May 24, 2023 - Hajduk beat Sibenik 2-0 at Rujevica Stadium on Wednesday in the Croatian Cup final! It's the first time the Split club has celebrated the Croatian Cup trophy back to back. 

We're in the final week of the SuperSport HNL season week, and with that, we get to see who will celebrate the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup ahead of the 36th round played this weekend. Hajduk and Šibenik met in the final from 19:00 at Rujevica in Rijeka. Interestingly, the two teams also meet in the final round of the league on Sunday. Hajduk has already clinched second place, while Šibenik has been relegated from first league football.

Hajduk was the big favorite and has also been in great form. They haven't conceded a goal in six games, nor have they lost. The Cup final was also unique for Hajduk. It was the first time in eighteen years that Hajduk had the opportunity to win the trophy two seasons in a row. 

Hajduk had loud support from the stands. Most of the east stand was filled with fans from Split, while the north stand was reserved for Šibenik fans who bought only a few hundred tickets for the final. Rujevica was thus not sold out, and around 6,500 fans were in attendance. 

Regarding the lineups for each team, Hajduk was without Mikanović, Lovrencsics, and Kalik, while Šibenik could not count on Điro and Radonjić due to injuries.

Lineups

Hajduk: Lučić - Sigur, Awaziem, Ferro, Melnjak - Pukštas, Krovinović - Sahiti, Benrahou, Mlakar - Livaja

Šibenik: Đaković - Kvržić, Perić, Kvesić, Mina - Đorić, Soldo - Arai, Hiroš, Dolček - Špeljak 

Match report

Hajduk found the back of the net in the 4th minute, but Mlakar's goal was disallowed after VAR. Hajduk completely dominated Sibenik so far at Rujevica.

Hajduk continued to dominate, but they didn't have any great opportunities in the next 20 minutes. On the other hand, Šibenik, now in the second division, held their own at Rujevica.

Hajduk had two great chances in the 39th minute. Mlakar was one on one with the keeper, who brilliantly saved before the ball went out for a corner. Livaja just missed the goal off the corner. 

A minute of stoppage time was played, and the first half ended 0-0. 

Hajduk put on the pressure in the first few minutes of the second half, but Melnjak missed an open goal. 

Hajduk had their 8th corner in the 56th minute, and Livaja headed to the right of the goal. Sibenik had 0 corners at this point. 

And then it happened. Benrahou shot into Šibenik's defense. After the rebound, the ball reached Melnjak, who scored for Hajduk and the 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute! 

Sibenik held their own to not concede another goal, but Hajduk's defense remained solid and tried to get their second.  

Four minutes of stoppage time were added. 

And Hajduk was awarded a penalty in the final minutes off a Pukstas foul in the box! Livaja scored for 2-0! 

The match ended 2-0 for Hajduk, winning the Croatian Cup trophy for the second consecutive time!  

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

April 24, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 30th round was played from April 21 to 23, 2023. This round saw Dinamo draw against Istra, Belupo beat Osijek, and Gorica defeat Rijeka to jump from 10th to 9th place in the standings. 

Lokomotiva - Sibenik (1-0)

Lokomotiva and Sibenik opened the 30th round on Friday, April 21, in Zagreb in front of 581 fans. 

The only goal of the match came in the 81st minute when Tuci found the back of the net for 1-0. Lokomotiva had 61% possession and 14 total attempts compared to Sibenik's four attempts. 

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 37 points, and Sibenik has dropped to last place with 24. Lokomotiva plays Rijeka next weekend and Sibenik meets Belupo. 

Slaven Belupo - Osijek (2-1)

Belupo and Osijek met on Friday in Koprivnica in front of 3,590 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Caktas made it 0-1 for Osijek in the 52nd minute. Two quick stoppage-time goals gave Belupo the win - Krstanovic scored a penalty in the 91st minute for 1-1, and Boras made it 2-1 in the 10th added minute. Belupo had 56% possession and 14 total attempts on goal, while Osijek had 20. Both teams had four shots on target. 

Belupo is in 4th place with 40 points, and Osijek is in 5th with 39. Belupo meets Sibenik next, and Osijek meets Istra. 

Istra 1961 - Dinamo (0-0)

Istra and Dinamo met on Saturday in Pula in front of 3,340 fans. 

The game ended without goals, though Dinamo had 57% of possession and a total of 8 attempts on target compared to Istra's 7. 

