December 17, 2020 - The Croatian Football Federation has announced the schedule for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in March when Croatia meets Cyprus and Malta. 

The Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation decided on the host of Croatia's qualifying matches against Cyprus and Malta in March 2021. 

On March 24, 2021, the Croatia national team will open the European qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 away against Slovenia. 

The 2018 World Cup finalists then have two matches at home, against Cyprus and Malta, and the HNS Executive Board has decided that the two matches will be played at the HNK Rijeka stadium (Rujevica).

The match against Cyprus will be played on March 27 starting at 18:00, and three days later, the match against Malta is scheduled at 20:45.

Croatia has played 16 games in Rijeka so far and has never lost, with 13 wins and three draws.

Croatia's qualifying cycle for the World Cup in Qatar will continue with three September matches, against Russia (September 1, 20:45) and Slovakia (September 4, 20:45) away, and against Slovenia (September 7, 20:45) at home. Zlatko Dalić's team will play two matches in October next year, against Cyprus (October 8, 20:45) away, and Slovakia (October 11, 20:45) at home.

In the final part of the qualifications in November 2021, Croatia will play in Malta (November 11, 20:45), and in the last qualification round at home, they will meet Russia (November 14, 15:00).

As a reminder, the ten group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, and the ten second-placed teams will try to win the same in the playoffs, which will be played from March 24 to 29, 2022.

In addition to the ten runners-up from the group stage, the playoffs will also include the two best national teams in the overall standings of the UEFA Nations League for the 2020/2021 season, which will not directly qualify for the World Cup, nor will they win the playoffs as the second-placed teams in the group. Twelve teams in the playoffs will be divided into three "pots" and will fight for the three remaining European places at the World Cup in March 2022. 

The 2022 World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022, in five Qatari cities (Doha, Lusail, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, Al Rayyan).

Source: HNS

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December 16, 2020 – The Rijeka utility company for cleaning and waste management "Čistoća" introduced five more new smart modular containers for mixed municipal and valuable, recyclable waste in the center of Rijeka.

As Rijeka.hr writes, to upgrade the existing waste collection service, "Čistoća "already installed 12 smart containers in June 2019, of which 7 in the very center of Rijeka. Five new smart containers will be installed in the city center area: in Trpimirova Street and on the Riva (at bus stations), on Karolina Riječka Pier, on the 111th Brigade of the Croatian Army Square, and Klobučarić Square.

The director of "Čistoća", Jasna Kukuljan, said that the containers have built-in fill sensors that send data to the management software, that is, the tanks themselves report the need for emptying. They also have a press that compresses waste, thus enabling the disposal of more waste than is possible in conventional containers.

Artists will paint the containers

All the needed energy-smart containers use a photovoltaic panel located on top of the container body. Using advanced technologies achieves significant savings in time, human resources, and energy and contributes to reducing emissions of pollutants into the environment.

In addition to being useful, Rijeka artists will also beautifully paint the containers. Namely, through the competition, "Čistoća" selected the 20 best artists from Rijeka who will paint smart containers with their works. Therefore, they will undoubtedly be interesting and attractive elements of urban equipment.

These are the artworks: Biciklistica, author Tina Radosavljević; Cranes, by Ariana Sušanj; Octopus, by Hana Dutina; Let's recycle in the city that flows by the author Nora Vlaša, and Love your city – think green, author Mirta Tomulić.

Rijeka separates a third of the waste

Deputy Mayor Marko Filipović emphasized the importance of applying new technologies in all segments, including the one related to waste collection, which places Rijeka at the very top of Smart Cities – cities that are entirely ready for the digital transition.

In addition to containers, citizens collect waste separately through recycling yards. In Rijeka, they currently have three fixed and two mobile recycling yards at their disposal, and the plan is to expand the system of recycling yards.

Together with waste collected in recycling yards, Rijeka separates almost 30 percent of its waste.

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December the 16th, 2020 - The Hilton Rijeka Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is about to be the Northern Adriatic city's latest attraction, and the giant hotel company is promoting Rijeka as a new and exciting destination for 2021.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the works on the new Hilton Rijeka Costabella Beach Resort & Spa, in which more than 80 million euros are being invested, are nearing completion. More than 95 percent of the Hilton Rijeka project has now been completed, and the opening is expected in April 2021, the investors - JTH Costabella and representatives of the Hilton hotel chain - announced.

The Hilton Rijeka hotel complex should start operating when a slight return of tourist traffic is announced due to the start of coronavirus vaccination worldwide, and Hilton has recently included the up and coming resort on its list of 21 newly opened facilities located in exciting new destinations that will welcome guests in 2021.

