PART 6
Season 2023/24
As the champions we are directly qualified for Champions League and with money earned from some transfers and reaching semi-finals of Europa Leauge we are abel to make a some moves in summer transfer window.
First players who left the club:
-Mijo Caktas- left the club on free, he was 30+ years old in that time and wanted much bigger contract and for me that was unacceptable because i have in team 17 year old wonderkind Grgic on his position.
Than Steliano Filip LB also 30yo left on free and Adam Gyurcso also left on free.
RB Fran Karacic left the club and moved to Huddersfield.
Near the end of the transfer window 3 more players left the club Marcu moved to RB Leipzig, Marko Kamenar young Winger moved to SL Benfica and Inigo Cordoba left the club and moved to Espanyol.
And Nikola Kalinic retiered at the end of the last season, at least he won Championship at the end of his careere with his team where he started his careere.
Players who join pur club:
-First big transfer was joining Edin Dzeko on free, yes he is 36yo but he can make big contriutin to this young squad.
-Than we brought on loan Ante Coric (AM,CM) and in his contract he had also buy fee, and Brasilian CB on loan 20yo Raffael Alana.
-Young 17yo Croatian Winger Vratovic.
-For rhe Full back positions: on the left back is brought Petar Bockaj and on the RB Tin Hrvoj on loan from Roma with buy fee option.
-On CB is also brought U21 Italy player Lora, young and perpective.
-Also young CB is brought from Osijek but he is left on loan in Osijek for one more season.
-At the end of transfer window in club is brought young Czech International player Radek Halas.
The first problem was with Marcus Vinicius who didn't want new contract bt eventually he signed new contract and than we start with preseason.
Preseason was very good, couple of hard oponents.
Starting lineup looked like this: GK Prskalo LB Bradaric CB Kulusic CB M. Vinicius RB Luiz DM Nejasmic (Halas) BBM T. Basic AP Balic AM Grgic STL Butic STR Kukovec (4-4-2 DM Diamond). With substitutions on each position. Back up players (they are not back up players but they are in rotation because of hard season they all have big contribution) GK Kovac CB's Allan and Lora RB Hrvoj LB Bockaj and Strinic DM Halas CM's Ivanusec, Hamza Barry and Ante Coric on AM Ante Coric and Ivanusec, ST's Dzeko, Mollejo and Wingers Vuk and Ismet Alic.
Season started very good with 5W and 1D in first 6 games in the league only draw was against NK Sibenik (who is my dark horse for the whole game).
Very important victory on Dinamo before international breake 3-2 in Zagreb. And at this point we draw a group for Champions League and it was Man United, Napoli, Shakhtar and Hajduk. Very tough groupe.
First game after breake was against Osijek and we draw that game it was played away. After that the game against Man. United away and we started in 4-2-3-1 formation but it did not looked very well. United played in 5-2-3 formation and made big troubles and scored in first half so on HT it was 1-0 for them and i decided on half time to change formation in 4-4-2 DM Diamond and we have iniciative and in 70th minute in game comes Edin Dzeko and in 80th minute he scored for 1-1. Ent the game ended with 1-1, Napoli Shakhtar alos played 2-2.
At this moment i saw we can make trough this groupe.
After United we beat Rijeka at home 4-2.
Next Champions League game was with Shakhtar at home and we led through the whole game but they always scored an eaquliaser at the end of the bot halfs and we played 2-2.
In league we continoue with W and next round was Napoli at home, we destroyed them, they had no chance we beat them 2-0.
Then new derby against Dinamo but this time in Croatian Cup in 2nd round and we beat them 2-1.
Then we beat Sibenik and we are going to Napul to play against Napoli, we are much better opponent and we made so many chances but their GK had terrific night and in 88th minute it is penalty for us with this goal and W we are 95% through in this stage of group and Dzeko took the ball but Napoli GK save it and it is 0-0. Good result but not good enogh so in the league Dragovoljac conceded 7 goals against us in next round.
After that United at Poljud. They score in 1st half, we are much better they had few chances and in the 2nd half we start very aggresive and in 65th minute Balic fall down in 16 meters box and it's penalty, Dzeko take the ball but De Gea save it and we had few chances but De Gea had perfect night and we lost 1-0, but result from next game was good for us and we are through the group as 2nd team.
Next couple of games was not good for us we lost next 2 and draw 1 only vicotry comes in Cup 1/4 finals befor winter breake. We lost at Shakhtar at the last game in group stage of Champions League.
Winter transfer window
We bought ST Ryan Cassidy, Czech wonderkind AM Jiri Svec 18yo, perpective 17yo Croatian striker from Zadar Ante Kovac, and 18yo Brasilian CM Pauo Henrique.
The club left Ismet Alic for 6 mil € (bought only for 100k€ from Lokomotiva)
2nd part of the season
We were placed in 1st knockout round against Hoffenheim 1s game will be in Split at Poljud, 2nd will be away.
But first we have games in home championship.
We beat Varazdin, Gorica and Inter Zapresic in Croatian League without conceding a goal. And than 1st game of knockout stage at home against Hofenheim. It was a very hard game with a chances from both sides but we take a win 3-0.
Than in league more and more victories, we did not lose a single game in February and more important we did not concede a goal.
March brought us first game against Dinamo in Zagreb at Maksimir and we beat them 1-0 before we leave Croatia for away game against Hoffenheim.
And in away game we scored in 1st half Karlo Butic scored for 1-0 and we played after that defensively and they attacked but they need to score 5 goals and eventually they score bur that was all the way at the end, We are through the 1st knockout round with 4-1(3-0;1-1).
