Monday, 28 October 2019

Zlatko Dalic Announces Player List for Slovakia Qualifier in Rijeka

October 28, 2019 - Croatia welcomes their last Euro 2020 qualifier next month against Slovakia as the first team in the group. Zlatko Dalic has announced the player list. 

On Saturday, November 16, at 8:45 pm, Croatia and Slovakia will play their last Euro 2020 qualifier at Rujevica stadium in Rijeka. Three days later, a friendly against Georgia is scheduled in Pula.

The team will gather in Zagreb on November 11, where they will hold a charity dinner for the Vatreno Srce Foundation the same evening and will stay in Opatija from November 12 to prepare for the match against Slovakia at NK Rijeka’s stadium. 

On Monday, coach Zlatko Dalic announced the list for the upcoming qualifier, which features the return of two important players - Marseille stopper Duje Ćaleta-Car was called back to the national team for objective reasons, while striker Andrej Kramarić, who scored two goals after returning to the pitch just a week ago, has recovered from his injury.

There is no Domagoj Vida or Dejan Lovren on Dalić's list, as they cannot compete against Slovakia due to yellow cards. The player list also includes four potential call-ups - Marko Rog, Filip Bradarić, Marin Leovac and Josip Juranović, who will be activated if the need arises before the first or second game.

“There is a big game ahead of us in Rijeka and I fully believe these players will respond to such a challenge in the right way. We will not be distracted by the match in Trnava, Slovakia is a very good team and can be a very dangerous opponent. Still, Croatia has higher quality, experience and the overwhelming ambition to cheered for as a nation like in Russia. With the support of the full stadium, I do not doubt a positive and successful finish to these qualifications,” said coach Zlatko Dalic.

Recall, Croatia topped Slovakia 4:0 in Trnava in September. 

List of players for Slovakia and Georgia:

Goalkeepers: Lovre Kalinić (Aston Villa), Dominik Livaković (Dinamo), Simon Sluga (Luton Town)

Defenders: Tin Jedvaj (Augsburg), Matej Mitrović (Club Brugge), Borna Barišić (Glasgow Rangers), Karlo Bartolec (Kobenhavn), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Marseille), Mile Škorić (Osijek), Dario Melnjak (Rizespor), Dino Perić (Dinamo)

Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona), Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozović (Inter), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Nikola Vlašić (CSKA Moskva)

Attackers: Ivan Perišić (Bayern), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Ante Rebić (Milan), Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg), Bruno Petković (Dinamo), Mislav Oršić (Dinamo)

Call-ups: Marko Rog (Cagliari), Filip Bradarić (Hajduk), Marin Leovac (Dinamo), Josip Juranović (Hajduk)

Source: Gol.hr

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Monday, 28 October 2019

HNL Round 13 Recap: Dinamo Tops Osijek, Rijeka Falls to Gorica, Bizarre Hajduk Goal

October 28, 2019 - The 13th round of the Croatian First League was held from October 25 to 27, 2019. This round featured the derby between Dinamo and Osijek and another Rijeka loss to Gorica. However, perhaps most exciting was watching Hajduk score a bizarre goal against Slaven Belupo, which even caught the attention of international media. 

Varazdin v. Inter Zapresic (0:1)

Varazdin and Inter opened the 13th round on Friday, October 25, 2019, at NK Varteks Stadium in front of 1,473 fans. 

A penalty awarded to Inter in the 31st minute, which decided the fate of the game after Serderov scored for 0:1. A double yellow for Varazdin’s Lisakovich in the 46th minute didn’t help the home team’s chances of equalizing, and the game ended 0:1. 

 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 10 points, while Inter is in 7th with 11. 

Hajduk v. Slaven Belupo (2:0)

Hajduk and Belupo met at Poljud on Saturday, October 26, 2019, in front of 9,045 spectators. 

Hajduk’s first goal came in the 14th minute thanks to Jairo for 1:0 at the half. However, the second goal royally embarrassed Belupo. After Belupo celebrated a goal that never was (because the ball hit the post), Hajduk capitalized on the counter-attack, and Juranovic found himself one-on-one with an empty net… because the Belupo keeper was still on the sideline celebrating. You can watch the fiasco in the video below. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 27 points, while Belupo is in the last with 10. 

