Much has been said in the Croatian media about the ambitious plans for the construction of the Sljeme cable car, which was supposed to replace the old, now defunct, cable car.

The old Sljeme cable car (Sljemenska žičara) operated between 1963 and 2007, when it was permanently closed. And practically since its shut-down, Mayor Bandić has been announcing the construction of the new, improved cable car which would take citizens of Zagreb and the tourists to the top of the Medvednica mountain, located just to the North of Zagreb. Last year the old pillars were removed, and this year the works on the construction of the new cable car have started, although not nearly as fast as it was announced. The price tag for the construction is also reported to be several times larger than in other similar projects, such as Sarajevo cable car, and Croatian media have reported that it's impossible to find who designed the new path for the cable car, which differs significantly from the old path.

And now Matej Mišić, a representative in the City Council asked how it was possible that the new credit line is needed for this construction. He says that the project is 12 years old and that it's unbelievable that the funding has yet not been secured, so instead of financing the project from the city budget, a new line of credit needs to be taken to get the money. Mišić wondered what that says about the finances in the city, as he commented Bandić's statement that ZET (public transport company in Zagreb) will take the loan of 450 million kunas to finish the Sljeme cable car. Mišić added that he doesn't know of a single cable car anywhere in the world which costs 560 million kunas (80 million euros!), which is what the total costs are presumed to be. The initial costs were supposed to be around 29 million kunas, but four times more has been spent in the first six months of the construction. Mišić points out that with this price-tag Zagreb should be getting a cable car to the top of Medvednica and all the way down on the other side of the mountain, in Bistra.

October 23, 2019 - The 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport and Tourism Investment Forum concluded yesterday. TCN caught up with one of the keynote speakers, Dr Prem Jagyasi, to learn more about his thoughts on the direction of Croatia's medical tourism industry.  

Tell us firstly about your relationship with Croatia as you seem to be more and more of a regular visitor here.

It is a good thing that Croatia wants to develop medical tourism in a structured way. I see that the ministries of health, tourism and economy are becoming engaged to develop a strategy for health tourism, and that is what brings me here – to help that process along.

We know that there are many challenges and obstacles to be overcome, but I really think Croatia has great potential. They can be a leader in Europe, and they can also attract the American retiree market. There are over 100 million pensioners in the United States. A proportion of them could come to Croatia and bring up to 2.5 billion dollars of business to Croatia. 

It was interesting yesterday to see the Pasman project, for example, where they are planning to put in the facilities and content to offer to these senior citizens from abroad. There are challenges ahead, but things are moving in the right direction. So my interest is in working with both the potential and the challenges here in Croatia. 

I would like to add that this has been a really excellent conference - some great speakers and panelists from all over the world. It has been a pleasure to participate once again. 

There was a phrase used in the conference that the region could become the 'Adriatic Florida.' Do you think that this is a realistic aspiration?

I don't see the need to repeat Florida, first of all, or call it that. I loved the phrase by Vlasta Brozicevic of Terme Selce, who suggested 'the Pearl of Europe.' A pearl for sports, wellness and healthcare, I really liked that term. 

Croatia really has everything – resources, infrastructure, technology. All the components are in place, but it is still not easy for them to bring all the stakeholders together. 

You travel all over the medical tourism world. Where should Croatia be looking to learn from to improve its medical tourism industry? 

Every country gives us something different and beautiful to learn. So we have Malaysia, Thailand, Jordan, Turkey, some parts of India, how they have developed their industries. 

Malaysia has developed the best structure of how public and private hospitals should work together to develop the brand, activities and strategy. Having said that, Malaysia gets most of its patients from one country – neighbouring Indonesia – so it is not truly a global destination yet, but things are changing. 

Then we look at Turkey. Turkey has invested heavily and has major stakeholders such as Turkish Airlines. They have also had huge private investment. Turkey, by the way, has more patient to bed ratio than anywhere in the world. They have done a great job on promotion but you do not see the internal conflicts as there is no body which deals with everything, as you have in Malaysia. So Malaysia is a great example of one central body, but Turkey has some great promotional activities, as well as much bigger investment. 

