September 28, 2021 - The CRO Race 1st stage finished on Tuesday on a 237-kilometers-long route from Osijek to Varaždin. On Wednesday, cyclists will ride from Slunj to Otočac.

The first and longest stage of the sixth edition of the CRO Race has been completed. The 237-kilometer stage started from Osijek with the finish line in Varaždin, reports HRT.

German Phil Bauhaus, a member of the Bahrain Victorious team, justified his status as one of the favorites to win and was faster than Dutchman Olav Kooi (Jumbo-Vism) in second and Norwegian Kristoffer Halvorsen (Uno-X) in third.

In the second stage, which will take place on Wednesday from Slunj to Otočac, Bauhaus will take the red shirt of the leader in the overall standings. This is his ninth victory in 2021.

"I positioned myself well before the finish. My team did a great job because it was a windy stage. I expect that the stage winner will be decided by the sprint on Wednesday, although there will be many more climbs ahead of us," said Bauhaus.

The longest stage of this year's race started as expected. Very soon after the start, a group of five drivers was formed, which stood out from the peloton and created a significant advantage. Among them was Croatian cyclist Fran Miholjevic (Team Friuli), accompanied by Poles Pawel Franczak (Voster ATS Team) and Marceli Boguslawski (HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski), Italian Mattia Viel (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), and German Tim Oelke (Metalltechnik).

At the first passing goal to Slatina after 84 kilometers, the Frenchman was first ahead of Viel and Boguslawski.

But the four "World Tour" teams competing in the race did not allow the advantage to grow too much, and the maximum difference was 4:45 minutes.

Fifty kilometers before the finish line, Boguslawski stood out from the leading group, who had a minute advantage before the only ascent in the stage in Ludbreški Vinogradi. By the top of the climb, Boguslawski had a 15-second lead over second-placed Miholjevic and third-placed Franczak and became the first green jersey holder at this year's CRO Race.

On the descent towards Ludbreg, Miholjević overtook Boguslawski and was the first to cross the passing goal in Ludbreg. As expected, soon after the second passing goal, 28 kilometers before the finish in Varaždin, the peloton caught the last two cyclists who spent more than 200 kilometers at the head of the race.

"The team plan for this stage was to try to get into an escape. I was the first to try, and that escape immediately succeeded," said 19-year-old Miholjević, who has never mastered such a long section as he had on Tuesday.

After the original escape, two Euskaltel drivers, Xabier Azparren and Luis Angel Mate, stood out from the leading group. They managed to hold out in front of the peloton up to eight kilometers before the finish line.

The best-placed Croatian cyclist was Josip Rumac, who finished the stage in 14th place. The young Fran Miholjević drove an excellent first stage and was first in the bonus sprint and second in the mountain passing goal. He finished the stage in 54th place. 

On Wednesday, the second stage will run from Slunj to Otočac in the length of 187 kilometers.

CRO Race 1st stage results:

1. Phil BAUHAUS TBV 5h52'06''

2. Olav KOOIJ* TJV

3. Kristoffer HALVORSEN UXT

4. Antonio ANGULO SAMPEDRO ANTONIO EUS

5. Mick VAN DIJKE* TJV

6. Itamar EINHORN ISN

7. Michel ASCHENBRENNER* PUS

8. Sanz Gotzon MARTIN EUS

9. Milan MENTEN BWB

10. David PER ADR 

TOTAL:

1. Phil BAUHAUS TBV 5h51'56''

2. Olav KOOIJ* TJV +4''

3. Kristoffer HALVORSEN UXT +5''

4. Markus HOELGAARD UXT +7''

5. Fran MIHOLJEVIĆ* CTF

6. Marceli BOGUSLAWSKI MSP

7. Pawel FRANCZAK VOS

8. Anders SKAARSETH UXT +8''

9. Stephen WILLIAMS TBV +9''

10. Antonio ANGULO SAMPEDRO ANTONIO EUS +10''

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September 28, 2021 - The 10th round of the Croatian First League was played from September 25 to 27, 2021. This round saw Rijeka edge out Gorica in a dramatic finish, while Osijek, Dinamo, and Hajduk recorded victories to keep the race for the top tight. Here's our HNL round 10 recap. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1:4)

Slaven Belupo and Dinamo opened the 10th round on Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Koprivnica in front of 993 spectators. 

