October 7, 2020 - Tickets for Croatia matches against Sweden (October 11) and France (October 14)  at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb will begin on Wednesday, October 7, at 10:00.

The Croatia national football team will play two consecutive Nations League matches, both at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, against Sweden on October 11 at 6 pm, and against France on October 14 at 8:45 pm. Ticket sales for both matches are organized exclusively via the Internet at the following prices:

Tribune west middle lower: 250 kn

Tribune west lower: 150 kn

Tribune west upper: 100 kn

Tribune north lower: 60 kn

Tribune north upper: 60 kn

Ticket sales include e-tickets that the buyer must download online and print out. Only citizens of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of residence address, have the right to purchase by filling in the required personal information.

Due to special epidemiological measures in the stands, one person can buy only two (2) tickets, no less, no more. In addition to their data, the customer also enters data of the other ticket holder, who does not necessarily have to be a citizen of the Republic of Croatia.

The deadline for purchasing tickets online is:

October 11, 2020, until 12:00 for the match against Sweden, or October 14, 2020, until 12:00 for the match against France or until the games are sold out. 

Tickets will be available online on the HNS ticket portal, where you can find detailed information on ticket sales and payment methods.

HNS warns fans that when entering the stadium, the security will check the accuracy of personal data on the tickets. Fans who try to enter the stadium with a ticket in another name will be denied entry. Therefore, fans should not buy tickets from scalpers with someone else's information on the ticket.

As a reminder, UEFA allowed the return of spectators up to 30 percent of the stadium's capacity, which in the case of Maksimir was reduced by closing the east and south stands that were damaged in the earthquake.

Anyone entering the stadium must disinfect their hands as often as possible and maintain the recommended physical distance between themselves and other spectators.

More information can be found on HNS HERE.

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October 6, 2020 - After the Croatia national team gathered on Monday in St. Gallen, coach Zlatko Dalic revealed the plan for Switzerland and the upcoming Nations League campaign against Sweden and France.

The Croatia national football team gathered on Monday in St. Gallen before three crucial October exams - a friendly match against Switzerland on Wednesday, and the Nations League campaign in Zagreb against Sweden (October 11) and France (October 14).

Unfortunately, coach Zlatko Dalic is left without Sime Vrsaljko once again.

"Unfortunately, we are left without Vrsaljko again. This is new news; he was injured again in training a few days ago, so he will not be with us at this gathering. I'm sorry he's not here again because he's back; he was with us after a long time. As for the other players, we still don’t know the whole situation to the end. According to the latest information, Badelj will still come, and we are waiting for news about Brekalo. I hope that everyone will be together, except that we were already left without Rebic."

Analyzing the September matches, Dalic points to two completely different approaches against Portugal and France.

"We had two heavy defeats, but the approach was bad only against Portugal. We were not ourselves in that game; there was no aggression, running, duels. We encountered a much stronger opponent at the time; Portugal was better in all segments of the game. Against France, this was not the case, we were much better then. We played a good game that we did not deserve to lose, in the analysis we saw, for example, that we ran three kilometers more than France."

However, deconcentration in some situations, a drop in responsibility, and two interruptions contributed to the defeat. We were great until the 43rd minute, dominated, absolutely controlled the game. And then two unseen mistakes happened to us, so instead of going 1:0 at half time, we lose 1:2. In such a situation, it was not easy to enter the continuation of the match, but we got back into the game, equalized, and then come two interruptions that destroyed us. In Zagreb, however, I expect a different game. We are constantly on par with France and we always lose. I expect that we will be better this time, the players are a month deeper into training and competitive form, and they will certainly come to this gathering in a much better position."

For the first time, Croatia will play three matches in a gathering. What is Dalic's plan? Are the Nations League matches more important than the friendly match with Switzerland, and how does Dalic intend to share the playing time amongst players?

"There is little time and a lot of games. Not all players will be able to withstand that, and that is why the list is a bit wider. My goal is to give the opportunity against Switzerland to players who have played less so far and who have not always been on the national team. We want to see them, which means we will play against Switzerland with a team that will be quite mixed. Of course, the Nations League is important to us, we want to stay in the elite group, and we must focus all our efforts on the matches against Sweden and France in Zagreb. These are two important matches, we will do our best to win at least one in order to stay in the elite group."

What answers would Dalic like to get against Switzerland?