Dinamo remains in first place with 67 points, while Istra is in 7th with 38. Dinamo meets Varazdin next and Istra plays Osijek. 

Hajduk - Varazdin (2-0)

Hajduk and Varazdin met on Saturday at Poljud Stadium in front of 10,596 fans. 

Benrahou put Hajduk ahead in the 25th minute for 1-0 at the half. Sahiti scored a stunning far-post goal assisted by Benrahou in the 65th minute for the final 2-0. Possession was equal during this match, while Hajduk had 14 total attempts, of which eight were on target. 

Hajduk is in 2nd place with 57 points, while Varazdin is in 6th with 39. Hajduk plays Gorica next, and Varazdin meets Dinamo.

Gorica - Rijeka (1-0)

Gorica and Rijeka closed out the 30th round on Sunday in Velika Gorica in front of 2,362 fans. 

While Gorica's first goal in the 2nd minute was called offside due to VAR, Fucak made it 1-0 in the 63rd minute for the Gorica win. Rijeka had far more possession in the match at 63%, with 11 total attempts on target, too. 

Gorica has now jumped to 9th place with 26 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 41. Gorica and Hajduk meet next, while Rijeka meets Lokomotiva.

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

April 10, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 28th round was held on Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8, due to the Easter holiday. This round saw Igor Bišćan debut on Dinamo's bench with a victory, while the last-placed Gorica shocked Osijek, and Hajduk only took one point against Istra at Poljud. 

Slaven Belupo - Varazdin (1-1)

Belupo and Varazdin opened the 28th round on Friday, April 7, 2023, in Koprivnica in front of 1,513 fans. 

Crnac gave Belupo the lead in the 12th minute, a result that was held for over 90 minutes when Domjanic equalized in the 6th minute of stopped time for the final 1-1. Varazdin had 69% of possession during the match with 17 total attempts on goal, four of which were on target - the same as Belupo. 

Belupo is in 6th place with 37 points, while Varazdin is in 5th with 38. Belupo plays Dinamo next, and Varazdin meets Istra. 

Hajduk - Istra 1961 (2-2)

Hajduk and Istra met for the second match on Friday at Poljud in front of 14,966 fans. 

Mlakar put Hajduk ahead in the 2nd minute for 1-0, but two quick goals from Istra followed. Hujber scored in the 19th minute and Bakrar in the 21st for the Istra lead. Mlakar scored his second goal just before halftime to level the result (2-2). The second half saw two players sent off - Borevkovic was shown a straight red card just one minute into the second half, while Maresic was shown his second yellow with 10 minutes to go. Hajduk scored in the 56th minute, but it was called offside after consulting VAR. 

Hajduk is in 2nd place with 54 points, while Istra is in 7th with 36. Hajduk plays Rijeka next without Livaja and Krovinovic (cards), and Istra meets Varazdin. 

Gorica - Osijek (2-0)

Gorica and Osijek met on Saturday, April 8, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,349 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Fucak put Gorica ahead in the 73rd minute before scoring 10 minutes later for the final 2-0. Osijek had 51% of possession during the game with 11 total attempts, while Gorica had three attempts on target, two of which ended in goals. 

Gorica is in last place with 20 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 38. Gorica plays Sibenik next, and Osijek meets Lokomotiva. 

Lokomotiva - Dinamo (1-2)

Lokomotiva and Dinamo met in the second match on Saturday in front of 3,961 fans in Zagreb. 

Lokomotiva took the lead thanks to Ibrahim in the 35th minute. Ivanusec equalized in the 50th minute, and Menalo made it 1-2 in the 79th. This was the first game under new Dinamo coach Igor Bišćan. Dinamo had 51% possession and 17 total attempts on goal, of which five were on target. 

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 33 points, while Dinamo is in first with 63. Lokomotiva plays Osjek next and Dinamo meets Belupo. 

Rijeka - Sibenik (1-0)

Rijeka and Sibenik closed out the 28th round at Rujevica in front of 4,437 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Frigan gave Rijeka the win in the 48th minute. Rijeka dominated the match with 67% of possession and 15 total attempts on goal. 

Rijeka is in 4th place with 38 points, while Sibenik is in 9th with 24. Rijeka plays Hajdyk next and Sibenik meets Gorica. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

April 5, 2023 - Šibenik has knocked out Dinamo in the SuperSport Croatian Cup semi-final, beating them 2:1 at Šubićevac Stadium! 