Then you look at Jordan, and see how well the private hospital association is working. They are very strong, and they are defining the prices. Jordan is also very well-known for bringing all its talent back to the country. Most of the medical professionals who study abroad return home to practice. 

So I think we have separate things to learn from different countries. From Thailand we can learn about managing the political and diplomatic relationships, for example. They have a lot of business through the diplomatic embassies. And then look at Mexico, which has built an entire industry servicing the American market. It is a great example of building an industry based on the target market. So I don't think there is one destination which gives all the answers but there are many bits to cherry-pick from different destinations. 

How strong is the brand of Croatia as a medical tourism destination within the industry? I was in Kuala Lumpur recently and the brand of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council is just so focused. It is fantastic. And then here you have the excellent Kvarner Health Cluster, Losinj, Island of Vitality, Zagreb, even Bagatin Clinic on its own at various international fairs, but rarely under the umbrella of Croatia. 

Yes, this is a very big issue which Croatia needs to address. If you look at Malaysia, they have built a one-brand name. Having a different cluster under one brand name might be a beautiful idea, but having a different brand and promoting the two separately will not work or be good for Croatia. There is respect for Croatian medical excellence within the industry, but there is almost no brand recognition of Croatia as of now. So while the respect is there, the popularity, usability and reachability are not. 

Because of the lack of visibility, Croatia is missing out on some of its potential target markets. I see very little activity here from the Gulf, for example, which is a US$ 5 billion industry, much of which is spent in Europe. 

This idea of regional clusters could work, but only under a national Croatian umbrella. 

So how visible is Croatia at the main international medical tourism fairs?

There is very little visibility from the Croatian government side. There are private clinics, in particular Bagatin Clinic, which is very visible in many conferences and fairs. The Croatian government should do more PPP projects, as was done in places like Turkey. There they took 10-15 clinics and hospitals and took them to participate in fairs. This is something I have not seen much of from Croatia. There are some segmented examples, but nothing coordinated. 

Speaking of Bagatin Clinic, CEO Ognjen Bagatin recently announced that his clinic was hosting the first ever patient experience conference in Europe, in Dubrovnik in March, including presentation from Cleveland Clinic. One private clinic doing so much for the national industry. What are your thoughts?

Not only that but Bagatin Clinic has put so much investment into capacity building, improving their own team and others around them, as well as bringing the patient experience conference to Dubrovnik with Cleveland Clinic involved. It clearly shows that a private clinic can bring so much value to the brand of Croatia. They have won so many awards, not only in the marketing. I have personally visited their clinic and it is excellent on all levels. The quality, the focus, the design – it is all incredible. That could be a beautiful case study for other private hospitals and clinics.

You can connect with Dr Prem Jagyasi via his website.

To learn more about the Adriatic Health, Sport and Tourism Investment Forum, click here.

To learn more about the forum organisers, including their other initiatives to develop medical tourism in the Adriatic, visit the Medical Group Ltd website. 

To follow the latest from the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 23, 2019 - The men’s and women’s Croatia handball teams hit the court at Arena Zagreb on Wednesday for a friendly against Germany. The women's side drew, while the men's battle saw Germany win 25:26.

The female side was the first to play on Thursday, which resulted in a 21:21 draw against Germany.

This is a great result for Croatia, who was without their players from abroad and Podravka, and with seven debutants.

Croatia trailed behind Germany for most of the game - however, 45 seconds before the end, Kristina Prkacin scored the equalizing goal. Germany was unable to score until the end and the women’s Croatia handball side recorded an excellent result in their first appearance at the Arena.

The heroine of the game was goalkeeper Tea Pijevic who booked 15 saves. Four goals were scored by Dora Kalaus and Ivana Dežić, while Andrea Simara was 3/3. The best for Germany was Emily Bolk with five goals.

Recall, coach Nenad Sostaric is using this test match to prepare for EURO 2020 qualifications. 

The men's side met Germany directly after the women's teams drew. In a close battle, it was Germany to finish on top 25:26. 

After a draw in the first half, Germany led 16:20 in the second, though Lino Cervar’s side found a way back into the game. In the last attack, Croatia had a chance to equalize, but Sebetic failed to score.