They also point out the very optimistic results of the research which showed them that consumers plan to make up for the trips they missed due to the pandemic next year - in Hilton's poll, as many as 66 percent of Americans and 60 percent of Chinese tourists said they would stop postponing planned trips in the future, while here in Europe, 57 percent of British tourists are already actively planning their travels for next year.

JTH Costabella owner Jaroslav Tresnak said during a tour of the construction site that the facility had progressed despite difficulties with an unpredictable pandemic-dominated situation. Reservations for the new Hilton Rijeka complex have already started, as has the process of hiring staff.

The Hilton complex in the Kostabela area in Rijeka was built on a plot covering 18,000 square metres, and the entire 10-storey building covers an area of ​​25,000 square metres in total. In addition to the hotel rooms, guests will be able to stay in accommodation facilities in villas located right next to the hotel.

The Hilton Rijeka resort will apparently boast as many as 132 rooms, 66 villas, six smaller and larger catering and hospitality facilities, and one of the largest wellness facilities in the entire region, a spa area that covers more than 3,000 square metres on two floors with various treatments available in 7 rooms with massages, saunas and more.

Hilton intends to offer the services of this spa centre through membership to Rijeka locals who aren't hotel guests. Guests, on the other hand, will have at their disposal 200 metres of private beach, with a smaller berth for boats, space for water sports and more.

At the moment, the hotel rooms are finished and the installation of kitchens in the common areas is ongoing. The indoor and outdoor pools are now fully arranged, as is the wellness and spa centre with its accompanying massage rooms, saunas, a beauty and hairdressing salon and even a dental practice.

In addition, all underwater and above-sea works on the beach, which is about 200 metres long, have been completed, as has the promenade, the works on which were undertaken by the City of Rijeka.

During the visit, Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel stated that the Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa complex is extremely important for the further development of Rijeka as a tourist destination, which will see the city raised very high on the list of destinations with quality accommodation.

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December 14, 2020 - The 15th round of the Croatian First League was held on December 12 and 13, 2020. This round featured an exciting derby at Rujevica, which saw Rijeka and Dinamo draw, while Osijek and Hajduk suffered two heavy away defeats. 

Gorica v. Osijek (4:1)

Gorica and Osijek opened the 15th round on Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Velika Gorica. 

Dieye was the first to score for Gorica in the 13th minute for the 1:0 lead, which was the result going into halftime. An equalizer by Mierez in the 49th gave Osijek hope before Kalik scored two goals for Gorica in the 54th and. 65th for 3:1. Mitrovic scored the final goal of the game in the 77th minute for the final 4:1 result.  

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 26 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 30. 

Varazdin v. Hajduk (4:2) 

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Varazdin. 

Posavec was the first to score for Gorica in the 4th minute for the early lead. Grgec increased Varazdin's lead in the 32nd minute for 2:0 at the half. Senic increased Varazdin's lead further in the 58th minute for 3:0. It wasn't until the 72nd minute that Caktas gave some hope to Hajduk for 3:1 and scored another goal five minutes later for 3:2. However, a final minute goal by Obregon locked in Varazdin's 4:2 victory. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 12 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 17. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo met on Sunday, December 13, 2020, in Zagreb. 

Prce put Belupo in the lead in the 38th minute for 0:1 at the half, though a quick equalizer at the start of the second by Tuci made it 1:1 in the 51st. Ibrahim put Lokomotiva in the lead with a goal in the 72nd minute for 2:1, which was the final result of the match. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 12 points, while Belupo is in 6th with 17. 

Rijeka v. Dinamo (2:2)

Rijeka and Dinamo closed out the 15th round on Sunday, December 13, 2020, at Rujevica. 

Dinamo took the very early lead with a goal by Ivanusec in the 1st minute of play for 0:1 Dinamo. Galovic equalized for Rijeka in the 28th minute, before Menalo put Rijeka in the lead in the 35th for 2:1 at the half. Lauristen scored Dinamo's equalizer in the 82nd minute for 2:2. which was the final score of the match. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 20 points, while Dinamo is in first place with 30. 

The 15th round match between Sibenik and Istria in 1961, which was to be played on Sunday, December 13 at 3 pm at Šubićevac, was postponed due to players infected with COVID-19 on both teams.

"After testing the complete teams of HNK Sibenik and NK Istra 1961 on December 3, coronavirus was confirmed in a large number of players in both clubs. Since the players have to be in isolation for at least ten days, it was impossible to play the 15th round match at the previously scheduled time," announced Sibenik.

