CSR’s newest reporter, Rozalija Kučko, brings us post-game press conferences after the Dinamo-Hajduk first leg Croatian Cup semifinal match this past Wednesday at Maksimir. Hajduk manager, Stanko Poklepović, appears to be quite the character.
Here are the results for March 27th…
Hajduk Split [ 2-0 ] Varteks Varaždin
Hajduk is somewhat back on track after a poor showing against Varteks in Split. The Bili lost last weekend to Lokomotiva and managed a draw to Dinamo this past Wednesday in the Croatian Cup semifinals. If you watch the games chances below, you will see why Hajduk has been struggling- there is absolutely no finishing inside the box. But will a Croatian Cup championship be the only way Hajduk gets back into Europa League?
Dinamo Zagreb [ 3-1 ] Inter Zaprešić
Mario Mandžukić scored two early goals for Dinamo as they trumped Inter 3-1. How many more goals will Mandza be able to score in a Dinamo shirt though? He’s most certainly leaving this summer with English club Everton being the hottest rumor recently.
Cibalia Vinkovci [ 1-0 ] NK Zagreb
HNK Šibenik [0 – 0] NK Lokomotiva
Međimurje [1 – 1] Slaven Belupo
NK Istra 1961 [1 – 3] NK Osijek
Croatia Sesvete [1 – 2] NK Zadar
Karlovac [2 – 0] NK Rijeka
HNL TABLE THROUGH 22 MATCHES
Stadium would be only part of the problem. We did not get Euro 2012 for a bunch of reasons; stadium, roads, hotels, infrastructure.
Outside of ZG, none of the other cities in Cro have enough 4and 5-star hotels. Public transportation is a mess, etc..
Ah, I see. Needless to say, the poor state of the stadiums makes it even less likely that Croatia will host the European Championships anytime soon.
I was indeed talking about the current state of the stadiums. I know it will never happen, but most of these stadiums should be forced to close and only alllowed to re-open once they are fixed. They are all a mess.
How Zadar was allowed to have a concrete wall that close to the touchline is puzzling. I've actually played on the field, the grass is in great shape, but everything else about Stanovi is a disaster; from the locker rooms to conrete walls near the sidelines.
Re: Tom
He might be talking about the fact that the stadiums are a dump and some of them like Zadar's are or were damn right dangerous.
Ziva,
Just curious. What did you mean when you said the Croatian league should "enforce code violations at the stadiums?"
Do you mean they should take the real fans out of the game, e.g. the hardcore fans, and make it family-friendly?
They probably do make more money abroad, but many many Croatian players take months out the game scrambling for a new club when nobody really wants them. Some of these experienced guys for example like Mario Mijatovic, Dario Zahora, Tomislav Busic, Igor Novakovic have no future abroad. They can give something to the Croatian league and make it more competitive, but instead that just wanna sit on there rs doing nothing. We've already seen through guys like Davor Vugrinec and Nino Bule that players can be revived in the Croatian league, but some of these players just seem to lose the love of playing football. There whole careers start to become about either picking up just any contract they can get or holding out for a compensation package (which is basically what Stjepan Poljak has done for the whole year even though Rijeka and Belupo want him).
That type of stuff is not healthy and if we look at a percentage of Croatian footballers there is a lot of them doing this kind of thing. It even effects the national team cos guys like Jerko Leko do it. Regardless of how good or bad they are as players they natural deteriate in standard by sitting in the stands for months and sometimes years.
There is so many things wrong with the Croatian game and this is one of them as well.
All those guys you just mentioned can make more money playing outside of Croatia than they can inside of Croatia. Its a no-brainer. Why come back to a country that has clubs that don't pay their players regularly. It makes no sense. They only time they should come back to Croatia is when nobody else wants them and the croatian league is the only place they can make some cash. (somewhere Biscan and Robert Kovac are shaking their heads).
I am willing to bet all the players you listed make much more with their current clubs than they would by playing in the Cro league.
Lets use Rukavina as an example. He is making about 7-8 times more in greece what he made at Hajduk. Even if he is not playing, he will still view a move back to Croatia as a step backwards and in a way be admitting he failed.
As for solutions……there really are not that many. What ever you do to fix the league might lead to some players getting a chance and being discovered, but as soon as any players shows something he will be sold. If I am a 20-year old player and a 2nd division Bundesliga team comes knocking on my door willing to pay me 2-10 times more than I am making in the cro league, you better beleive I am packing my bags.
solutions….league should be 8-12 teams, probably between 8-10. enforce code violations at the stadiums, a limit on the number of foreign players at each club. Face it, cro clubs will never compete on the european stage, doing this allows the young kids a chance to show if they have talent or if they have nothing. Instead of sitting and doing nothing behind players that dont produce (example…dinamo's greek) this gives them a small chance to showcase themselves.
Croatia will always have players, but we will never see a croatian club team with continued success in european competition in the future.
Again, its all about the money. Hell, I would love to live in croatia the entire year, but I dont because I can make more money here in the US and make my 2-3 visits during the year. Same thing with these players.
Well what i wanna know is does the guy have any answers or is he just a moaning moron?
Anyone could have said this. He deserves no credit for anything he said. How about that defeat to Lokomotiva Poklepovic? I don't believe Hajduk have beaten anyone decent under him so far.
they beat a bunch of out of form sides – so what?
There is nothing wrong with the guys who have to move on to better clubs like Josip Knezevic, Kalinic etc. That's fine and clubs need to do it to gain money, but whats with all the prats who just linger in nothingness at clubs abroad. That doesn't help Croatian football. I'll list a load off the top of my head..