Rijeka v. Gorica (1:2)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, October 26, 2019, in front of 4,117 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, it was Gorica’s Zwolinski to score for 0:1, though Tomecak equalized for 1:1 in the 82nd minute. Gorica took advantage of a Rijeka red card in the 90th minute, and Dvornekovic increased Gorica’s lead to 1:2, which was the final score of the game. 

 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 22 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 18. 

Istra 1961 v. Lokomotiva (0:2)

Istra and Lokomotiva met in Pula on Sunday, October 27, 2019. 

While the first half went without goals, Tolic scored for the Lokomotiva lead in the 85th minute, and Tuci increased their lead in the second minute of injury time for 0:2. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 10 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th place with 19.

Dinamo v. Osijek (1:0)

Dinamo and Osijek closed out the 13th round on Sunday, October 28, 2019, at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. 

The only goal of the game came in the 42nd minute when Kadzior scored for 1:0. 

 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 28 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 20. 

You can see the HNL table here

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

Saturday, 26 October 2019

Rijeka Launches Free Mobile Application for Public Transport

October 26, 2019 - The free Android app CityBus Rijeka is now available to residents and visitors of the city. 

HRTurizam writes that using the available data through the open data portal of the City of Rijeka, Zadar company Smart Solutions came to the idea that after developing the mobile application for the City of Zadar, they would implement the same for Rijeka. This app is a unique guide to public transport in the entire Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. It is currently available for free download through the Google Play Store.

The application displays marked bus stops in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County area, information about travel distances and the next 3 bus lines arriving, the routes of all city and suburban Autotrolej bus lines, a timetable of all city, suburban and night Autotrolej bus lines with the desired date showing all transit stops and estimated arrival times, an overview of all city, suburban and nightAutotrolej bus lines with associated stops, a view of important marked taxi stops in Rijeka and the parking zones in Rijeka with information about payment.You can also find a display of information on vacant spaces in closed parking lots, the latest information regarding urban public transport in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and locations where you can purchase bus maps with working hours. The application is available in several languages, and in addition to Croatian, users can choose English, Italian, German and Hungarian.

The idea for the CityBus Zadar app originated at the Google I / O Extended Hackathon held in mid-May 2017 in Zadar. After more than two years of running the application in the Zadar County area, it has reached almost 10,000 downloads, but there has been a lack of crucial support from local institutions to move on. Because of this, Smart Solutions Zadar decided to transfer the existing system to other cities within the Republic of Croatia. Given the availability of data, they opted for Rijeka, although several similar applications have already been developed in the city and county. The app itself is intended as a guide to public transport for citizens and tourists throughout Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

Data on routes and marked stops are taken from the open data portal of the City of Rijeka and will be updated and modified if any deficiencies are noticed. The desire is to implement this application in other cities in Croatia. It also aims to encourage other market players to become actively involved in the development and implementation of similar solutions.

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

Friday, 25 October 2019

36 Hours in Rijeka with The New York Times

October 25, 2019 - The New York Times' Alex Crevar reveals all about his 36-hour trip to Rijeka. 

"If the coastal regions of Croatia have become tourist stars, then Rijeka, a working-class port city in the Adriatic, is grossly underestimated. It came as a surprise, then, that this city, whose outline combines the Habsburg decadence with the cranes of the shipyard, was proclaimed the European Capital of Culture for 2020 over other Croatian candidates like Dubrovnik and Split,” writes The New York Times in their Rijeka report. 

"36 Hours in Rijeka" covered almost every corner of the city through the eyes of American journalist Alex Crevar.

Crevar writes that Rijeka is known for its tumultuous carnival celebrations and alternative vibe, and that it has been a port and shipyard for centuries. "It combines Roman legacy, Italian influence, Austro-Hungarian architecture and the 'decaying' Yugoslav industry.

This resulted in a unique blend of sights, cuisine and nightlife. With a series of events set for the 2020 celebrations beginning in February and the five-star Hilton Hotel opening next summer, it seems that this Croatian port is ready to swap its cranes for a spot under the spotlight."