"We want to see players who have not been in the national team circle and are playing well in their clubs. They all deserve a call and now have the opportunity to impose themselves and show that we can count on them in the near future. My rule is already known, it is difficult to get in and out of the national team, but given the circumstances in which frequent absences of players occur, we must find certain solutions. We said that we are preparing the team for the European Championship, and this is an opportunity to see some new faces."

Andrej Kramaric scored again and is still the leading scorer in the Bundesliga. What is his role in the team?

"The task of me as a coach is to find the best solutions for all players in the system in which Croatia plays. Kramaric played in several positions in the national team, and in the end, he took us to the World Cup in Russia with two goals when he played against Ukraine. So, there are no doubts on that issue. We will see the situation, and I will try to make Kramaric play in a position where he is the best for the Croatia national team. In any case, my task is to make the best use of its qualities."

Ivan Rakitic said goodbye to the national team, and Ante Rebic is out due to injury. How much does that change the concept of the Croatia national team's game, and is Kovacic or Vlasic closer to a staring 11 spot?

"We will see who will be in the starting lineup, everyone will get a chance, and I need to use Kovacic and Vlasic in the right way. They have already proven that they can do it. I am sorry that Rakitic is no longer with us, but younger players are coming who will have to replace him. It will not be easy for them at all, they will need time and experience, but Kramaric, Vlasic, and Kovacic can also jump into that position. In general, we have good solutions."

How important is the return of Luka Modric?

"Very important. Luka is the leader of our game and the leader on the pitch; he is very important to me as a coach, the staff, and players. With Luka, players feel safer on the pitch, and everyone is 15 percent better. I am looking forward to Luka's arrival; he is healthy and ready. We did the right thing when we released him from obligations in September; we gave him a chance to be better at both Real and the national team. Luka was never questioned, he always gave his best, the only thing that matters is that he is healthy," concluded Dalic.

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October 5, 2020 - The 7th round of the Croatian First League was held from October 2 to 4, 2020. In this round, Gorica topped Hajduk, while Osijek's win against Sibenik pushed them into 3rd place.

Lokomotiva v. Istra 1961 (0:0)

Lokomotiva and Istra opened the 7th round in Zagreb on Friday, October 2, 2020. 

While the game went without goals, it did see four yellow cards for Lokomotiva. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 5 points, while Istra is in 7th with 5 points. 

Sibenik v. Osijek (0:2)

Sibenik and Osijek played their 7th round match in Sibenik on Saturday, October 3, 2020, in front of 1,173 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Mierez scored for the Osijek lead in the 67th minute. A penalty awarded to Osijek less than 10 minutes later saw Mierez score again for the final score of 0:2.

Sibenik is currently in the last place with 4 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 13. 

Gorica v. Hajduk (2:1)

Gorica and Hajduk met in Velika Gorica on Saturday, October 3, 2020, in front of 1,523 spectators. 

A penalty for Hajduk in the 45th minute saw Caktas score for 0:1 at the half. Lovric equalized for Gorica in the 62nd minute, after which Colina received a double-yellow for Hajduk, forcing them to play with a man down from the 70th minute. 

Hamad scored for the Gorica lead eight minutes later, while Jairo missed the chance to equalize from a penalty in the 10th minute of added time. The match ended at 2:1.

Gorica is currently in 2nd place with 16 points, while Hajduk is in 4th place with 10. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo (1:2)

Varazdin and Dinamo met on Sunday, October 4, 2020, at NK Varteks Stadium. 

Varazdin's Drozdek scored a penalty in the 8th minute to put the home team in the lead. However, Orsic scored just before the half to make it 1:1.

Another goal for Orsic in the 54th minute gave Dinamo the lead, and a goal taken back by VAR kept the score at 1:2.

Varazdin is currently in 6th place with 7 points, while Dinamo is in first with 16. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (2:0)

Rijeka and Slaven Belupo closed out the 7th round on Sunday, October 4, 2020, at Rujevica Stadium.

While the first half went without goals, Andrijasevic scored in the 69th minute for 1:0 Rijeka. Kulenovic scored a penalty in the second minute of added time for the final result of 2:0.

Rijeka is currently in 5th place with 9 points, while Belupo is in 9th place with 4. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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October 4, 2020 - After UEFA decided that fans can return to stadiums at 30% capacity, HNS announces tickets for Croatia matches against Sweden and France in Zagreb. 