Sibenik and Istra 1961 should also meet in the Cup at Šubićevac, which has been moved a day forward and is scheduled for December 15 at 3 pm.

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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December 10, 2020 - Rijeka closed out their Europa League campaign this season with a win against AZ Alkmaar, while Dinamo topped CSKA Moscow 3:1 at home and made European history. 

In the final 6th round of the Europa League on Thursday, Rijeka defeated AZ Alkmaar 2-1 (0-0) at Rujevica in Group F.

Rijeka took the lead with a goal by Menalo in the 52nd minute, but five minutes later, Wijndal equalized. Rijeka sealed their victory with a goal by Tomečak in the third minute of added time. The club bid farewell to the European competition until next season after finishing last in the group. 

Although the match was much more important for the Dutch club, whose victory ensured their passage to the next round, Rijeka was equally motivated on the pitch, even though they had long known that this would be the end.

In the second match of this group, Napoli and Real Sociedad played 1-1 (1-0) at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Napoli led with a goal by Zielinski (35), and Willian Jose equalized in the second minute of added time. 

Napoli won first place in Group F with 11 points; Real Sociedad finished in second place with nine, AZ Alkmaar remained third with eight points, while Rijeka was last with four points.

In the later match on Thursday, Dinamo, who already won first place in Group K before the final round, defeated CSKA Moscow at Maksimir thanks to goals by Joško Gvardiol in the 28th minute, Mislav Orsic in the 41st, and Lirim Kastrati in the 74th. 

Dinamo was not without motive tonight, as they could have entered European football history as the first team to finish a Europa League group or a Champions League group without conceding a goal. Unfortunately, a late goal by CSKA's Bistrovic (74') cut their dream short.

However, Dinamo still made history tonight for going the longest in the Champions League or Europa League group stages without conceding a goal. Namely, Dinamo did not concede a goal for 527 minutes this season. Manchester United was the last club to hold the record, going 482 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2010/11 Champions League group stage.

In the second match of Group K, Wolfsberger AC defeated Feyenoord 1-0. 

Dinamo thus finished at the top of Group K, Wolfsberger finished in second, Feyenoord in third, and CSKA Moscow in the last place. 

The UEFA Europa League draw for the next round will be held in just a few days, on December 14.

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December 7, 2020 - The 14th round of the Croatian First League was held on December 5 and 6, 2020. Only three matches were played in this round, the most exciting of which was the Adriatic Derby at Poljud. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (1:0)

Osijek and Varazdin opened the 14th round on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at City Garden Stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, Bohar gave Osijek the lead and ultimately the win with his goal in the 59th minute for 1:0. 

Osijek is currently in first place with 30 points, while Varazdin is in 9th place with 9 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1:5)

Belupo and Dinamo met in Koprivnica on Sunday, December 6, 2020. 

Gavranovic scored two early goals for Dinamo in the 5th and 16th minutes, making the score 0:2 for Dinamo at the half. Petkovic increased Dinamo's lead to 0:3 in the 78th minute, while Knoll was able to get one in for Belupo in the 85th. Two more goals for Dinamo in the 4th and 5th minutes of added time by Hajrovic and Ivanusec resulted in a 1:5 victory for the Zagreb club. 

Slaven Belupo is currently in 6th place with 17 points, while Dinamo is in second with 29.

Hajduk v. Rijeka (1:2)

Hajduk and Rijeka closed out the 14th round on Sunday, December 6,  2020, with the Adriatic Derby at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Hajduk first took the lead in the 10th minute thanks to a Caktas penalty for 1:0. Rijeka's Loncar equalized five minutes before the half for 1:1. 

The second half was reminiscent of a water polo match, as the teams played in pools of water on the pitch during a constant downpour. A goal by Menalo in the 70th minute gave Rijeka the lead and ultimately the 1:2 win. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with 17 points, while Rijeka is in 4th place with 19 points. 

Two 14th round matches, between Lokomotiva - Šibenik, which was to be played on Saturday, and Istra 1961 - Gorica, which was scheduled for Monday, were postponed due to COVID-19 in the teams of Šibenik and Istra 1961. Šibenik and Istra 1961 have six players infected with the coronavirus.

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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December the 6th, 2020 - The ongoing coronavirus crisis has made just about everything ten times more difficult than it should be. While the horrific stories from hospitals circulate and the worrisome financial issues being faced by companies only add to what is a very bitter tasting broth, one Rijeka pastor has thought up a plan of sorts.