It is the second final in history for Šibenik. Šibenik lost to Hajduk in its first final in 2010. With this loss, Dinamo continues its downward spiral, achieving only one victory in its last six appearances.

Dinamo visited Šubićevac weakened by the absence of Bruno Petković and Luka Ivanušec. Behind the Croatian champion were a series of bad results and only one victory in the last five meetings. Even so, Dinamo entered the match brilliantly and took the lead with a goal by Josip Drmić in the 40th second. 

Dinamo could have increased their lead in the 13th minute. Dominik Livaković sent a long ball to Menalo, who came out alone in front of Đaković, but the home goalkeeper saved his shot, deflecting the ball into the corner.

Šibenik had their first and only chance in the first half in the 20th minute. Dario Čanađija found Ivan Dolček in the penalty area, but he couldn't get a decent shot off. 

In the 37th minute, Dinamo shook the home team's net for the second time, and Drmić was the scorer again. However, this time VAR was not on his side. The striker was offside at the beginning of the play, and the goal was disallowed.

Dinamo had a new chance in the 57th minute. Mišić sent a great ball to Baturina, who rushed down the right wing and put it in front of the goal, but Kvržić prevented the shot.

Šibenik came back with a free kick a few minutes later, but there was no real danger in front of Livković's goal. In the 66th minute, Šibenik threw all their cards into the attack. Iker Pozzo, Dejan Radonjić, Duje Čop, and Amer Hiroš entered the game. Just six minutes later, Šibenik equalized with a goal by Spanish midfielder Pozzo.

It was a quick counter from the hosts, the Spaniard first pushed the ball to Radonjić. With a bit of luck, the ball returned to Pozzo, who scored from close range into an empty goal.

After conceding the goal, Dinamo increased their rhythm. In the 80th minute, Marko Bulat had a great shot from a free kick. Four minutes later, Dinamo hit the net again, but VAR once again ruled it offside, and Menalo's joy was short-lived.

When it seemed that the match would go into extra time, Šibenik shocked the Croatian champion. Kvržić made a perfect cross from the right, and Čop made an even better header for the incredible Šibenik victory! 

Slaven Belupo and Hajduk meet in the second semi-final on April 12 in Koprivnica, and the final is on May 24 at Rujevica in Rijeka.

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

April 3, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 27th round was played from March 31 to April 2, 2023. The round of 1-1 draws also featured a crucial win for Hajduk, now just 7 points behind Dinamo in the first place. 

Slaven Belupo - Istra 1961 (2-0)

Belupo and Istra opened the 27th round on Friday, March 31, in Koprivnica in front of 593 fans. 

Mudrazija put Belupo ahead in the 39th minute for 1-0. Krstanovic made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute, which is how the game ended. Surprisingly, Belupo only had 35% possession during the match, but a total of 13 attempts on goal, five of which were on target. 

Belupo is currently in 5th place with 36 points, while Istra is in 7th with 35. Belupo meets Varazdin next weekend, and Istra meets Hajduk. 

Gorica - Dinamo (1-1)

Gorica and Dinamo met on Saturday, April 1, in Velika Gorica in front of 4,084 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Ljubicic put Dinamo ahead in the 60th minute for 0-1. Mitrovic equalized in the 85th minute for the final 1-1. Dinamo had 60% possession during the match and 14 total attempts, with four on target, while Gorica had 15 total attempts and seven on target. 

Gorica is in last place with 17 points, while Dinamo is in first with 60. Gorica plays Osijek next, and Dinamo meets Lokomotiva. 

Sibenik - Hajduk (2-3)

Sibenik and Hajduk met on Saturday, April 1, in Sibenik in front of 2,718 fans. 

A goal from Livaja in the 45th minute made it 0-1 for Hajduk at halftime. Mlakar and Pukstas made it 0-3 for Hajduk by the 60th minute. Dolcek returned with a goal for 1-3 in the 63rd minute and Kvrzic for the final 2-3 in the 90th. Sibenik had 54% of possession and 13 total attempts compared to Hajduk's 14 total attempts and eight on target. 

Sibenik is in 9th place with 24 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 53. Sibenik plays Rijeka next and Hajduk meets Istra. 

Rijeka - Osijek (1-1)

Rijeka and Osijek met on Sunday, April 2, at Rujevica in front of 5,864 fans. 

