided to play for Germany because I think I am already 24 years old, I have played in the Bundesliga for three years, and I am still without a performance in the A national team. I realized that Croatia is not counting on me and thinking they have better players in my position. I respect that attitude and their decision, there is no anger, and we remain on good terms. I decided to play for Germany.

Have you talked about this with HNS before?

I’m not the type who waits for others to pull moves; I pull them when I think it’s good and necessary. I made the decision personally. This season I had no contact with people from Croatia's A national team, and no one ever called me from HNS. I spoke with Dalic for the first time this morning when the news came out that I had decided on Germany.

Is it true that you received a guarantee that you would make your debut against Malta in the qualifiers for Qatar?

That's not true. Dalic did not tell me that I would make my debut against Malta, nor did we ever talk. There was speculation, there was talk about it, and you wrote that Dalic was talking about it. Officially, I never received any invitation from the Croatia national team.

Did Ivica Olic come to Stuttgart matches and follow your performances? We were told that Olic, now a former assistant coach of Dalic, was in charge of following you and informing you about Dalic's plans.

Olic did not come, as far as I know. I don't know what his role is, but he told me through a third person that I will be invited to the A national team in March, i.e., in the opening cycle of the Qatar World Cup qualifiers. I never talked to Olic, there were some messages through intermediaries, and I didn't take it seriously. The only invitation I ever received from Croatia was sent to me by the coach of the U21 national team, Igor Bišćan, and, as you know, I responded. I played in the Euro qualifiers.

If you had received Dalic's call earlier, what would you have done?

If I had received Dalic's invitation and played in March, or there in September and October last year when there were opportunities, I would have played for Croatia. There have been many gatherings, and I am no longer 17 but 24 years old. Unfortunately, it was not feasible for me to receive an invitation from Croatia and our paths diverged. I received Dalic's support and understanding this morning, and I thank him. He wished me luck; I wish him the same. Big things are waiting for me. I’m looking forward to getting a chance to play with such greats, mostly Bayern players.

What are your experiences with the U21 national team? Why didn't you come to the Euro?

I also had some injury problems then, and after I received a red card in the last qualifying match and a suspension for the first two games at the Euros with the young national team, my club decided for me to stay there. They said they didn't want me to go to the national team because I didn't have the right to play in the tournament's first two games due to a red card. There was no reason for them to take the risk and send me to train with the young national team if there is no need. Personally, I also think that there is no point in taking risks, the rhythm of the matches is crazy anyway, and every detail should be paid attention to. The club made the decision; they explained to me that they didn’t want me to get hurt and lose me unnecessarily. I couldn't play for the national team anyway.

But the match against England is disputable when the suspension expired. It was a key match to get to the quarterfinals. You told Bišćan that you were injured, and a few days later, you played for Stuttgart. What happened?

There will always be speculation, but I won't deal with it. I don’t want to get into arguments, and I wouldn’t talk about it too much because tensions are rising and unnecessary. I sent Bišćan a doctor's report in which it was clearly written that I was not in the best condition. The problem is always the same, my right knee. Maybe some people don’t believe I’m hurt, but those who follow my career know how much I’ve been through so far. Maybe some people can’t understand it at all. I don't blame anyone.

It's hard to count all the injuries you went through during the first two seasons in the Bundesliga - your back, knee, edema, concussion ... How do you feel now, and are you satisfied with the season, the results, and your game?

I can’t be happier than I am now, both because of the personal game and because of the whole team. After two seasons where I struggled with injuries, this year, everything fell into place. I collected ten assists. I healed an injury that caused me to miss three games before last night’s game against Augsburg. It is rare for defenders to collect so many assists in a season.

After checking the data in the top 5 leagues, only Cuadrado is better and has one more assist.  

Yes, I know about that fact. Crossing is my forte, and it has nothing to do with the system in which Stuttgart plays. I honed the strongest weapon I have and can center if needed from Mars as well. If I’m sure of anything in life, then it’s my crossing, ha-ha.

What impression did the director of the German federation, the famous striker Oliver Bierhoff, leave on you?

The German Federation is the strongest in the world, and Bierhoff, as the chief operative, proved to be a man of his word. He is calm and sticks to what he says; you can’t function any differently in Germany.

How long will it take to join the German national team?

The whole story takes about two to three months. They did everything we could to resolve the citizenship as soon as possible, and I am very grateful for that.

How did it start?

They found out that my mom was born in Germany, and they got in touch with me. We started the process, and we were constantly communicating. They came to every game I played. They said I was responding to them as a player for the German national team system.