Juric scored Dinamo's first goal in the 23rd minute for 0:1, and Orsic increased their lead to 0:2 in the 44th. Petkovic made it 0:3 in the 50th minute, and Cop 0:4 in the 76th! Grgic scored Belupo's only goal of the match in the 80th minute for the final score of 1:4. 

Belupo is in 9th place with 6 points, while Dinamo is in 3rd with 19 (and two games less). 

Sibenik v. Osijek (0:2)

Sibenik and Osijek met on Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Sibenik in front of 746 spectators.  

Fiolic scored for the Osijek lead in the 18th minute, and Zaper scored in the 82nd for the final 0:2. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 19. 

Gorica v. Rijeka (3:4)

Gorica and Rijeka met on Sunday, September 26, 2021, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,000 spectators. 

Gorica took the lead with a goal by Lovric in the 12th minute. Abass equalized for Rijeka in the 43rd, and Marjanovic scored in the 3rd minute of injury time for 2:1 Gorica at the half. Selahi made it 2:2 in the 46th minute, and Gorica's Delfi was shown a red card in the 51st, forcing them to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Muric scored a penalty for 2:3 Rijeka in the 58th minute, and Fruk equalized for Gorica in the 90th minute! Pavicic scored the winning goal one minute later for the final 3:4. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 13 points, while Rijeka is in 1st with 20 (and one game less).

Hajduk v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Hajduk and Lokomotiva met on Sunday, September 26, 2021, at Poljud in front of 7,657 spectators. 

The match's only goal came in the 81st minute, thanks to a Livaja header for 1:0. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 19 points (and one game less), while Lokomotiva is in 6th place with 11 (and one game less).

Hr. Dragovoljac v. Istra 1961 (0:1)

Dragovoljac and Istra closed out the 10th round on Monday, September 27, 2021, in front of 92 spectators. 

The only goal of the match came in the 20th minute, thanks to Drena Beljo. 

Dragovoljac is currently in the last place with 5 points, while Istra is in 8th with 10 (and one game less). 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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September 25, 2021 - Osijek celebrated International Drava River Day on Friday, with many events that both entertained and educated locals on the importance of the Drava ecosystem.

The city of Osijek, Public Institution for Environmental Protection of Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek Tourist Board, Osijek-Baranja Tourist Board, Osijek-Baranja County's Development Agency are few of the ten organizers of Osijek's International Drava River Day commemoration program that was held on Friday.

International Drava River Day is marked on September 24, and as TCN wrote earlier this week, it was also celebrated in the city of Varaždin. The most diverse fish in Croatia live in the Drava river, and last week, UNESCO declared Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.

Perhaps that is the reason why, as Akademija Art informs, this year's program in Osijek (the biggest city in the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia) is on a much higher level than usual.

From cruising on the left side of the Drava river, watching 5,000 rowing regattas to professional lectures on the Drava river by Dr. Mirna Habuda Stanić, citizens of Osijek had loads of interesting Drava-related things to see and do on Friday. Additionally, making carp fish on a stick (the specialty of the Slavonian cuisine) demonstration and the traditional Fiš Paprikaš (fish stew) topped off the event.

The celebration also opened a new chance for photographers in the area, as the Public Institution for Environmental Protection of Osijek-Baranja County holds a contest for their upcoming calendar. This is a good direction, as the commemoration program aims to promote the richness of cultural heritage and tradition in cooperation with the local population.

„It's important to mark all-natural values of our county for which we must take care of, as well as educating citizens on environmental protection, starting from the smallest ones,“ said Osijek-Baranja county deputy chief Josip Miletić, as quoted by Akademija Art.

The busy program also made time for the presentation of the Amazon of Europe Project with the idea of preserving the aforementioned biodiversity of the UNESCO-protected Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.

„Despite numerous man-made changes in the past, this stunning river landscape hosts an amazing biological diversity and is a hotspot of rare natural habitats such as large floodplain forests, river islands, gravel and sandbanks, side branches, and oxbows", says the Amazon of Europe website.

Learn more about Osijek in our TC guide.

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September 23, 2021 - The Croatian Cup round of 32 came to a close on Wednesday, September 22, and the last 16 Croatian clubs in the competition are known. The round of 16 will be played on October 27. 