Cervar begins on Friday afternoon at the Petar Kružić staircase towards the 13th century Trsat Castle. The hilltop offers panoramic views of the Kvarner Bay, the islands and the eastern coast of the Istrian peninsula. "Below is Rijeka - ruled by seven countries since World War I, beautiful in its dissonance.

Green domes amidst terracotta roofs and Renaissance, Baroque and Art Noveau buildings. Italian villas, empty 19th-century warehouses and communist-era blocks fill the space between,” he continues. 

Naming a quote by architect Idis Turat: "Rijeka has always had a peripheral existence between empires. In a way, this is an advantage as we 're-invent' the city."

The author takes us back to the center, where he stops at the Cont pub and drinks a "homemade lager". He then crosses the Rjecina river and reaches the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc for a show. The theater is said to be a neo-Baroque building with 650 seats, built in 1885 that depicts "Croatian and Italian dramas, ballets and operas."

Crevar then suggests Konoba na Kantunu for dinner. “Take a table inside the tavern, which is decorated with colorful local canvases, or on the terrace, next to the canal.

Start with a cold octopus, shrimp and squid salad. Order a glass of Zlahtina from the island of Krk and grilled beef served with Swiss cheese and potatoes. For dessert, homemade apple, plum or pear strudel with whipped cream. Lunch for two costs around 450 kuna,” he adds.

On Saturday, Crevar begins with a walk through Korzo, Rijeka’s central pedestrian passage. “Visit the Samovar Bar, a cafe with more than a hundred teas. Pass by the building that is now a chocolate shop, where young Fiorello H. La Guardia served as a US consultant from 1984 to 1906.

Then continue along the coastal side to the town market. Explore open-air kiosks and tables full of fruits and vegetables surrounding three 19th-century iron pavilions selling meats, cheeses, fresh bread, liqueurs, hazelnuts and fresh fish."

"During Austro-Hungary, Rijeka exported everything - from sugar and paper to playing cards and torpedoes, which were invented here. Start your search for modern local design here in the oldest part of the city - near the remains of Roman Tarsatica.

Inside the shop Sta Da? you will find branded T-shirts, bags and backpacks created from recycled bicycle tubes. You will then arrive at the Bruketa Small Gallery, the city's oldest private gallery, which opened in 1974. It specializes in individually made ceramics - from watches, vases and lamps to dining sets."

Crevar also states that around the corner is "Croatia in a Box", selling handmade crafts (from bags, dresses and necklaces to soap) made of wood. He explains that the concept of this store is summed up in the name. "Create your own version of Croatia in a box. The combination leans toward gastronomy and includes olive oil, wine, sausages, cheese, truffles and chocolate."

The author continues that nothing is more local than the Konoba Fiume. "This is the kind of restaurant where fishermen sit with lawyers and port workers share a table with politicians," adding that although medium-priced meals are served ("like homemade shrimp and truffle pasta”), you should close the menu and say one word - brodetto. “And if you ask nicely, you can add juicy shrimp for about 90 kuna.”

The NYT reporter then heads to the "eclectic harbor" and the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral at the Renaissance Governor's Palace. He says the exhibits include Bronze Age discoveries, an interactive model of the city, ancient ship records, and a life jacket from the Titanic.

Crevar continued to "PEEK & POKE," a museum of old computers and information technology that contains more than seven thousand “objects of technological nostalgia." Then onto the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art "which is housed in a complex that once included a sugar factory and a tobacco factory."

Saturday evening begins at Bard, "one of the first real pubs in the city when it opened in 1998" whose "hobbit-like" interior has not changed. Sitting on the terrace, he mentions the Rijeka Cathedral and the Rijeka tunnel built before World War II.

"Take the river that used to be the border between Italy and Yugoslavia, between the world wars, to dinner at Konoba Nebuloza. The NYT praises the offer, which includes “travarica, shrimp risotto, polenta, and red Istrian Teran."