Frigan put Rijeka ahead in the 31st minute for 1-0. Zaper didn't equalize for Osijek until the match's final minute for 1-1. Rijeka had 47% possession compared to Osijek's 53%, while both sides had 14 total attempts on goal. 

Rijeka is in 6th place with 35 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 38. Rijeka plays Sibenik next and Osijek meets Gorica. 

Lokomotiva - Varazdin (1-1)

Lokomotiva and Varazdin closed out the 27th round on Sunday, April 2, in Zagreb in front of 759 fans. 

Gorican made it 1-0 in the 5th minute, and Puclin equalized in the 51st for the final 1-1. Lokomotiva had 58% of possession during the match with 20 total attempts, 11 of which were on target. 

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 33 points, while Varazdin is in 4th with 37. Lokomotiva plays Dinamo next and Varazdin meets Belupo.

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

March 20, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 26th round was played from March 17 to 19. This round saw Osijek take only one point against Šibenik, while Hajduk took 3 points at Poljud, and Dinamo celebrated against Rijeka at Maksimir. It was an emotional 26th round as Osijek captain Mile Škorić and Dinamo captain Arjan Ademi said goodbye to the Croatian league and will continue their careers in China. 

Varaždin - Gorica (2-1)

Varaždin and Gorica opened the 26th round on Friday, March 17, in Varaždin in front of 1585 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Varaždin took the lead in the 53rd minute when Brodić scored for 1-0. Mitrović equalized in the 74th minute for 1-1. Brodić found the net again in the 87th minute for the final 2-1. Varaždin had 56% possession, eight total attempts, and three on target, while Gorica had 12 total attempts and five on target. 

Varaždin is in 4th place with 36 points, while Gorica is in last place with 16. Varaždin plays Lokomotiva next and Gorica meets Dinamo. 

Osijek - Šibenik (0-0)

Osijek and Šibenik met on Saturday, March 18, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2321 fans. 

The match went without goals though the result could have ended differently had Caktaš not missed a penalty in the 71st minute. Osijek held 60% possession with 17 total attempts. Long-time Osijek captain Mile Škorić played his last game and will continue his career in China. Škorić played 333 games for Osijek since 2013. 

Osijek is in 3rd place with 37 points, while Šibenik is in 9th with 24. Osijek meets Rijeka next, and Šibenik meets Hajduk. 

Hajduk - Slaven Belupo (1-0)

Hajduk and Belupo met on Saturday, March 18, at Poljud Stadium in front of 14,005 fans. 

The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Mikanović nailed the back of the net from outside the box for the Hajduk win. Hajduk held 63% possession with nine attempts, 3 of which were on target. 

Hajduk remains in 2nd place with 50 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 33. Hajduk meets Šibenik in the next round, and Belupo plays Istra 1961. 

Istra 1961 - Lokomotiva (0-0)

Istra and Lokomotiva met on Sunday, March 19, in Pula in front of 1419 fans. 

This match ended without goals. Istra had 46% possession compared to Lokomotiva's 54%. Istra had seven total attempts to Lokomotiva's 13. 

Istra is in 5th place with 35 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 32. Istra plays Belupo next, and Lokomotiva meets Varaždin. 

Dinamo - Rijeka (1-0)

Dinamo and Rijeka closed the 26th round on Sunday, March 19, at Maksimir Stadium.

The first half went without goals, but Ristovski found the back of the net in the 67th minute for 1-0. Dinamo had 58% possession and 13 total attempts, while Rijeka had 12. This was Dinamo captain Arijan Ademi's last match after 13 years with the club. He thus became Dinamo's most trophy-winning player in history, with 21 trophies total - 11 Croatian championship titles, six Cups, and four Super Cups. He played 373 games for the club, with 42 goals and 31 assists

Dinamo is in first place with 59 points, while Rijeka is in 6th with 34. Dinamo meets Gorica next, and Rijeka plays Osijek. 

The SuperSport HNL will resume on March 31st as we take an international break to kick off the European qualifiers for EURO 2024. Croatia meets Wales this weekend at Poljud and is training in Split all week. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

March the 16th, 2023 - The powers that be in Sibenik have been busy mounting 4K high resolution cameras that are also efficient at night, and creating an infrastructure for a city-wide, state of the art surveillance system. This is the first such project of this magnitude in all of Croatia, as every intersection, every town square, every playground will be covered with cameras.

This project has been in the works for a couple of years. The City of Sibenik has taken out a big loan back in 2020 of about 3.585,000 euros. Only a portion of that money has been budgeted for these cameras, while the rest was set aside for playgrounds and a couple of other projects like funding for a new kindergarten, for the valorisation of a fort, etc.