Many Croatian companies have rather successfully managed to turn to online sales in order to make ends meet as facilities close down, but could we have ever imagined that the church might do the same? This Rijeka pastor has let everyone who might need to know that although he can't come and bless anyone's home personally because of the risk of contagion, they're free to ''do the blessing'' themselves, as long as they send their payments.

As Index writes, due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Catholic Church in Croatia, more precisely its parishes throughout Croatia, could lose significant funds they regularly receive from the blessing of houses.

As such, one Rijeka pastor with a clearly keen entrepreneurial eye sent a letter out to the faithful, inviting them to bless their own homes, while the money that is donated to the Church during the blessing of the house can be paid by the faithful into a bank account. This was stated in a letter sent by a Rijeka priest from Skurinje, Novi list writes.

"I hope you're well. We're living in uncertain and difficult times, times that aren't easy at all, so, we really need God's blessing to protect us from the coronavirus pandemic now. Unfortunately, due to the epidemiological situation, this year I decided not to to visit families to provide that blessing, so that I wouldn't end up being a potential carrier of the coronavirus infection and disease. I want to protect both you and myself,'' writes the Rijeka pastor from Skurinje.

Furthermore, the letter lists the work that the parish from Skurinje has completed and all that it continues to plan to do.

"It's customary for families to give the priest their annual financial contribution for the needs of the parish during the blessing of the family. If you feel that need and if you want to donate your contribution to the parish this year, you can do so by bringing it to the parish office, sacristy or by sending it to the parish's bank account,'' writes the Rijeka pastor from Skurinje, thanking (from the bottom of his heart) those who choose to do so for their generosity.

"Prepare some holy water, a Bible, a cross and a candle on the table for the blessing of the family. If you don't have holy water in your families, you can come to church with a bottle and take some," the Rijeka pastor said before congratulating all believers on the upcoming Christmas period.

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December 4, 2020 - The 5th round of the Europa League was played on Thursday evening. With a 2:0 win against Feyenoord, Dinamo moves into the last 32, and Rijeka secures their first point with a 2:2 draw against Real Sociedad. 

Dinamo has moved into the final 32 teams of the Europa League after winning first place in Group K. In the penultimate 5th round, the Zagreb club topped Feyenoord 2:0 in Rotterdam.

Bruno Petkovic scored for Dinamo from a penalty kick in the fifth minute of the first half and Lovro Majer secured their victory with a goal in the 53rd minute.

Dinamo arrived in Rotterdam as the only club in the Europa League that did not concede a goal this season. In the first four rounds, Dinamo booked eight points with a goal differential of 4:0. They also managed to keep their net clean in the Netherlands, so after 350 minutes of play, the Croatian champion had a goal differential of 6:0 and 11 points.

?????????????????#dinamozagreb #UEL pic.twitter.com/zsji6Wvicc

— GNK Dinamo (@gnkdinamo) December 3, 2020

In the second match of Group K, Wolfsberger defeated CSKA away in Moscow 1:0 with a great goal by the young Croatia national team player Dario Vizinger, who beat Akinfeyev with a shot from more than 20 meters in the 22nd minute.

Dinamo secured first place with 11 points one round before the end. In second place is Wolfsberger with seven points, followed by Feyenoord in third with five points, and CSKA in last with only three points.

In the final round next week, Dinamo will host CSKA at Maksimir in a match where the result has no importance, while Wolfsberger and Feyenoord will simultaneously play a match in Klagenfurt for second place in the group, which also leads to the last 32. A point is enough for the Austrian team to pass, while the Dutch giant needs a victory.

In the second match on Thursday, Rijeka reached their first point in the 5th round of Group F, playing 2:2 (1:0) away against the leading team of the Spanish championship, Real Sociedad, in San Sebastian.

Rijeka led twice with goals from Darko Velkovski (37) and Stjepan Lončar (73), and the home team equalized through Jon Bautista (69) and Nach Montreal (79).

As has been the case in all Rijeka's matches in the group so far, coach Simon Rožman decided to play a better opponent with a stronger defense and only one player on top. Therefore, Real Sociedad only sporadically threatened goalkeeper Nevistić.

In the second match of Group F, AZ Alkmaar and Napoli played 1:1 (0:1). Napoli took the lead through Mertens (6), Martins Indi (54) equalized, and Koopmeiners missed a penalty for the home team in the 60th minute.