Vlado Matanovic led Croatia with five goals, while Luka Stepancic and David Mandic each scored four. Sego recorded nine saves in goal. Tobias Reichman scored five goals to be the best for Germany. 

Recall, the men’s handball side is preparing for the European Championships, which begins on January 9, 2020, and is played in three countries - Austria, Norway, and Sweden. Croatia is in Group A to be played in Graz, along with Belarus, Montenegro, and Serbia.

Both Croatia handball teams head to Hanover for a rematch in three days. 

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

October 22, 2019 - Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk met in the third round of Champions League Group C on Tuesday in Kharkiv as one of the key matches for the Croatian champion in the prestigious European competition this season. The winner would open the doors to the round of 16. 

Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica had minor problems with player injuries on Tuesday. However, captain Ademi started from the first minute, while Petkovic started on the bench with Gavranovic in his place. The Croatian champion played in a 5-4-1 formation with three stoppers, and Olmo and Orsic playing the wings.

Shakhtar came out attacking from the start, with a dangerous play in Dinamo’s box within the first minute. However, it didn’t take long for the Zagreb side to find their form, maintain possession and move for the attack. Dinamo did, however, commit four fouls by the 10th minute, with Stojanović booked for a yellow. 

Shakhtar picked up their attacking game again with another dangerous play in the 13th minute, which was cleared out by Dinamo’s defense for a corner. While they were unlucky then, Shakhtar finally had their chance in the 16th minute for 1:0. 

Conceding the goal seemed to be the wake-up call the Zagreb side needed, who continued to press in Shakhtar’s half for the following five minutes. After Gavranovic failed to finish in the box, Orsic took the ball down the left wing to find the boot of Spanish wonder kid Dani Olmo for the equalizer. The game was 1:1 in the 24th minute. 

Both sides had chances in the minutes that follow as the intensity of the game increased. The game was equal, though Shakhtar maintained slightly better possession (55%). 

Dinamo opened the second half with a stellar chance in the 49th minute when Olmo hit the crossbar. Shakhtar’s defense had to save their goal from Olmo yet again in the 55th. Moments later, a penalty was awarded to Dinamo, which Orsic scored for 1:2. 

Shakhtar had an epic chance to make it 2:2 in the 65th minute, but Moraes just missed. In the 75th minute, however, Shakhtar’s Dodo equalized for 2:2. 

Olmo was unlucky in the final minute of regulation time and the game ended 2:2. 

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

October 22, 2019 - TCN caught up with the CEO of KSW, Martin Lewandowski, about the upcoming MMA spectacle at the Zagreb Arena on November 9, 2019. 

To begin, can you tell our readers a bit about KSW as an organization?

We launched KSW in 2004, starting with a really small event in front of just 300 people. Over the past fifteen years, we've grown to become the biggest MMA promotion in Europe and one of the world's leading promotions. In 2017, we staged KSW 39 at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland. This event drew an attendance of 57,766 people and became the biggest MMA event ever in Europe and the second biggest MMA event of all-time, behind an old Japanese event and larger than any UFC event ever.

Primarily we are a Polish-based promotion, but in recent years, we began our expansion more into Europe. We've had three successful events in London, Englan, a fantastic event in Dublin, Ireland, and now we are coming to Croatia for the first time on November 9th with KSW 51. I'd say it is safe to say we are moving to become a European MMA promotion now rather than just a Polish MMA promotion. Although since the early days of KSW, we've had fighters from all over the globe compete for us.

KSW will be coming to Zagreb for the first time next month - what can we expect from this event?

What makes KSW so unique is that we don't just promote fights; our event as a whole is a spectacle. From the production to the music to the lights and our famous opening ceremony, a KSW event is like no other. You add all this on top of high-quality fights from the start of the card right until the end, and you have an unforgettable night. We treat each event like it is a night at the theatre or the movies for fans. People attend these from start to finish and they are entertained throughout.

Lewandowski with Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic

What was it about Zagreb that enticed you to host the KSW MMA event there in November?