Deputy mayor of Sibenik Mr. Danijel Mileta said in a recent interview that the cameras themselves will cost about 1.062.400 euros, two control rooms about 212.000 euros, and underground optic cables and various infrastructure about 530.000 euros, and with added VAT, we come to a grand total of about 2.225.500 euros.

Sibenik is a very safe city, but...

During this whole process, local politicians and heads of the local police would always preface their statements with "Sibenik is a very safe city'', but somehow we need 230 cameras in 74 locations paid for by the city's tax payers to make the city "even safer". It's rather unusual that in these times, when everything is financed by EU funds or one of the many ministries, that the cost of this fell directly into citizens' laps.

It's true, Sibenik like the rest of the country in that it is basically very, very safe. It's perfectly fine for women to go out alone at night, muggings don't happen, violence is rare, and when it happens it never has anything to do with foreigners, and is usually domestic violence or feuds between business partners, like the last murders that happened over two years ago.

Is Big Brother making himself comfortable here in our fair city?

Mr. Mileta emphasises that this will not be any kind of "Big Brother", and only a few police officers and city employees specifically trained and certified for this system will be allowed access. Sibenik is the first city in Croatia to get such detailed surveillance of its public areas. We're a city of about 37000 inhabitants, it has one main road running through it, and a historical centre, which will also be full of cameras. The reactions to this move by the city's politicians is polarising.

Some people are rather dumbfounded and very upset that they plan to do this. They cite privacy reasons, and why do the city and the police need such an extensive network of cameras, and are we giving them a lot of power that we'll never be able to take away or control? Could this kind of tool be useful for spying on and compromising political opposition, or something similarly nefarious? Sibenik's local administration is adamant that it will all be transparent and on the level and absolutely not abused in any way shape or form.

Others are cheering the idea on, especially for children's playgrounds that get vandalised sometimes. They see this as a solution to a lot of communal problems, claiming that the cameras will effectively solve them.

The city administration says they will crack down on illegal parking on the pavements which is a huge problem in Sibenik, it will see the throwing of trash outside of the designated areas dealt with, as well as many other things. The plan is to semi-automate it, the software will recognise an infraction on a vehicle for example, a city employee will then need to OK it on their end, the database will find the owner via the OCR'ed licence plate and then a fine will be sent to that individual.

Not all of the 230 cameras have yet been installed, and there hasn't been any visible work done over the last couple of months. One deadline for the project was already breached, and the latest estimation that Mr. Mileta provides is a launch date in a couple of months. There haven't been any official updates from the Mayor's office regarding the status of this project since this interview in October.

Should this endeavor be a success, we can expect other cities across the country to implement similar technologies. It's a general global trend to have everything under the nose of watchful cameras. Right now, shops, banks, even cafes and practically everything commercial indoors is under the ever watchful eye of a CCTV camera. There have been and of course are cameras placed in public spaces across the rest of Croatia, but we were mostly spared of an all encompassing camera platform. It seems that era is coming to an end, at least in Sibenik.

The 230 cameras are only the first stage, as they also plan to cover other parts of Sibenik-Knin County with similar cameras, and this area is huge and encompasses many villages and communities.

For more, check out our news section.

March 13, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 25th round was played from March 10 to 12, 2023. This round saw an exciting last-minute win for last-placed Gorica, a shocking loss for table leader Dinamo, and Hajduk secure an important away victory against Osijek. 

Gorica - Istra 1961 (5-4)

Gorica and Istra opened the 25th round on Friday, March 10, in Velika Gorica in front of 937 fans. 

Istra was the first to take the lead with a goal from Bakrar in the 13th minute. Bralic equalized in the 30th minute, and Mitrovic's goal was called offside to keep the result even. Bakrar put Istra back in the lead in the 42nd minute for 1-2 at halftime. Caseres made it 1-3 in the 55th minute, and Pršir came back for 2-3 in the 79th. Fućak leveled the result in the 81st minute, and it was 4-3 for Gorica two minutes later! An exciting stoppage time saw two more goals - Matheus made it 4-4, and Gorica secured the win thanks to Mitrović in the 96th minute.

Gorica remains in last place with 16 points, while Istra is in 8th with 31 and a game in hand. In the next round, Gorica meets Varazdin, and Istra meets Lokomotiva. Before that, Istra will meet Dinamo at home to make up their 12th-round match. 