Have you ever met coach Dalic?

I don't remember; I think I saw him once in my life, nothing official. Thus, HNS had information for two months that I had an offer from Germany. I personally reported this to one director.

Which director? There are not many directors in HNS?

It doesn’t matter; I really don't want to name names. It's over. I told them I had an offer from Germany and to talk to them. That was it; no one from HNS contacted me after that. They made their decision; I made mine, there is no evil, and no tension should be created.

You must have read the comments of angry fans. How do you deal with that?

I try to explain to people that this is a business decision. Many call me a traitor, but they do not understand that I still love Croatia the most, and it will always be my country, the country of my family and friends. I do not play for the Croatia national team, but I still love my country. In the business world, I decided to play football for Germany.

Are you already on Germany's list for the Euros?

I don't know if we will reach the Euro; FIFA will solve the change of my citizenship, it is a technical matter, and it may not be resolved by the Euro. But that’s not crucial for me; I’m thinking about the next 10 to 12 years with the German national team.

The sporting director of Stuttgart called you the new Beckham. How about that?

He said that last year. It's funny that the director announced before the season that I have the best-left foot in the Bundesliga, but people didn't believe him. I'm so glad now, not so much for me ... I know what I can do. I am glad that I did not let the director down; now everyone knows that he has good grades. I am nicknamed the "god of crossing" in Germany.

Will you go to Bayern this summer?
As for the transfer to Bayern, where there is smoke, there is also fire. There will be an interesting transition period.

Will you support Croatia at the Euro?

Yes, unless Croatia plays against Germany, ha-ha. Croatia will always be my beautiful country, and in Germany, I decided to develop football. Thanks to everyone who decided to help me along the way.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

May 7, 2021 - TCN's regular retrospect of Highlights of the week, through the selection of TCN's reporter Ivor Kruljac. 

President Milanović loved by locals in Plaški. Firefighters quickly reacted to the fire in Zagreb recycle yard. Pula celebrated its liberation while Šibenik received new doses of coronavirus vaccines. Dinamo and Hajduk end their match in a tie. Overall another interesting week in Croatia, and here are more details on all highlights.

 Highlights of the week: President Milanović loved in Plaški county

© Kristina Stedul Fabac/ PIXSELL

Croatian president Zoran Milanović visited Plaški county near Ogulin on Tuesday to visit the newly-build Firefighter's home and Plaški Culture Home. The locals welcomed president Milanović with ovations, and many use the opportunity to handshake and take a photo with the president. As Večernji List reports, Milanović took the visit as an opportunity to comment on the hate speech incident at Borovo Selo. He stated that the President of Serbian National Council Milorad Pupovac and Croatian Prime Minister „should use the police, but they don't, they are causing incidents.

Highlights of the Week: Pula celebrating its liberation in WW2

© Srecko Niketic/ PIXSELL

Pula celebrated its annual liberation day and the Pula City Day, marked on May 5. In Tito's park, the traditional commemoration to the fallen WW2 soldiers of Tito's partisan army saw Tiziano Sošić (president of Pula City Council), Elena Puh Belci (vice mayor of Pula), Aleksandar Matić (chief of the City of Pula Office) and Fabrizio Radin (vice-county ruler of Istria county) paid their respects. Representatives of associations of anti-fascist fighters and anti-fascist of the city of Pula were present too. 

 Highlights of the Week: Dinamo and Hajduk end with an even score 1:1

© Milan Sabic/ PIXSELL

Hajduk and Dinamo's eternal opponents played another game at Hajduk's home of Poljud Stadium in Split on Wednesday. The match was the 22nd round in Croatian First League, and fans couldn't wait for it as the game was postponed.

Hajduk opened the match well and had a chance to take the lead in the first 20 seconds. Kačaniklić received an excellent long ball and ran on the right side. He rushed into the penalty area and shot diagonally, but Livaković came out and closed his corner. Dinamo improved and took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal by Majer, and Livaja returned the favor in the 44th minute. Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes of the match but without success.

After three victories in the previous three clashes with Hajduk this season, Dinamo failed to achieve maximum performance and almost mathematically secured the title but entered the last four rounds with a seven-point advantage over Osijek. The fail happened despite Dinamo facing Hajduk with the strongest possible lineup.  

Highlights of the Week: Vaccination in Šibenik continues successfully

© Hrvoje Jelavic/ PIXSELL

Larger quantities of vaccines came to Šibenik on Friday, allowing vaccination in Baldeki Sports Hall to go without problems for the second day in the row. The vaccination attracts a number of citizens, so the area got quite crowded.