"It seems like everyone in Rijeka is either a DJ or they are in a band," Crevar said. He added that for a better understanding of the city vibe, it is necessary to make a circle along the river and the former industrial zone. "Begin the evening with a Niksic beer at the Caffe Bar Skradin, a family-owned place to drink full of memorabilia that includes old radios and tickets from 1964."

He then heads to the Tunel, which "blends art exhibitions, jazz and alternatives with a local dance rhythm." He ends the evening at “Zivot”, which "spins electronic and house in a disco decorated with family photographs from Yugoslavia in the 1980s."

You can read the full report at The New York Times

Translated from Novi List

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

Friday, 25 October 2019

Croatia National Team Reuniting Again to Help Croatian Children

October 25, 2019 - For the second year in a row, the Vatreno Srce Foundation, founded more than ten years ago by the players and staff of the Croatia national football team, will hold a donation campaign to raise funds for the treatment and education of children in Croatia.

HRT reports that the action will take place on November 11th with a broadcast on HRT 2 starting at 8 pm. Donations will also be collected through a call center featuring Croatia national team members, staff members, and numerous public figures as well as friends of the national team.

Ahead of the decisive qualifying match for EURO 2020 against Slovakia on November 16 at Rujevica stadium, the 2018 World Cup finalists will rejoin forces and help raise money for the Pediatric Clinic of the Kantrida Children's Hospital and for 'Step to Life' (Korak u život), which helps children without adequate parental care to continue their university education.

vrsaljko1.jpg

HRT screenshot 2018

“In the last two years on the Croatia national team bench, I have convinced myself that our national team has an incredibly big heart. They have shown it a lot of times on the pitch, and that is why they are great football players, but they also show it off the pitch, and that is why they are great people.

I am looking forward to a new donor dinner. I urge all fans to make their contribution this time from the heart and show that they are always with the team, both in the stadiums and in these actions,” said coach Zlatko Dalic, who is also a member of the Foundation's Board of Directors.

modrich1_02.jpg

HRT screenshot 2018

“Participating in the Vatreno Srce Foundation is one of the most important roles of every captain of the Croatia national team, and on behalf of teammates, I can say that we are proud to be socially engaged in this way, as a team, to help children and the youth. Maybe, thanks to the popularity of football, we are many role models. Still, the biggest heroes are the children who are heroically battling diseases and the youth who do not have the right conditions for education. I am convinced that our fans agree with that and, therefore, I urge them to support the Vatreno Srce Foundation again,” said Croatia captain Luka Modric.

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

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

COSCO Launches New Shipping Intermodal Service between Rijeka and Central Europe

ZAGREB, October 22, 2019 - The new shipping and intermodal service COSCO Rijeka Land Sea Express, connecting the northern Croatian Adriatic port to central Europe, was formally launched at the port's Brajdica container terminal on Monday.

The shipping and intermodal service was organised by the largest Chinese company COSCO Shipping Lines and Ocean Rail Logistics, a company within the COSCO group responsible for rail transport.

The service comprises a regular shipping line between Rijeka and the Greek port of Piraeus as well as rail services operating along the routes Rijeka-Budapest-Rijeka and Rijeka-Belgrade-Rijeka.

By combining overseas and rail services under the name Rijeka Land Sea Express, COSCO offers its clients a transit time of 32 days from eastern China to Budapest and of 28 days from southern China to Budapest, using Piraeus and Rijeka as transloading ports.

The project was launched in March and has been fully operational since July.

The Minister for Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, said: "With our cooperation with the Chinese companies we managed to set things in motion to increase traffic in the port of Rijeka."

The director of the Rijeka Port Authority, Denis Vukorepa, said he expected that nearly 300,000 container units would be transloaded at Brajdica this year. He emphasised the fact that COSCO, as the world's largest shipping company, had established a direct line between Rijeka and Pireus and an intermodal service.

The ceremony was also attended by representatives of COSCO Shipping Lines from Shanghai, Shipping Europe and the concessionaire Adriatic Gate Container Terminal.

More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Monday, 21 October 2019

HNL Round 12 Recap: Dinamo Back in First after Hajduk and Lokomotiva Draw

October 21, 2019 - The 12th round of the Croatian First League was held from October 18 to 20, 2019. In this round, Dinamo retook first place after Hajduk and Lokomotiva drew. 