The SuperSport Croatian Football Cup round of 32 came to an end on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, reports HNS.

Rijeka was the most convincing in their victory, winning 7:0 against Pitomača thanks to goals by Bušnja (4′), Vučkić (36′, 54′), Vuk (49′), Abass (71′, 90′), and Obregon (88′-11m).

The defending champion Dinamo defeated Orient 1919 away 4:1, with goals by Čop, Leovac, Jurić, and Menalo. 

Perhaps the most exciting match happened in Senj, where Gorica was losing to Nehaj at halftime and turned the match around in the second half for the final 7:3. Lovrić, Pršir, Mitrović, Svast (own goal), and Dieye scored the 7 goals for Gorica's return. 

Lokomotiva was nearly shocked by Dugopolje but ultimately won only after eight series of penalties.

Thanks to an early penalty kick, Hajduk was shocked by Primorac Biograd, who scored for the lead in the 12th minute. Fortunately, Krovinovic equalized in the 42nd minute, and Ljubicic scored the winning goal in the 60th minute. 

Osijek had no issue in Beletinec and was better than Bednja thanks to 3 goals by Čeberk, Bočkaj and Daku. 

The round of 16 will be played on October 27, and a clash between the first division teams, Šibenik and Slaven Belupo, is a highlight of the next round. 

Croatian Cup round of 32 results:

Pitomača - Rijeka 0:7
Orijent 1919 - Dinamo 1:4
Dugopolje - Lokomotiva 8:9 (1:1)
Bednja - Osijek 0:3
Primorac Biograd - Hajduk 1:2
Vuteks Sloga - Istra 1961 0:3
Karlovac 1919 - Slaven Belupo 0:2
Mladost Ždralovi - Inter Zaprešić 3:1
Nehaj - Gorica 3:7
Međimurje - Šibenik 0:1
Rudar Labin - Split 2:0
Belišće - Jaska Vinogradar 4:0
Bjelovar - Rudeš 1:5
Sesvete - Varaždin 2:3
BSK - Cibalia 1:0
Zagreb - Oriolik 0:1

Croatian Cup round of 16 pairs:

Oriolik - Rijeka
BSK - Dinamo
Varaždin - Lokomotiva
Rudeš - Osijek
Belišće - Hajduk
Rudar Labin - Istra 1961
Šibenik - Slaven Belupo
Gorica - Mladost Ždralovi

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September 22, 2021 - International flights are returning to Osijek, as ExYuAviation reports Croatia Airlines set to announce a new Munich route at a press conference tomorrow. 

Finally some good news for those wishing to travel to eastern Croatia, as Croatia Airlines is set to announce a new flight from Osijek to Munich. According to ExYuAviation, more details will be announced at a press conference tomorrow at 11:30 on the service, which should begin in the 2021/22 season.

The arrival of Ryanair in Zagreb has shaken up the Croatian flight market, and the Irish airline's supremo, Michael O'Leary, was in the Croatian capital yesterday explaining the low-cost carrier's plans. With some 40 Ryanair destinations from Zagreb in the pipeline by next summer, there is clearly some pressure on Croatia Airlines to respond.

In addition to the Zagreb announcement, Ryanair also announced that they are returning to Rijeka, with an initial service to Brussels Charleroi. This means that the airline will now service six out of the seven mainland Croatian airports next season. The only exception - at least for now - is Osijek, an airport that Ryanair once connected to, with flights to London and Germany. 

Currently, there are no international flights to Osijek, with only domestic routes offered by Trade Air and Croatia Airlines. 

The new Munich route will be good news not only for tourists, but also for the many local people who have emigrated to Germany in search of a better economic future. 

The potential of tourism in Slavonia and eastern Croatia is largely untapped, and improved connections to other international destinations are key to its development. Whether or not Ryanair has plans to reenter the Osijek market remains to be seen, as is whether or not there will be additional routes from Osijek Airport by the Croatian national carrier. 

TCN will being you an update of this story after tomorrow's press conference.

For more information about flights to Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

To learn more about Osijek Airport, click here. 