Highlights of the Week: Recycling yard in Zagreb on fire, reasons unclear

© Matija Habljak/ PIXSELL

Zagreb's recycling yard, located on Sarajevska Cesta in Novi Zagreb, was victimized by fire but quickly localized and put under control on Tuesday. The fire caught four containers, and 21 firefighters with six fire trucks rushed to the field. Police investigated the cause of the fire, but the reason is, for the moment, unknown. Firefighters managed to operate despite the lack of hydrants, and the thick white smoke was noticed by citizens who live in the buildings close to the yard, reported Večernji List. 

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May 5, 2021 - Hajduk and Dinamo met in Croatia's Eternal Derby on Wednesday, playing 1:1 in the postponed match of the Croatian First League's 22nd round. 

Dinamo took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal by Majer, and Livaja equalized in the 44th minute. Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes of the match. 

Dinamo came to Poljud with the strongest possible lineup, hoping to secure the points needed to defend the Croatian championship title. On the other hand, Hajduk needed a victory to keep pace in the fight for Europe after a win against Rijeka last weekend.

Hajduk opened the match well and had a chance to take the lead in the first 20 seconds. Kačaniklić received an excellent long ball and ran on the right side. He rushed into the penalty area and shot diagonally, but Livaković came out and closed his corner.

Dinamo made a lot of mistakes in the opening, but the first cardinal mistake was made by Marco Fossati, who Dinamo quickly punished. The Hajduk player lost the ball near the goal line; Petković took advantage of his mistake and entered the penalty area. Petković found Majer, who hit the opposite corner with his head from the top of the box.

Additional pressure from Dinamo was expected after the lead but they left the ball to Hajduk and waited for counters. Hajduk played smart and controlled the match.

In the 33rd minute, Jurić nailed the penalty area, but Stefan Simić shot straight at Livaković. In the next attack, Ivanušec shot well from about 20 meters, but Kalinić defended even better.

Hajduk played better nearing halftime, and in the 41st minute, they had another great chance. Livaja masterfully played Jurić, but Livaković reacted superbly. 

Hajduk deservedly equalized a minute before the end of the first half after a big mistake by Dinamo's defense. Lauritsen reacted desperately, Theophile lost focus on Livaja, and Hajduk's best player scored for 1:1.

Ivanušec was subbed off at halftime for Kastrati, and Tramezzani played Diamantakos instead of Ljubičić.

The tempo of the second half was dull until the 61st minute when Petković shot high over the goal. Kastrati missed three minutes later.

Hajduk, who played well in the first hour, started to lose strength, which became more and more obvious as the match came to an end. However, Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes. 

After three victories in the previous three clashes with Hajduk this season, Dinamo failed to achieve maximum performance and almost mathematically secured the title but entered the last four rounds with a seven-point advantage over Osijek.

Hajduk has not inched much closer to third place, which certainly leads to Europe.

Source: Index.hr

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May 5, 2021 - Croatian Football Federation president Davor Suker has confirmed for Russian media that Vedran Corluka will work alongside Zlatko Dalic as the Croatia national team assistant coach! 

Sportske Novosti reports that Vedran Corluka is returning to the Croatia national team, confirmed the Croatian Football Federation president Davor Suker for the Russian Sport24 ru. The former Croatia national team player will replace Ivica Olic in the position of assistant coach in Zlatko Dalic's coaching staff. 

"Vedran had a phenomenal career with the national team. That is why we decided he would be an assistant to Zlatko Dalic at the European Championships. It is our joint decision. I am very happy that Vedran will be with the team. I am sure that a person like him will unite the team and will help young players," Suker said.

Corluka has been in Russia since 2012, where he plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, and announced that he would say goodbye to that club at the end of the season. He did not say what he would do next, but joining the Croatia coaching staff suggests he has coaching ambitions. Is this the end of his playing career or will he continue to play after the Euros? We will probably get an answer soon. Corluka retired from the Croatia national team after the 2018 World Cup.

Recall, before Russia, Dalic brought on Ivica Olic as an assistant, mostly to be a link with the players he competed next to not long before. Dalic also wanted Darijo Srna to join his coaching staff.

Thus, the idea of Corluka joining the coaching staff is not so surprising. Olic took over CSKA Moscow in March, leaving Dalic with a hole to fill. We are still waiting for the coach to decide exactly who will make up his coaching staff at the Euros and whether there will be even more new names.

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