HNS announced that following UEFA's decision to allow spectators to fill 30 percent of the stadium's capacity in UEFA competitions, the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation decided to use this opportunity and allow spectators to come to the Nations League matches against Sweden, France and Portugal. By UEFA's decision, the arrival of fans to away matches is not allowed.

Croatian fans will once again have the opportunity to watch and support the Croatia national team at home games, after a break of almost a year thanks to COVID-19. The UEFA Executive Board, with the participation of HNS President Davor Suker, decided to allow the national federations to return spectators to a maximum of 30 percent of the available capacity of the stadium.

Although there is little time left for Maksimir Stadium to organize the matches against Sweden (October 11) and France (October 14)  and despite the numerous requirements that the organizer must comply with UEFA, the HNS Executive Board decided that the Federation will do everything for Croatian fans to watch Croatia play in a few weeks. After these games in October, Croatia will host Portugal in Split in November, also with spectators.

Spectators will be able to buy tickets for the West and North stands for the matches against Sweden and France, while the East and South stands will be closed to the public because of the Zagreb earthquake in March.

Ticket prices are as follows:

West middle lower: 250 kuna
West lower: 150 kuna
West upper: 100 kuna
North lower: 60 kuna
North upper: 60 kuna

Tickets can be purchased exclusively online, with ticket printing at home.

At the beginning of next week, HNS will inform the public about the manner and start time of ticket sales. Also, the Federation will inform the public about all organizational details of the match, i.e., strict measures that all spectators will have to follow to protect their health, the health of other spectators and in general - the concept of returning spectators to stadiums.

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October 2, 2020 - Dinamo and Rijeka advance to the Europa League group stage after defeating Flora and Copenhagen on Thursday evening in the final qualifying round.

Dinamo Zagreb secured a spot in the Europa League after beating Estonian club Flora 3:1 in the final qualifying round at Maksimir Stadium. Ademi scored twice for Dinamo in the 26th and 87th minutes, and the first goal of the match was scored by Gavranovic in the 11th. Sinavskij scored for Flora in the 65th. 

After losing to Ferencvaros without a chance to qualify for the Champions League, Dinamo will play in the Europa League this season for consolation.

Unlike the last qualifying round of the Champions League, in which two matches were played, only one match was played in the final round of the Europa League qualifiers.

Dinamo's last hurdle to qualify for the group stage was the Estonian champion, Flora. The difference in quality was obvious and Dinamo came away with the win. However, harder than expected.

90'+3 KRAJ!!! Dinamo - Flora 3:1 (Gavranović, Ademi 2x) ?????????????? Imamo europsku jesen u @EuropaLeague ! ????⚽️ #uel #dinamozagreb pic.twitter.com/dOtJoPHHUh

— GNK Dinamo (@gnkdinamo) October 1, 2020

In the second match on Thursday, Rijeka also secured a spot in the Europa League group stage thanks to a 1:0 (1-0) away win against Copenhagen, Denmark in the last qualifying round.

Rijeka reached the victory thanks to an own goal by Ankersen in the 20th minute.

Rijeka managed to withstand the pressure of the home side in the first 15 minutes, and then from the first offensive action to gain the advantage, which they kept until the end.

Although the match was mostly played in Rijeka's half, Copenhagen did not manage to create any dangerous scoring opportunities to thus give Rijeka the victory.

? Navijanje u svlačionici poveo je Damir Mišković, predsjednik HNK Rijeka, jedan od najzaslužnijih ljudi za uspjehe riječkog prvoligaša ?⚪#ZajednosmoRijeka #UEL #Krepatmanemolat pic.twitter.com/5HQHUwtYla

— NK Rijeka (@NKRijeka) October 1, 2020

The Europa League group draw will be held in Nyon at noon on Friday. 

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September 28, 2020 - The 6th round of the Croatian First League was held on September 26 and 27, 2020. In this round, Hajduk topped Varazdin at a very stormy Poljud, while Osijek was better than Gorica. The games between Dinamo and Rijeka, and Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo were postponed due to obligations in the Europa League.

Istra 1961 v. Sibenik (1:0)

Istra and Sibenik opened the 6th round on Saturday, September 26, 2020, in Pula. 

The only goal of the match came in the 39th minute when Ivancic scored for 1:0 at the half. Grzan missed a penalty in the 70th minute and failed to increase Istra's lead. The game ended 1:0.

Istra is currently in 9th place with 4 points, while Sibenik is in 8th with 4 points. 