September 20, 2021 - The 9th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 17 to 19, 2021. The 'Eternal Derby' between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud was postponed due to Dinamo's Europa League schedule, while Osijek's late-winner against Gorica saw the match end 3:2 at City Garden. Here is our HNL Round 9 recap. 

Hr. Dragovoljac v. Rijeka (2:2)

Dragovoljac and Rijeka opened the 9th round in Zagreb on Friday, September 17, 2021, in front of 420 spectators. 

Petković and Majstorović shocked Rijeka with a 2:0 lead by the 36th minute. Ampem got a goal back for Rijeka in the 57th minute for 2:1, and Pavičić equalized 3 minutes later for 2:2. Vuckic's goal was called offside in the final minute of regulation time, so the match ended in a draw. 

Dragovoljac is currently in last place with 5 points, while Rijeka is in 1st with 17 points (and one game less).

Slaven Belupo v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Belupo and Istra met in Koprivnica on Saturday, September 18, 2021. 

The first half went without goals but saw Navarro receive a red card, forcing Istra to play with a man down from the 41st minute. Krstanovic scored a penalty at the start of the second half for the Belupo lead, but Perkovic equalized in the 5th minute of injury time for 1:1. 

Belupo is currently in 9th place with 6 points, while Istra is in 8th with 7 (and one game less). 

Šibenik v. Lokomotiva (2:1)

Šibenik and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, September 18, 2021, in Šibenik. 

Marin scored in the 5th minute for the early Šibenik lead, though Dabro scored a penalty in the 28th minute for 1:1 at the half. Marin scored his second goal of the match in the 77th minute for the 2:1 Šibenik win. 

Šibenik is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 11 (and one game less).

Osijek v. Gorica (3:2)

Osijek and Gorica closed out the 9th round at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, September 19, 2021. 

Kalik gave Gorica the lead in the 29th minute. Daku didn't equalize for Osijek until the 75th. Brodic put Gorica back in the lead 6 minutes later, and Daku equalized again for 2:2 in the 84th minute. Loncar gave Osijek the late-game winner in the 3rd minute of injury time for a final score of 3:2. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 17 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 13. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.  

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ZAGREB, 17 Sept 2021 - Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak on Friday presented local government officials in the eastern city of Osijek and Osijek-Baranja County with contracts for co-funding EU projects worth HRK 48 million.

The contracts concern, among other things, the modernisation of tram infrastructure, the construction of an IT park and the energy efficiency renovation of schools in Osijek, the construction of a sports park in Beli Manastir, and the construction and equipping of kindergartens in several municipalities.

Tramišak said that this money came from the state budget and would cover the portion of funding for the projects the local government units would otherwise have to contribute themselves. She said that this would help them implement the projects that should be completed by the end of 2023.

Tramišak said that 640 projects worth about HRK 20 billion had been submitted to the Fund for co-financing projects at local and regional level.

"The Ministry's aim is to successfully conclude the financial perspective until 2020, and we have until 2023 to draw funds from it. In that way we will help local and regional government units and ensure full absorption of funding for this period," Tramišak said.

Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić said that the projects in his city are worth HRK 1.2 billion and that it would be very difficult for the city to finance them on its own. He announced projects exceeding HRK 2 billion for the next EU financial period 2021-2027, saying that they expected assistance from the ministry in their implementation.

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ZAGREB, 13 Sept 2021 - Enterprises from Zagreb, Osijek, and Varaždin top the ranking considering the 2020 consolidated net profit broken down by cities, shows an analysis of data provided by the Financial Agency (FINA).

The remaining seven cities that make the top ten list in this survey are Karlovac, Sveta Nedelja, Rijeka, Čakovec, Solin, Vukovar, and Kutina.

Businesses in the top 10 cities make up 4/5 of total net profit of all businesses in Croatia

The consolidated net profit of the businesses registered in all those ten cities in 2020 was HRK 16.6 billion, and the consolidated net profit of all the businesses in the whole of Croatia totaled 20.97 billion last year.

There were 62,365 businesses registered in those ten cities, and they employed 493,716 people or 52.1% of all the workers on the payrolls of all the businesses across Croatia.

In Zagreb alone, there were 46,347 registered businesses with 369,080 employees on their payrolls, and they made a net profit of 12.2 billion kuna or 73.5% of the total net profit of all the businesses in Croatia in 2020. The business performance of the Croatian power company HEP pushes the capital city to the top of the ranking.