Everything just fell into place perfectly for this event. We have great support already in Zagreb and the Mayor of the City Milan Bandic has been very welcoming to KSW.
There is a huge gap in the market here in Croatia as there is no promotion regularly staging large scale events here. It is a nation with a rich & impressive history in martial arts & combat sports and, much like Poland, this region has been forged through hard times in the past. It reminds me so much of Poland. MMA is already an accepted and much-loved sport here.

In regards to putting an event on in November, it just seemed right for us. It was one of the months which was open for us and we were actively seeking to stage an event then. I had been looking at the Balkan market closely for a while already - looking at other cities, investing in Balkan fighters - and after speaking with Croatian manager Ivan Dijakovic for hours about doing a KSW in Zagreb, we saw an opportunity to come in and take over the city for one night.

Roberto Soldic

What can you tell us about the MMA fighters on the card for Zagreb?

Well, the main event is a huge heavyweight clash between five-time world's strongest man Mariusz Pudzianowski and social media star & bodybuilder Erko Jun of Bosnia. Both men are big stars worldwide. The co-main event is former KSW champ Borys Mankowski, who is one of our most popular fighters in Poland, versus Vaso 'The Psychopath' Bakocevic, one of the Balkans' most entertaining and popular fighters & personalities.

Croatia is well represented on the card. Dubrovnik's Antun Racic has a chance to make history and become the first-ever KSW bantamweight champion when he faces Poland's Damian Stasiak. Undefeated light heavyweight Ivan Erslan will make his KSW debut, the exciting Filip Pejic and Aleksandar Rakas are also on the card. On Wednesday, we just announced that Croatia's top heavyweight Ante Delija will face Bosnia's Denis Stojnic in what is arguably the biggest ever heavyweight fight between two fighters from the Balkans.

Where do you see MMA in the Croatian sporting landscape?

In the overall landscape, I think it has fallen back a bit. It is obviously a very popular sport in Croatia, KSW has a great fanbase here. However, when you haven't got a regular promotion to follow locally, which constantly uses local fighters and stages major events, then the sport will take a back seat to all the other major sports.

One of the biggest Croatian stars is Mirko Cro Cop. He still ranks very highly amongst stars from all sports not just kickboxing or MMA. The majority of other countries don't have this, they have icons from other sports like soccer, tennis, golf etc., so when you have a hero from a particular sport who is so universally known, then this gives you an indication of the popularity or potential popularity of MMA.

Where does Croatia currently rank in the MMA world? What Croatian fighters should we be keeping an eye on for the future?

I think Croatia is an emerging nation once again for MMA. In the past, we've had Croatian fighters like Goran Reljic, who was KSW light heavyweight champion, and Igor Pokrajac compete for us. Obviously, Mirko Cro Cop has arguably been the best fighter this country has produced and there hasn't been anyone who has recreated his success since, but looking at the current crop of fighters coming through, I think the future is bright.

Antun Racic

KSW welterweight champion Roberto Soldic is easily one of the top prospects in the whole sport. It is worth keeping an eye on Ivan Erslan and Filip Pejic; both will be competing at KSW 51, they are so exciting and have all the potential in the world. Then you also have experienced pros Antun Racic and Ante Delija, who are currently among the best in the world in their respective divisions.

And I also believe Croatia can half-claim Stipe Miocic as their own, haha. He is a phenomenal fighter and a great champion in the UFC.

What potential is there to grow the sport in Croatia? What advice would you have on how to accomplish this?

There is a lot of potential here to grow the sport more in Croatia and throughout the Balkans. As I said before, there is a rich history for the sport in this region and already there is widespread acceptance. It is actually one of my personal goals to help the sport grow by staging a yearly marquee KSW event here and to continue to provide a platform for Croatian fighters to compete on.

On the regional level, the only advice I can give is to urge people to support local fighter and local events. There is huge emerging pool of fighters from all over the country and they need support to grow.

Filip Pejic

Any closing words?

I look forward to bringing KSW to the beautiful country of Croatia for the very first time, and I hope to see you all these on November 9. Let’s make the first KSW event a historical event that makes the whole Balkans talk about KSW!

More information on KSW 51 can be found here. 

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

October 21, 2019 - In the third round of the Champions League group stage, Dinamo Zagreb will take on Shakhtar Donetsk away at Kharkiv's OSK Metalist Stadion. This will be the first time these two sides have met in a European competition for a decade. The last time they faced each other, the Ukranian side was victorious in both games. 