Osijek v. Gorica (2:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Saturday, September 26, 2020, at City Garden Stadium. 

Mierez scored a penalty for Osijek in the 3rd minute of the ref's added time, just before the half. A Doka double-yellow saw Gorica play with a man down from the 72nd minute. Gorica, however, was able to equalize in the 84th minute thanks to a Lovric goal. Grgic put Osijek back in the lead in the 7th minute of added time for a final score of 2:1.

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 10 points, while Gorica is in 2nd place with 13 points. 

Hajduk v. Varazdin (2:0)

Hajduk and Varazdin closed out the 6th round on Sunday, September 27, 2020, at Poljud Stadium. 

Gyursco scored an early goal for Hajduk in the 5th minute to put them ahead 1:0. A Pellumbi red card for Varazdin in the 15th minute did not help them equal the score. 

A penalty was awarded to Hajduk in the 50th minute, which Caktas scored for 2:0. A vicious storm erupted in the game's final minutes, which you can see in the video below. 

Hajduk is currently in 3rd place with 10 points, while Varazdin is in 5th with 7. 

Dinamo and Rijeka, and Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo, will play their 6th round matches in the first free term.

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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September 21, 2020 - The 5th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 18 to 20, 2020.  This round saw Dinamo and Slaven Belupo draw, while the Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk was postponed due to commitments in the Europa League this week. 

Sibenik v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Sibenik and Lokomotiva opened the 5th round on Friday, September 18, 2020, at Stadion Subicevac. 

Ampem opened the scoring for Sibenik in the 11th minute for 1:0. Lokomotiva's Kallaku equalized in the 33rd for 1:1. Juric's goal six minutes before the half put Sibenik back in the lead. 

Sammir equalized for Lokomotiva in the 69th minute, but an 84th-minute goal by Ampem gave Sibenik the 3:2 win. 

Sibenik is currently in 8th place with 4 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th place with 4 points. 

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (2:2)

Gorica and Istra met in the 5th round on Saturday, September 19, 2020, in Velika Gorica. 

Vuk scored for the Istra lead in the 11th minute, though Spikic scored the equalizer for Lokomotiva in the 29th. A Suk goal for Gorica was called back thanks to VAR just before the half. 

A red card for Steenvoorden in the 73rd minute saw Gorica play a man down for the remainder of the game, while Grzan nailed the penalty to put Istra back in the lead.  In the 89th minute, Delfi scored the equalizer for the final score of 2:2.

Gorica is currently in 2nd place with 13 points, while Istra is in 10th with one point. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:3)

Dinamo and Slaven Belupo met on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at Maksimir stadium. 

An early Belupo goal by Etoundi shocked Dinamo in the first minute of the game. However, Gavranovic equalized three minutes later for 1:1 in the 4th minute. Gavranovic scored again in the 8th minute for the Dinamo lead. A Belupo penalty in the 22nd minute saw Krstanovic score the equalizer for 2:2 at the half. 

Lovro Majer put Dinamo back in the lead for 3:2 in the 69th minute, while Knoll equalized for the final score of 3:3. Belupo's Zirdum received a double-yellow.

Dinamo is currently in first place with 13 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 4. 

Varazdin v. Osijek (0:1)

Varazdin and Osijek closed out the 5th round this weekend Sunday, September 20, 2020, at NK Varteks Stadium. 

The only goal of the match came in the 15th minute when Zaper scored for the Osijek win. 

Varazdin is currently in 5th place with 7 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 7 points. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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September 17, 2020 - Big Croatian football news as Ferencvaros knocks out Dinamo in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League. 

Dinamo Zagreb will not play in the Champions League this season after they lost in the third qualifying round in Budapest to the Hungarian champion Ferencvaros 1:2. Dinamo will continue their European path in the final round of the Europa League qualifiers.

Ferencvaros took the lead in the 80th second of the game with a goal by Gerg Lovrencsics. Still, Dinamo equalized in the 23rd minute after an own goal by former Lokomotiva player Myrt Uzuni. Ferencvaros reached a new advantage in the 65th minute with a goal by Uzuni, who redeemed himself for Dinamo's equalizer.

The Hungarian champions retaliated against Dinamo for last season's defeat, also in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League.

Recall, Dinamo was knocked out by a Hungarian club for the first time in their European history. Until Wednesday night's match, Dinamo played against Hungarian clubs seven times and passed all seven times. Three times they knocked out MTK, twice Ferencvaros, and once ZTE and Gyor.