Lokomotiva - Slaven Belupo (1-0)

Lokomotiva and Belupio met on Saturday, March 11, in Zagreb in front of 760 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Lokomotiva took the lead in the 47th minute thanks to an own goal by Soldo. That was enough to give Lokomotiva the win. Lokomotiva maintained 62% possession during the match and had six shots on target. 

Lokomotiva is in 7th place with 31 points, and Belupo is in 6th with 33. Lokomotiva plays Istra next and Belupo meets Hajduk. 

Šibenik - Dinamo (2-1)

Šibenik and Dinamo met on Saturday, March 11, in Šibenik in front of 2,497 fans. 

Two goals for Šibenik in the 40th and 42nd minutes shocked Dinamo, who were down 2-0 at the half. Ristovski came back with one goal for Dinamo in the 64th minute, but the current Croatian champion was unable to come back with another. Dinamo held 71% of possession and had 17 attempts on goal, of which only 6 were on target. Šibenik had only two shots on target which they scored. 

Šibenik is in 9th place with 23 points, while Dinamo is in 1st with 56 points and a game in hand. Dinamo and Istra finally play their 12th-round makeup game on Wednesday. Šibenik meets Osijek in the 26th round, and Dinamo plays Rijeka. 

Rijeka - Varaždin (3-1)

Rijeka and Varaždin met on Sunday, March 12, at Rujevica in front of 5,114 fans. 

Selahi put Rijeka ahead in the 45th minute, and Ampem made it 2-0 in the 53rd. Five minutes later, it was 3-0 for Rijeka thanks to Banda. Jelenić came back with one goal for Varaždin in the 88th minute. Rijeka maintained 48% of possession in the match with 20 total attempts compared to Varaždin's 16. 

Rijeka is in 4th place with 34 points, while Varaždin is in 5th with 33. Rijeka plays Dinamo next, and Varaždin plays Gorica. 

Osijek - Hajduk (0-2)

Osijek and Hajduk closed out the 25th round on Sunday at City Garden Stadium in front of 6,107 fans. 

Livaja scored a penalty for Hajduk in the 28th minute for 0-1. Melnjak made it 0-2 seven minutes later. Osijek held 64% of possession and had 11 total goal attempts, the same as Hajduk. Osijek only had 2 attempts on target compared to Hajduk's 7. 

Osijek is in 3rd place with 36 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 47. Osijek meets Šibenik next, and Hajduk plays Belupo. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

March 4, 2023 - Sibenik archaeologist Andrija Nakic, employed at the Sibenik Fortress of Culture, discovered the remains of the American warplane B-24 Liberator, which crashed near Brnjica in the hinterland of Sibenik after an unsuccessful attempt to bomb Vienna and Graz in 1944 in the Second World War. The story of the landing near the unsuspecting airport on Pokrovnik is quite fascinating, and it all started with Nakic's great-grandmother.

"It's a story that has followed me since childhood, but I kind of ignored it until a few years ago. In fact, my great-grandmother hid one of the pilots at her house for a few days. The pilot of the plane headed towards the island of Vis but still decided to land somewhere in the hinterland of Sibenik on solid ground because of the bombs that were supposed to be dropped over Vienna. As the plane was damaged, the entire crew jumped out with parachutes near Brnjica and Pokrovnik on October 13, 1944. That area was a plain and became an improvised airport. As soon as the people from the surrounding villages saw the plane crash, everyone rushed there to collect valuable loot. So there was a clash between the Ustashas and the partisans. Part of the crew was taken away by the Ustashas and part by the partisans after a few days. My great-grandmother kept one, similar to the event in the series 'Allo allo!' - reported the Sibenik archaeologist for Sibenikin.

In short, some of the crew members were taken to Drnis and later transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp, and those who were injured during the parachute landing were transferred to Vis by the partisans. There were 11 of them in total.

There was a Jewish surgeon in the crew as well.

"Leslie Caplan was an American surgeon of Jewish origin, but the Germans still treated him humanely and transferred him to a military camp in Germany. Everything went well, and he returned home. I am in contact with his daughter, who is delighted with this whole story", says the Sibenik archeologist.

Nakic returned to this topic later, sometime around 2020.