In 2008, in the final qualifying stage for the group phase of the Champions League, the Ukrainian side triumphed 2-0 in the Donetsk first leg, before a 3-1 success in Zagreb. Back then, Mario Mandžukić, Dejan Lovren, Milan Badelj, and even Igor Bišćan were part of the Dinamo team while Shakhtar was represented by a strong team with the likes of Willian, Fernandinho and Luiz Adriano. In the first leg, Shakhtar already took the lead in the third minute of the game when former Croatia captain and now an assistant coach in the Ukranian club, Darijo Srna, converted the free-kick. The home side doubled the lead through Brazilian Jádson later in the second half. 

In the capital of Croatia, Dinamo struggled again as Brazilian trio Luiz Adriano, Brandão and Willian all scored. After being eliminated from the Champions League, Dinamo managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The Croatian side progressed to the group stages of the competition through Slavia Prague, after drawing both games, the first leg at home 0-0, but then qualified through away goals after drawing 3-3 in the Czech Republic. Dinamo was eliminated from the competition after finishing at the bottom of their group, while on the other side, Shakhtar was third in theirs, meaning that they played the UEFA Cup, which they then actually won that season. 

These two sides also played two friendly games in the last three years; the last being played in January 2018 when Dinamo won 1-0 as part of their pre-season. On Tuesday, Shakhtar will be considered favorites despite losing to Manchester City in the first round. The Donetsk club has been defeated in only three of their last 19 home matches in Europe, although they haven’t won any of the last five. 

On the other side, the 2-0 loss against Manchester City in the last round was Dinamo's 13th successive away defeat in the Champions League group stage, since a 2-2 draw at Marseille in November 1999. Furthermore, they have never beaten a Ukrainian opposition in a UEFA competition, home or away. 

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

October 21, 2019 - The 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Investment Forum kicked off at Hotel Westin in Zagreb with a very high-profile audience on Day 1. 

As renowned medical tourism speaker Dr. Prem Jagyasi put it as he moderated one of the panels on the first day of the Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Investment Forum in Zagreb:

"I have been to 65 countries and spoken at countless health tourism conferences, but this is the only one which combines health tourism with investment. That is what makes it unique."

It seems that Dr.Prem, one of a number of highly respected international medical tourism speakers at the event, was not alone. The turnout of local dignitaries was no less impressive. Both Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli and Minister of Health Milan Kujundzic gave introductory speeches, and there was representation from no less than 16 foreign embassies in Zagreb. 

Some of the top names in Croatian medical tourism were also on the speaker list, including Vlasta Brozicevic, the industry pioneer behind Teme Selce, pictured here with Dr Prem, TCN and conference organiser, Dr Miljenko Bura. 

Two things which sets this conference apart from other medical tourism conferences in Croatia is that focus on investment, as well as examples of best practices and experiences from other countries in the region. Magdalena Rutkowska's presentation on the success of Medical Tourism Partner Poland's success in using EU funds in developing Poland's medical tourism story resonated strongly, as Croatia looks to take advantage of its own considerable medical tourism potential.

And there were presentations of concrete projects either in the planning stages or ready for investors.  Among them, Jeff Blackard's 500-million-euro Pasman Rivijera project on the island of Pasman, which will transform wellness tourism in Croatia if it is realised. 

There were plenty of other concrete projects ready to go and looking for investors, such as this one on Pag. 

But the main investment focus was on the city of Sibenik, the main sponsor of the forum, and Sibenik Mayor Zeljko Buric, another high-profile speaker, who gave an intelligent and eloquent overview of the investment opportunities for his city. 

The 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Investment Forum concludes tomorrow with another day of presentations, panels and workshops. Keeping in tune with the high-level interest so far, among the speakers will be Croatian sporting legends Davor Suker and Marin Cilic. 

To learn more about the forum, click here. 

To learn more about the organisers, including their other initiatives to develop medical tourism in the Adriatic, visit the Medical Group Ltd website. 

To follow the latest from the Croatian medical tourism industry, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 21, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Dubrovnik and Zagreb. 