With the victory against Dinamo, the Hungarian champion advanced to the Champions League play-offs in which they will play against the winner of Karabakh - Molde, but also secured European autumn. If they win in the final round of qualifications, Ferencvaros enters the group-stage competition of the Champions League, while with a defeat, they move to the group-stage competition of the Europa League.

With this defeat to Ferencvaros, Dinamo dropped out of the Champions League qualifications, and their European story will continue in the playoffs or the last qualifying round of the Europa League.

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September 14, 2020 - The Croatian Football Federation has confirmed that spectators will return to Croatian football leagues from September 18, 2020. 

The Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation has decided to allow spectators at stadiums from September 18, so long as they meet several conditions to ensure maximum protection of spectators and all actors in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A limited number of spectators will be able to attend the matches of the HT First League, the Croatian Football Cup, the 2nd HNL, and the First HNL for juniors, cadets, and pioneers, up to 30 percent of the capacity of each grandstand or stadium box. Visiting fans will not be allowed to attend the matches.

The host club is obliged to organize each match following the current measures of the competent local civil protection headquarters, and the organization of matches should be carried out in compliance with all prescribed epidemiological measures (maintaining the distance between spectators, ensuring the use of disinfectants, etc.)

In making this decision, the HNS Executive Board took into account the position of Uefa, which will allow the return of a limited number of spectators to the Super Cup match, and the fact that the epidemiological situation varies significantly from county to county. That is why the arrival of visiting fans will not be allowed.

The decision was made known to the National Civil Protection Headquarters and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

If there is non-compliance with the measures, particularly the distance between spectators or the number of spectators being exceeded, the competition commissioner is authorized to decide for the host club to play matches without spectators.

If the competent local civil protection headquarters prohibits the arrival of spectators to a certain host club, 50 people of the host club are allowed to attend HT First League matches, and 30 people of the host club are allowed to attend the 2nd HNL matches, provided that this is following epidemiological measures that city or county.

The decision shall apply from September 18, 2020.

Source: HNS

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September 14, 2020 - The 4th round of HNL was played from September 11 to 13, 2020. This round featured the Eternal Derby at Poljud, where Dinamo was better than Hajduk, while Osijek crushed Rijeka 3:0. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (0:0)

Slaven Belupo and Sibenik opened the 4th round in Koprivnica on Friday, September 11, 2020. 

Krstanovic missed a penalty just before the half, and the game went without goals.

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 3 points, while Sibenik is in 9th with one point. 

Osijek v. Rijeka (3:0)

Osijek and Rijeka met on Saturday, September 12, 2020, for their 4th round match at City Garden Stadium. 

An early goal by Jugovic had Osijek in the lead in the 5th minute. Rijeka's Arsenic saw a red card in the 37th minute, which drastically changed the game. Osijek scored their second goal one minute later for 2:0 at the half.

Osijek secured their victory with a goal by Mierez in the 75th minute, which was the final score of the game. 

Osijek is currently in 6th place with 4 points, while Rijeka is in 5th with 4 points. 

Hajduk v. Dinamo (1:2)

Hajduk and Dinamo met for the season's first Eternal Derby at Poljud on Saturday, September 12, 2020. 

Kastrati gave Dinamo the lead just three minutes before the half for 0:1. Five minutes into the second half, Orsic scored a stunner for 0:2 

Hajduk's Juric was able to get a header in the back of the net in the 88th minute for 1:2, which was the final score of the game. 

Hajduk is currently in 3rd place with 7 points, while Dinamo is in first place with 12.

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (0:1)

Istra and Varazdin met in Pula at the Aldo Drosini Stadium on Sunday, September 13, 2020. 

The game's only goal was scored by Senic in the 37th minute, which gave Varazdin the 0:1 victory. 

Istra is currently in the last place with 0 points, while Varazdin is in 4th with 7 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (1:2)

Lokomotiva and Gorica closed out the 4th round in Zagreb on Sunday, September 13, 2020. 

Lovric scored for Gorica in the 32nd minute for 0:1 at the half. Lovric increased Gorica's lead in the 85th minute to 0:2, though Karacic was able to get one in for Lokomotiva for a final result of 1:2. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 7th place with 4 points, while Gorica is in 2nd place with 12 points. 

All games were played without the presence of spectators. You can see the full HNL table here. 

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