Next opponent will be again from Germany, reining champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 1st game Split, 2nd game in Germany in Leverkusen.
In the league 3 hard games and 3 big W against Osijek, Lokomotiva and Rijeka.
Than couple of more W and it comes that day Champions LEague 1/4 finals leg 1 at Poljud. My scouts made a great scouting and the biggist problem in their game was their Full Backs and my tactic was to play through the middle because i have superior in middle and that my FB overrun all the time and ti become even easier when LB Wendell make a foul for red card in 1st minute. Andrija Balic scored for the 1-0 in 6th minute, we are much better Bradaric and Luiz make so many problems to their full backs but at the half time it is only 1-0 but HT talk make so big contribution and Balic scores one more time in 46th minute. In 57th minute Kukovec scores for 3-0 and in 59th minute M Vinicius scores for 4-0.
It's so unreal we are destroying German champion and last season Champions League semi finalist. In 77th minute 18yo Grgic scores for 5-0. But they score for 5-1 and game ended 5-1, we are one tiny step from the semi finals, in other 1/4 finals Barca was beaten 4-0 that was also so unexpectable.
In the league we beat Inter with '2nd' team because next week is against Bayer but away, we played very brave game against them Butic missed some chances but we concede goal in 23th minute. They need 5 more goals but they will not score them, Prskalo (18yo GK) saved us in few chances and that was all from this leg we are trough we are in semi finals against Barcelona who make big comeback and beat them at home with 6-1 (it was PSG again ).
In the lauge no many changes we are going to take new championship, wnd in a row. Scouts are sent to scout Barcelona and they also have problems with full backs and concede goals from free kicks.
First we beat Dragovoljac and then lost against Dinamo, but against Dinamo it was not the best team played but we need to win this with or without the best players.
And than comes Barcelona at Poljud. Tactic for tem was play trough the middle, RB overrun all the time LB more defensive. Left side of the pitch was more defensive but right side was more for crativity and attacking as you can see from tactical graph (picture below).
[img]https://imgur.com/a/bcck2eS[/img]
Coric is in the middle with one reason make more balls for right back.
And the game started very well just i expected they attack over my felt side butt there is wall in the shape of Bradaric, Balic, Halas and Kulusic.
In 18th minute 18yo Czech player who can play on ST and this game play instead Kukovec who is injured scores for 1-0 on Fabio Luiz(RB) asist, unbeliable Hajduk is leading against Barcelona in semi finals. Stadium is on fire players play even better and in the 39th minute balic make asist for Butic and he scores for 2-0, even better. HT 2-0 for Hajduk, Barcelona is in knockdown we need to finish them and i tell my players just to continoue where they stopped.
And it contionus in the same way but this time Svec asist to Fabio Luiz for 3-0, Gaya is overrun. And in 89th minute Edin Dzeko scores for 4-0, 4-0, on Grgic's asist. What a game. We was unstopable. Tactic was perfect, players played perfect game.
In the league we beat Sibenik and than it comes the 2nd leg of semis, Barca need early goal and we know that they made comeback last round, but they won't this.
They score in first half for 1-0, we have also chances but Ter Stegen is terrific, he make saves on Butic. And we lost 1-0, Ter STegen is PoM and
WE ARE IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL, Hajduk is in champions league final.
We lost next game agains Osijek in the league but we can allready confirme title in Croatia in next fixtures.
The final will be against Chelsea in Moscow.
Hajduk is in Champions League final. Scouts are making reports about Chelsea, they beat Man City in semis.
We win Croatian Cup and last 2 games in the league and we confirmed title and that was good, we are warming for the final in Moscow at Luzniki.
Now Chelsea, my biggist game ever, i had never been befor in the champions league final. Tactic was to stop their wingers and focus on crosing and free kicks and work ball in box.
The final game comes. This was formation in finals. (Grgic got injury after final)
*in the final i watched the game with the room full of my friends from the flor in the dorm it was hectic in room also it was cheering through the whole game*
I was in my standard 4-4-2 DM DIamond.
The game started, Chelsea play in 4-2-3-1 and they make pressure on the start they have a chance from free kick but Prskalo saves it, after taht butic comes 1on1 with Kepa but Butic miss the whole goal, after that Chelsea attcak more and the miss also a very good chance from 16 meters and the HT is 0-0, in 2nd half we come in with courage but Coric and Butic are playing very bad and ther change was fast forward with the goal in 53th minute, Chelsea scores for 1-0, oh it's final i already think it's good do not be worry it's not bad if u lose, but i decided to change butic for Dzeko and Coric for Kukovec, Svec is moved to AP RCM position.
In 65th minute Grgic miss the 100% chance or better save Kepa save the 100% goal and it is corner for Hajduk and then Balic cross from the right, Svec comes to the near post and score a header for 1-1, unebeleviable i can not belive, we are celebrating in the room as we are playing for real. I want to make it to standard but friends tell me stay like that stay attacking and we are better we make chances, Chelsea can not make single pass, Balic is playing like Iniesta in his prime he is unstopable. And it's 86th minute it's out on the right side for Hajduk Luiz take ball back to game Svec pass to Kukovec and he give ball to Dzeko in the space, Dzeko shot from the 14 meters from the right side and Dzeko scores, Dzeko scores, Dzeko scores it's 2-1, 2-1 for Hajduk it's only left couple of minutes.
Atmosphere in the room was .....uh..... i press pasuse i can not come to my self i cannot believe this is not happening, we are leading in final. In 89th minute i make a change Grgic is out i put 5th CB Allan and last 6 minutes we had the ball and
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS WE WIN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Review will be next day...
See you!!