"At that time, Americans had a habit of giving airplanes female names, and they named this one from Brnjica 'Nancy Jane 2'. It collapsed right next to the current road that leads from Brnjica to Sibenik, and my son found the first piece of metal. I talked about it, so he went to explore a bit. They were just pieces of metal, but when we dug a little deeper, we also found pieces with engraved names and rivets. I collected about seven or eight bags. And all that without a metal detector, which means there is much more there - explains Nakic.

There are no witnesses to the event.

"Almost all of them passed away. However, as I was very interested in this topic, I managed to get in touch with several people in Croatia who helped me a lot. During the Second World War, more than 700 aircraft fell in our country. Radovan Zivanovic from Opatija certainly knows the most about this. He is a true lover of the subject. Through him, I also got in contact with the Americans. In 1944, they regularly kept diaries about every airplane flight. That helped me a lot. I also found some German documents about the event. Simply by Googling it", says Nakic.

A more detailed text about this research should be published in the journal Miscellanea Hadriatica et Mediterranea, published by the University of Zadar, in Croatian and English.

"Many think this is not a remarkable discovery in the world of archeology because less than 80 years have passed since the plane crash. However, this type of archeology is increasingly popular, and the number of people who love everything related to the Second World War is growing. Let's call it some kind of 'dark tourism.' Since there have been more than 700 such plane crashes in Croatia, it is a specific but promising branch of tourism", concludes Sibenik archaeologist Andrija Nakic.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

February 27, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 23rd round was played from February 24 to 26, 2023. This round saw Gorica record its first victory in half a year, and their second total this season. Rijeka's winning streak also ended in this round, while Osijek and Hajduk have fallen further away from Dinamo at the top of the standings. 

Sibenik v. Istria 1961 (0-0)

Sibenik and Istra opened the 23rd round on Friday, February 24, in Sibenik in front of 511 fans. 

The game went without a goal from either side. Sibenik had 40% possession compared to Istra's 60%. Sibenik had three shots on target and nine shots total, while Istra had no shots on target and three total shots.

Sibenik is in 9th place with 20 points, while Istra is in 5th with 31 and a game in hand. Sibenik plays Varazdin next, and Istra plays Rijeka. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (1-0)

Gorica and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, February 25, in Velika Gorica in front of 806 fans. 

Gorica scored first thanks to Juric in the 30th minute though it was called offside after consulting VAR to keep the score even. Fucak got back the goal for Gorica in the 87th minute for the final 1-0. This was Gorica's second win this season. Gorica only had 35% possession during the match, but they had 15 total shots and seven on target. Lokomotiva only had three shots on target. 

Gorica is in the last place with 12 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 25. Gorica plays Belupo next, and Lokomotiva plays Hajduk. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (0-1)

Rijeka and Belupo on Saturday, February 25, at Rujevica in front of 3000 fans. 

Rijeka was the first to score in the 44th minute, which was called back after consulting VAR. Finally, Crnac scored for 0-1 Belupo in the 85th minute. Belupo only had 35% possession during the match and only one shot on target which they scored. Rijeka had six shots on target and 18 total shots. 

Rijeka is in 7th place with 28 points, while Belupo is in 4th with 32. Rijeka plays Istra next, and Belupo plays Gorica.  

Dinamo v. Hajduk (4-0)

Dinamo and Hajduk met on Sunday, February 26, for the 'eternal derby' at Maksimir in front of 14010 fans. 

Ademi opened Dinamo's scoring spree in the 8th minute for 1-0 before Baturina made it 2-0 two minutes later. After that, it was 3-0, thanks to Ivanusec at halftime. Ivanusec scored the final goal of the match in the 63rd minute. Dinamo had 70% possession during the game, with 14 total shots and five on target. Hajduk was without half of its starters due to injury and illness, with Marko Livaja playing the first half even though he hadn't trained all week. Hajduk also debuted 16-year-old Luka Vuskovic, tying the record for the youngest player to make his HNL debut. 

Dinamo is in first place with 55 points and a game in hand, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 44. Dinamo plays Osijek next, and Hajduk plays Lokomotiva. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (0-1)

Osijek and Varazdin closed out the 23rd round on Sunday at City Garden Stadium in front of 1007 fans. 

The match's only goal came in the 28th minute when Drozdek scored for 0-1. Osijek had 65% possession during the game and three shots on target. Varazdin only had one shot on target which they scored. 

Osijek is in 3rd place with 35 points, while Varazdin is in 6th place with 30. Osijek plays Dinamo next, and Varazdin meets Sibenik. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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