Avio Radar reports that Turkish airline Freebird Airlines began a winter charter service from Dubrovnik to various cities in Europe, which started on September 30. One Airbus a320 aircraft is based in Dubrovnik and has two charter routes each day to various destinations in Europe, including Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin (Shonefeld), Billund, Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Hanover, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Leipzig, Munich, Oslo (Gardermoen), Rotterdam, Stockholm (Arlanda), and Stuttgart. 

The charter lines are organized by the travel agency RSD Reisen. Last year, Greek charter carrier Aegean Airlines flew on these lines, and before them was Turkish Corendon Airlines. 

Freebird Airlines began operating in 2000 with its main operating base at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Currently, an Airbus A320 aircraft, registered TC-FBR, is based in Dubrovnik. It was produced in 2005 for the Indian airline Air Deccan. Following the collapse of the Indian carrier in 2009, it was taken over by the current Turkish carrier. Freebird has 10 Airbus A320 aircraft in its fleet. One Airbus A320 is registered with its Maltese subsidiary, Freebird Airlines Europe, which allows the Turkish airline to fly charter flights to destinations within the European Union. 

In other flight news, Avio Radar reports that Flydubai has further reduced winter traffic on the Dubai-Zagreb line. While traffic has already been reduced from seven to five flights per week, it has now been decreased to four fights per week. The route will be in service on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

During the Christmas and New Year holidays, the line will be increased to six flights per week. This line operates in conjunction with Emirates, which runs daily summer flights on the Boeing 777-300, while Flydibai takes the winter period. 

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

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.

October 20, 2019 - Croatian water polo clubs Jug, Jadran, and Mladost played their second-round LEN Champions League games over the weekend. 

HRT reports that Jug AO registered their second win in the second round of Group A after topping Spain's Barceloneta 13-15 (2-4, 3-3, 6-3, 4-3) in Dubrovnik. Paulo Obradovic was massive for Jug with six goals. 

Barceloneta led 3-2 two minutes before the end of the first quarter and held the lead for a long time - and on two occasions, they were up by three goals. But in the third quarter, Jug scored six consecutive goals, coming from 5-8 to an 11-8 lead.

Barceloneta scored two goals in the last minute of the third quarter and Jug entered the final quarter with a minimal lead of 11-10. A minute and a half into the last quarter, goals by Paul Obradovic and Loren Fatovic pushed Jug to 13-10, and by the end of the match, Jug’s victory was no longer in question.

Paulo Obradovic was the best for Jug with six goals, while Loren Fatovic scored three. Alvaro Ortega led Barceloneta with four goals.

The second Croatian representative in Group A, Jadran Split, won their first point against Berlin club Spandau 04 with a 12-12 (4-5, 2-3, 4-3, 2-1) result in Split.

At no point in the game did the Jadran have an advantage. The German side also led by three goals during the second and third quarters - and Jadran’s first equalizer only came thanks to Buric's goal for 11-11 in the middle of the final quarter. 

Spandau led again, though Buric equalized with a goal with just over 3 minutes to go to make it 12-12. By the end of the match, both teams missed several chances to win, the last of which was Jadran’s Butic, though his last-second shot was defended by Spandau's goalkeeper.

Zvonimir Butic scored three goals for Jadran, with two added by Rino Burić, Nathan Power, and Antonio Dužević. Tiberiu Negrean was the best for Spandau with four goals.

After two rounds in Group A, Jug, the Olympiacos, and Szolnoki have the maximum six points.

Mladost met Dinamo Tbilisi 21:11 (8: 2, 3: 1, 6: 4, 4: 4) in the 2nd round of the Champions League Group B on Saturday in Zagreb.

Cosmin Radu was the best for Mladost with five goals, while Lovre Milos, Josip Vrlic, Milos Cuk, and Konstantin Kharkov each scored three.

Zagreb-born Marko Jelaca was the best for Dinamo with four goals.

Recall, Mladost lost to OSC in Budapest at the start of the Champions League 10:13. 

In Group B, Ferencvaros leads with six points, while Mladost, Pro Recco, Terrassa, and OSC Budapest have three, though Mladost has one match more. 

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