Gorica v. Dinamo (2:4)

Gorica and Dinamo opened the 12th round in Velika Gorica on Friday, October 18,2019. 

Orsic and Kadzior scored for Dinamo in the 25th and 27th minutes to make it 0:2 at the half - and thanks to another goal by Orsic, it was 0:3 by the 49th minute.  Lovric came back with a goal for Gorica in the 55th, though an Orsic hat trick made it 1:4 in the 61st. Gorica’s Suk scored in the 77th for the final score of 2:4. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 15 points, while Dinamo is back in first with 25. 

Varazdin v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Varazdin and Istria met on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at the NK Varteks stadium. 

The first half went without goals, and the game didn’t see its only goal until the 87th minute when Benko scored for Varazdin for 1:0. 

 

Varazdin is currently in 8th place with 10 points, while Istra is in 7th with 10. 

Slaven Belupo v. Rijeka (1:2)

Belupo and Rijeka met in Koprivnica on Saturday, October 19, 2019. 

Belupo’s Radivojevic put the home team in the lead in the 14th minute for 1:0 at the half. It wasn't until the end of the match that Rijeka came back - Gorgon scored in the 74th minute to equalize, and Acosty scored in the 90th for the 1:2 win. 

Belupo is currently in 9th place with 10 points, while Rijeka is in third with 22. 

Inter Zapresic v. Osijek (3:3)

Inter and Osijek met on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at Stadion ŠRC Zaprešić in front of 662 fans. 

Maric put Osijek in the lead for 0:1, though two goals by Serderov in the 32nd and 43rd minute had Inter up 2:1 at the half. Serderov scored his hat trick in the 63rd minute for 3:1, though Lepa and Spoljaric came back to equalize for Osijek in the 72nd and 92nd minute for the 3:3 draw. 

 

Inter is currently in the last place with 8 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 20. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (0:0)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk closed out the 12th round on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at Kranjceviceva Street Stadium. 

While there were chances on both ends, neither team was able to score. The draw was met with criticism by part of Hajduk fan group Torcida, who called for coach Damir Buric's departure. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 5th place with 16 points, while Hajduk has dropped to 2nd with 24.

You can see the full HNL table here

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

Friday, 18 October 2019

Flights to Croatia: Ryanair Makes Changes to Rijeka and Pula, Air Baltic Strengthens Split

October 18, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Rijeka, Split, Pula, and Dubrovnik.

Avio Radar reports that German low-cost carrier Eurowings has reduced traffic to Rijeka and Split in the upcoming winter flight schedule, starting October 27. The Rijeka-Dusseldorf line will remain in traffic with two flights a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, only during the first three weeks of the winter flight schedule, i.e., until November 17. The line will begin operating again from May 2, 2020. 

Eurowings reduced winter traffic to Split, too. On the routes from Split to Cologne/Bonn and Split to Stuttgart,  which flew three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, the Cologne line will no longer operate on Tuesdays, and Stuttgart will not run on Fridays. The Split-Munich route, which runs two flights a week on Mondays and Fridays, will not operate at all from January 11 to February 9, 2020. Only the Split-Dusseldorf line remains in operation with two flights a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, throughout the winter timetable, or until March 28, 2020. 

Avio Radar also reports that Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced a new flight from Germany to Rijeka in their 2020 flight schedule, which will connect Rijeka to Hahn Airport near Frankfurt. The line will be in service starting April  4 with one flight a week, on Saturdays. The flight number is the same as the line that flew from Frankfurt’s main airport to Rijeka this year. Because that option is not on offer for next year, the new line between Hahn Airport and Rijeka has replaced the former Frankfurt line. 

Ryanair has also made changes to Pula. Namely, this year, Pula operated flights to both Frankfurt airports twice a week, on the same days, Mondays and Fridays. Just like the Rijeka route, the line from Frankfurt’s main airport is no longer on offer. On the other hand, the Hahn-Pula route will run an additional flight per week next year. Thus,  in addition to trips on Mondays and Fridays, a third flight has been introduced on Sundays. This line will begin operations on March 29, 2020. 