Osijek ranks second with its businesses making a net profit of HRK 669.6 million. The biggest eastern city ranks second owing to the business performance of the Žito food company.

Varaždin comes in as third, with the net profit of the businesses registered in this northern city totaling HRK 571.6 million. The largest share of this success is contributed by the Zagorje-Tehnobeton construction company.

Karlovac follows with HRK 509.4 million, and Sveta Nedelja, a town west of Zagreb, registered HRK 490.1 million in the net profit of the businesses in that area.

The list also includes Rijeka (HRK 489.6M), Čakovec (HRK 476.1M), Solin (HRK 438.2M) Vukovar (HRK 404.2M) and Kutina (HRK 353.3M)

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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September 13, 2021 - The 8th round of the Croatian First League was played from September 10 to 12, 2021. This saw a Marko Livaja hattrick for the Hajduk win, while Dinamo and Rijeka celebrated victories at home. Here is our HNL round 8 recap. 

Gorica v. Hr. Dragovoljac (1:1)

Gorica and Dragovoljac opened the 8th round on Friday,  September 10, 2021, in Velika Gorica. 

While the first half went without goals, Gorica's Stojanovski scored the first goal of the match which was ruled offside by VAR in the 56th minute. Lovrić missed a penalty for Gorica 7 minutes later, but Babec scored a minute after that for the 1:0 Gorica lead. Strkalj equalized in the 74th minute for the final 1:1. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 15 points, while Dragovoljac is in the last place with 4. 

Dinamo v. Šibenik (2:0)

Dinamo and Šibenik met at Maksimir Stadium on Saturday, September 11, 2021. 

It was another match with a scoreless first half. Lauritsen scored for the Dinamo lead in the 68th minute, which Ivanušec increased to 2:0 10 minutes later. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 16 points (and one game less), while Šibenik is in 7th with 7. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (2:1)

Rijeka and Slaven Belupo met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, September 11, 2021. 

After a 0:0 first half, Hadzic put Belupo in the lead in the 63rd minute. However, that didn't last long, as Drmić equalized for 1:1 in the 78th minute before scoring his second goal in the 85th minute for 2:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 16 points (and one game less), while Belupo is in 9th place with 5 points. 

Istra 1961 v. Hajduk (1:3)

Istra and Hajduk met in Pula on Sunday, September 12, 2021. 

The lack of goals in the first half was redeemed by Marko Livaja, who put Hajduk up 0:1 thanks to a penalty in the 51st minute. A second penalty was awarded to Hajduk 6 minutes later, which Livaja scored for 0:2. Livaja's hattrick came in the 74th minute for the 0:3 lead. Drena got one goal for Istra in the 87th minute for a final score of 1:3. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 6 points (and one game less), while Hajduk is in 2nd with 16. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (1:1)

Lokomotiva and Osijek closed out the 8th round on Sunday, September 12, 2021. 

The match's first goal was scored in the 70th minute, thanks to Dabro for the Lokomotiva lead. A double-yellow for Fiolić forced Osijek to play with a man down from the 75th minute. Topcagic was able to equalize in the 3rd minute of added time for the final 1:1 draw. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 11 points (and one game less), while Osijek is in 4th with 14. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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ZAGREB, 6 Sept 2021 - The Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds, Nataša Tramišak, on Monday presented Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anušić with six contracts for co-financing the implementation of EU projects at the local and regional level.

The contracts concern projects in which the Osijek-Baranja County administration is the holder or beneficiary of grant contracts, and their total value is HRK 10.9 million.

According to Minister Tramišak, the most valuable contract concerns the construction of a business center in Osijek. The project is worth HRK 65.5 million, of which HRK 45 million has been secured from the EU's Competitiveness and Cohesion operational program and the City of Osijek's ITU mechanism, while HRK 9.3 million will come from the state budget.

The center is expected to be built and become fully operational in a year's time and serve as a venue for trade shows and similar events.

Tramišak said that 49 contracts for co-financing EU projects in Osijek-Baranja County, worth over HRK 78 million in total, would be presented soon. She added that their purpose was to support local government units and their utility companies in the successful implementation of EU projects.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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