Marko Maric – Skoda Xanthi
Ivan Bosnjak – Free
Zvonimir Deranja – Free
Hjorve Vukovic – Free
Mario Mijatovic – Free
Marko Babic – Real Zaragoza
Ante Rukavina – Panathanaikos
Zlatko Runje – Free
Stjepan Poljak – Eskirespor
Ante Kulusic – Genclerbirigli
Dario Smoje – Free
Ivan Novakovic – Free
Dario Dabac – Free
Denis Glavina – Poltava
Dario Zahora – Rosenborg
Ante Tomic – Dinamo
Tomislav Busic – Isreal
Leon Benko – Kortrijk
Hajduk Split:
Marijan Buljat
Ivo Smoje
Duje Cop
Kreso Ljubicic
Ante Aracic
Dario Jertec
Mladen Pelaic
Hjorve Vejic
Ante Seric
Ivan Rodic
Year in year out there is so much Croatian wastage and players spending time inactive that this is another thing that does not help Croatian football one bit.
If players realised there what there standard is and used the Croatian league a lot more it may help as well.
We all know the answers to this.
Poklepovic has always been opionated and he is always a short term solution for Hajduk when they need a coach. They either turn to him of Vulic.
Nothing will change in the league long-term. It will still be controlled by people only interested in their own interests and not the interests of the league or croatian soccer. Once a player shows any sign of potential he will want to leave and his agent and family will want him to leave.
You might not like the current state of the HNL, but this is as good as it will be.
RE: Spaco
I couldn't agree more Ante.
Now, the question is, will the dumbasses at Hajduk recognize they have a good thing and hold on to him? Or will they continue to go through three managers a year?
I have to add my opinion about Stanko Poklepovic, herein referred to as Spaco.
All I can say is HVALA BOGU! I'll leave my Dinamo persona to the side on this one.
I know HNL probably wont change but seing this old-school Dalmatinac come in and start pointing the finger and telling people how bad Croatian soccer is, is hillarious. I love the guy!
It's official: dude is legit. Spaco legendo, samo tako nastavi!
I can't wait to hear what he says next.
Re: Ante BBB
Karlovac and Cibalia. Really really solid seasons they've had. Lokomotiva been excellant as well.
With Sibenik they've been a little unsettled by the nonsense with Zec. If they move Zec on and bring back Rodic they'll be less friction around the club.
Belupo and Rijeka might as well go on hols. Belupo might have had a season to talk about if Vrucina stayed, but they've got nobody to replace him so they might as well close the curtains on there season. Rijeka as well – made crap signings in the summer and without Sharbini's there struggling. Rijeka and Belupo have to start again next year.
Osijek has been good for providing a couple more decent Croatian players on to the scene. I think Domogoj Vida, Vedran Jugovic have a future in the game and Josip Knezevic has started well with Amkar Perm in Russia. He could be a guy to look out for.
with the Croatian league i'm more interested by the relegation zone than the top. I think Cibalia look good for second. Hajduk have their work cut out for third with Lokomotiva and Karlovac still winning and I expect Osijek and Sibenik to have another spurt. Hajduk need to pick off the likes of Varteks, Sesvete, Zapresic, Medimurje to get their points as not every ground will be easy for them.
Re: Ziva
Yawn! Pretty boring prediction that. Not sure why you even bothered saying it. With Dinamo it depends. If your asking me if this line up can do something in Europe, i'd say No, but it has improved since start of the season by moving out Carlos, Sivonjic, Suarez, Papa, Glavina in one big swoop.
However it depends who they sign. I'm expecting Kovac, Badelj, Mandzukic, Tomic, Suarez, Chago and maybe Primorac to leave. Everyone else to stay. That gives us a fair amount of cash.
If we bought Vida, Babic, Banovic (to replace Badelj) and Zec or Cesarec to replace Mandzo and swapped Slepicka for Keric that may give us a better chance of pushing further. If we did something like that then i wouldn't have your attitude.
If we signed guys who can't even play in Croatia like Papa, Pandza, Suarez or Villa though we're going nowhere. I think we should have the finances to sign solid guys.
Our aim is Europa Liga knock out stage and another league title. If we qualify for Champions league – great.
As for Hajduk – you can keep your prediction for them. This is what i predict for them – sell 1 – Ibricic, 2 – Strinic, 3 – Pandza, 4 release Skoko and if Reja is still with Lazio he may do them a favor by buying Ticinovic for decent money.
They will also have to release a load with the money they recieve, leaving them with largely the same side that started the season with maybe a couple of signings here and there and only after December 2010 will they be able to move their club forward built on young guys like Oremus, Maloca, Vukusic and Livaja.
Sweetheart,
Pretty perverted way of thinking that I'm eying Hajduk. I was watching the Karlovac-Rijeka game and figured you needed to update the table. To be completely honest, Karlovac is beginning to grow on me. But don't get me wrong, the lower down the table Hajduk is, the better. Dinamo will still win the Championship.
ps. happy hangover.
I agree the manager "tells it like it is". Refreshing.
you gotta love the new hajduk manager's comments. classic.
Here is a prediction…. Hajduk will still climb the table and make into the qualifying rounds of the europa league and then proceed to crap themselves…. Dinamo will win the league and then also proceed to crap themselves in champions league qualifying….. History repeats itself my friends.
Everything is now updated. I left the house for lunch before the Rijeka-Karlovac game was over so there wasn't an updated table. You were correct though.
I like how you're keeping an eye on Hajduk. You're not worried, are you?
Does this table include the Karlovac Rijeka game? I think Karlovac has been bumped up to 4th with Hajduk back down at 5th with today's victory.