To end this week of flight news, Avio Radar reports that Latvian national carrier Air Baltic has released its 2020 flight schedule. Three lines from the Latvian capital to Croatia remain in circulation for next year. Namely, the Riga-Split line has been strengthened. In addition to this year’s two flights per week, on Mondays and Fridays, Air Baltic has introduced a third weekly flight on Wednesdays, in the heart of the peak season.

The Riga-Dubrovnik line remains in operation with two flights a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the same as this year. Both lines will begin operating three weeks earlier than this year, i.e., from the beginning of May 2020. The Riga-Rijeka route will run the same as this year, with two flights a week on Wednesdays and Sundays, with operations beginning towards the end of May. 

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

Friday, 18 October 2019

Rijeka 2020 Project Wins Melina Mercouri Award

October 18, 2019 - The Melina Mercouri Award, named after the Greek Minister of Culture, who is considered the most responsible for founding the European Capital of Culture project, was won by Rijeka on the recommendation of a European Commission expert panel assessing the seriousness and success of the project.

Namely, HRTurizam writes that in 1985, Melina Mercouri advocated for better mutual knowledge between European citizens, and for them to exchange and discuss culture. Understanding Europe as a place with a shared cultural past as well as future, she argued that the whole of Europe should be united and that culture carries the strongest potential for peace.

It is with these values that the European Capital of Culture project is established, which connects European citizens and brings awareness to the fact that they belong to the European cultural circle.

The decision to grant this project an award, which is worth 1.5 million euro, was made in Galway after a meeting for the "Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture" project.

It is a valuable financial award, which also carries the message of success in the work so far on the development of the "Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture" project. This award for Rijeka means that it fulfilled all the high criteria set by the expert panel and that by seriously managing the project, up to the year of the ECOC title, it accomplished all the tasks that were set before it.

 

Emina Visnic, director of Rijeka 2020, which was established to implement the European Capital of Culture project, points out that the Melina Mercouri Award is a major and important financial endorsement that the project is successfully managed and developed. 

"This award at the symbolic level is confirmation that Rijeka is and that Croatia is in harmony with European cultural values, that we carry and transmit the values of the European cultural circle, that with this project we write new messages for the future and that we truly belong to it as citizens of Europe,” said Visnic.

In addition to the cultural and artistic program for 2020, the topics of the project's legacy, which remain as a lasting value in cultural objects under renovation and construction in Rijeka, but also in the stimulated activities of citizens who are strongly involved in the project, are particularly emphasized in the presentation and talks. But also in several ways, among other things, through a vibrant educational program, highlights the Rijeka 2020 team. 

Namely, the European Capital of Culture project aims to influence the incorporation of culture into the long-term development of cities, which is why the topics of the ECOC project's heritage are vital.

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

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

HNS Puts End to Speculation: Croatia and Slovakia WILL Play in Rijeka

October 16, 2019 - A press release by HNS on Wednesday regarding the location of Croatia's final Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia next month. 

"The Croatian Football Federation has put an end to the speculation on possibly changing Croatia’s home match against Slovakia and confirms that the decisive match for EURO 2020 will be played on November 16 at the HNK Rijeka stadium, as originally decided.

As the HNS Executive Board decided at a session held on July 11 this year, the Croatia-Slovakia match in the European Qualifications for EURO 2020 will be played in Rijeka. Recall that the Croatian national team needs one point in that match in order to secure a spot in the European Championships next year. 

Considering the extreme importance of the match, the HNS management considered the possibility of playing in a larger stadium that could meet the expected great interest of Croatian fans. However, the previously held view is that the qualifications will be played in the four largest Croatian cities and after Zagreb, Osijek and Split, the World Cup finalists will be welcomed in this cycle by Rijeka.

The unique view of HNS is that in Rijeka, the team will have ideal conditions for their preparations for the match and great support at the HNK Rijeka stadium. Information about ticket sales will be published at a later date on the HNS website."

Recall, Croatia last played at Rujevica behind closed doors in a UEFA Nations League match against England on October 12, 2018. They played a friendly in front of fans against Jordan there three days later. 

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

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