One round before the end of the group stage, Napoli leads the table with 10 points, Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar have eight points each, while Rijeka is last with one point. 

In one week, Rijeka and AZ Alkmaar and Napoli and Real Sociedad will meet in the last round. The first two teams from the group will make it to the last 32. 

Source: HRT

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December 2, 2020 – Streets have been noticeably quieter over recent days, although not by one building in Rijeka and a roadside in Dobrinj, Krk island, where renowned street artist, Zagreb's Lunar, has left two huge new murals

The cafes are closed but, what's more, there's a chill in the air. It's not only the lockdown that has made the streets of Croatia more quiet than usual at this time of year. Over recent days, temperatures have dropped to around zero when the sun falls. And it falls early. The light can be gone by 5pm.

Rijeka

Exercise or a simple pleasant stroll around the Christmas lights have been all that's been drawing folks out onto the streets after dark, save for the food delivery guys whose bikes whizz past you faster than ever in the chill. Even during the day, the streets of Croatia are quieter than normal because of the lockdown.


Dobrinj

But, these days haven't been anything other than normal for acclaimed artist Slaven Kosanovic aka Zagreb's Lunar. The cooler temperatures have only meant wearing more clothes and the quieter streets have not made his careful craftsmanship any quicker. His sometimes vast murals often require him to be above pedestrians passing below, up a ladder or even on a crane.

Dobrinj

The two new paintings of Zagreb's Lunar definitely fall at the larger end of the works he has produced over the last 25+ years. One towers above street level on an entire building facade in Rijeka. So tall is the painting that trying to take it all in could strain your neck in the wrong wind. The other piece, in Dobrinj, Krk island, is just as epic, although this vast canvas lies horizontal, by the roadside.

The Rijeka mural is dedicated to the city's music scene - you can spot some of the names of famous Rijeka bands in the painting

The Rijeka mural of Zagreb's Lunar, which he painted alongside his brother, with whom he often collaborates, is a four-story wall of cats dedicated to Rijeka's famous music scene. The mural took two days to complete. In the mural, you can spot the names of many Rijeka music groups like The Siids. Let 3, Denis & Denis and Jonathan. The mural is another part of the manifestations organised in celebration of Rijeka 2020 Capital of Culture.

Dobrinj

Krk island is a well-known tourist destination, but the pretty inland village of Dobrinj is far from the regular path of visitors. Anyone travelling past the enormous mural Zagreb's Lunar and his brother have left here will surely remember the name of Dobrinj. It may well entice some to come looking for it – it is by far the largest piece of public art on the island. It was facilitated by the community organisation Kulturni Dobrinj.

Dobrinj

All photos © Antonija Diklic (Rijeka) Damir Jevtic (Dobrinj)

Dobrinj, with the artist, Slaven Kosanovic aka Zagreb's Lunar, on the right

November 30, 2020 - The 13th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 27 to 29, 2020. This round saw Rijeka and Osijek draw, while the highly-anticipated Eternal Derby between Dinamo and Hajduk was postponed. 

Sibenik v. Slaven Belupo (0:3)

Sibenik and Slaven Belupo opened the 13th round on Friday, November 27, 2020, in Sibenik. 

A goal in the first-minute by Lulic gave Belupo the early 0:1 lead. Thirty minutes later, Etoundi increased Belupo's lead to 0:2, which was the score at the half. The final goal of the match was scored in the 80th minute by Knoll, for the 0:3 Belupo victory. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 13 points, while Belupo is in 6th place with 14. 

Varazdin v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Varazdin and Istra met on Saturuday, November 28, 2020, in Varazdin. 

While the first half went without goals, Obregon was the first to score for the Varazdin lead in the 51st minute. A penalty for Istra in the 7th minute of added time was scored by Grzan for the equalizer and final 1:1 result. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 9 points, while Istra is in 10th with 9 points. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Gorica and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, November 28, 2020, in Velika Gorica. 

Lovric put Gorica in the lead in the 13th minute for 1:0 at the half. Tuci scored the equalizer in the 50th minute for the final 1:1 result. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 23 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 9. 

Rijeka v. Osijek (1:1)

Rijeka and Osijek closed out the 13th round at Rujevica Stadium on Sunday, November 29, 2020. 

While the first half went without goals, a double-yellow for Pavicic forced Rijeka to play with a man down from the 60th minute. However, Andrijasevic scored for Rijeka just four minutes later for the 1:0 lead. An 83rd-minute equalizer by Bockaj ended the game 1:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 5th place with 16 points, while Osijek is in 1st with 27. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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