The Adriatic Adventure - FM11

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HAJDUK DROP FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON - 19.XII.2014.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 1-1 HNK OSIJEK FIRST DIVISION, POLJUD, SPLIT
A terrible referee, a cheap, early goal, and a small injury to Ante Vukuši? all contributed to Hajduk's first dropped points, as, instead of having a perfect record, after 20 games, they only have 19 wins and a draw. Osijek couldn't be happier, but Bendiš was reportedly fuming at his players, a site that is not pleasant, as he is so rarely upset with his prodigies for letting an easy win go to waste. It is to be noted that when Hajduk met Osijek at the season opener, Bendiš oversaw 6 goals from six different players as they completely dominated the norther team away from home.

This time though, Osijek played the lockdown, and quickly injured Hajduk's biggest threat. Ante Vukuši?, who is Hajduk's third best goalscorer, yet has a profound affect on the way Hajduk plays, was injured in the 7th minute, to be replaced by Jordan Ayew, who, although scores more goals, does not help out as much. Branko Vrgo? took advantage of the situation in the 26th minute, as a wild clearance led to an easy goal for the defender's first goal of the season. Frano Mlinar however, avoided embarrassment for the club, and scored a screamer only four minutes later.

While Hajduk dominated, having 20 shots to Osijek's 6, both Mili?evi? and Tacconi were playing nervously and missed crucial chances for an assist or a goal on three separate occasions, and by the time Jozinovi? got a red card for a violent foul (elbow) in the 86th, it was pretty much over for the team from the South.

Still... 58 points from 20 matches with a goal difference of +52... that's pretty good, right?

MEANWHILE... PLATINI IS JUMPY, HAJDUK GET LUCKY... IN MONACO
In Bendiš's and Platini's first meeting since their infamous squabble in Nyon, the man sporting the spectacularly crooked nose was very touch around the former center forward, as Bendiš jokingly flinched to scare the UEFA president.

And Platini got very scared... jumped halfway out of his pants on that one.

But, in any case, Platini and Bendiš hadn't come together because they were good old friends, but rather for the Champions League Draw, where Hajduk could have done a lot worse:

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Great FM story tbendis. Keep at it mate.

2013-01-23 08:48#78525 Tellak : Great FM story tbendis. Keep at it mate.

Dankeschön

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BENDIŠ DROPS DENMARK FOR U20 WORLD CUP WITH CROATIA - 10.II.2015.
Hajduk manager, and now-former Denmark manager, Timmy Bendiš has left the latter post after being offered the Croatia U20s position for the U20 World Cup. Bendiš has lead somewhat of a revolution as the Denmark coach, after leading the squad to a 1-1 draw with group favourites, Holland, and demolishing England in a friendly, 3-0. But, after yet another short stint, the manager, famed for his loyalty to club and country, has left the Scandinavians for the U20 World Cup in Jamaica.

Hoping to beat the reigning champions, Italy, who have Gianluca Tacconi as captain, Bendiš is keen to employ his famed 4-1-3-2 to get a few defensive, decisive victories out of the spectacle, and he has a wealth of players, lots of whom are at his own club, to choose from. The most notable is a Domagoj Markanovi?, who joined Hajduk from Zadar in 2013 for 120 000 €, and is now playing the occasional club fixture in the first team, after a successful stint on loan.

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In any case, Denmark look keen to employ the next successful manager, and, thanks to Bendiš, they have plenty to choose from. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ståle Solbakken are the U21 and U19 managers respectably, with Mauro Tassotti as the assistant manager so, a promotion from within could be likely. Bendiš, on the other hand, is definitely the highest profile manager going to Jamaica, and could look to pick up another U20s World Cup, similarly to his last stint in charge. The difference? The players in 2011 were better: Frano Mlinar, Denis Krklec, Matej Dela? and Ante Vukuši? were all on the team, so, who Bendiš looks to now is the big question.

HAJDUK CAP OFF SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER SEASON WITH COUP
Bendiš finally got rid of underperforming Adriano, sending him off to São Paolo with a minimal profit of 200K, selling him for 4.6 M €. It is fortunate that Bendiš got so much for the defender, but it marks a change in policy, as the manager looks much less likely to gamble in Brazil again, as it took him two big loan moves for the tall defender before he finally caught the attention of a buyer. Bendiš now has a profit of 4.5 M € in terms of transfers, with Adriano being both the most expensive to buy, and most expensive to sell for the young manager.

On the cheaper end of the spectrum, Mario Gavranovi? of Stuttgart has joined the Croatian champions. It looks like a bit of an experimental short term move, simply to garner Hajduk some extra income, but it could also mean the last games for Sandi Križman have already been played, as he is already on loan at Racing. With the Swiss/Croatian coming for free at the end of the season, Bendiš could look to use him as his back-up poacher, with Marko Livaja as Duje ?op's back-up target man. In any case, it is quite the move, and for Gavranovi?, some say, quite the risk, especially as he took a massive pay cut to join the Champions' League finalists

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Also for the U19s, Adriano Jorge Brito (Cape Verde, 18) has finally joined for 26 000 € on a already agreed transfer (Brito was 15 at the time), while Gilbert Vrancken joins from Belgian Genk for 120 000 €. Diego Rivero is the third prospect to join the Hajduk U19s, and has already played a few matches, after his transfer for 350 000 €.

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Figured I might post some pictures for you guys... haven't done it in a while

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MILI?EVI? HEROICS DOWN PALERMO IN SPLIT - 1.III.2015.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 3-2 U.S. CITTÁ DI PALERMO - UEFA CL KNOCKOUT STAGE - SPLIT
Ivan Mili?evi?, the natural right wing, but who has adapted to the left wing since moving to Hajduk, has frequently been overshadowed by his more illustrious colleagues. Even when he performs admirably, the strikers, or even the opposite wingers just seem to get the man of the match award over the Croatian. But this time, it was all Mili?evi?, as he scored one goal and assisted another to down the Italians for the first time. Hajduk has never even gotten a draw from Palermo. It is Mili?evi?'s first man of the match award in 4 years.

In any case, it was not Mili?evi? who opened the scoring, but he did start with an assist, as Tacconni crossed from one side to another in the absence of Kušnír, before Mili?evi? dribbled past the defense and got a through ball in to Vukuši?. To the massive roar of the crowd, Vukuši? just poked the ball past Salvatore Sirigu for the opening goal in the 9th minute. It wasn't all perfect though, as Malo?a conceded a penalty in the 14th for 1-1.

Hajduk continued dominating though, and when Tacconi crossed this time, it was Mili?evi? who finished the ball, on a half volley into the corner of the net. Sirigu didn't stand a chance, as Hajduk took the lead, before the half. After quite the boring second half, it was Tacconi who finished the Italians off... appropriate... as the Milan native finished off the Southerners for 3-1. Unfortunately for Hajduk, as a 2-0 lead would have been amazing for the away match, Abel Hernandez unleashed one from outside the box in the 88th minute for 3-2.

Hajduk was still thrilled with the win, because if anyone knows how to play defensively away from home, it is Bendiš.

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MALLING, KUŠNÍR, PERGER PICK UP CROATIAN CITIZENSHIP
Hajduk is going more Croatian than ever, as Jacob Malling just picked up his brand new Croatian passport. The youngster has already made a few full-fledged appearance for Denmark, so it makes a difference only in the number of foreign internationals playing for the club. However, Perger has yet to have picked up his Slovenian cap, and has to wait only three more years before being eligible for playing for Croatia (2 years for citizenship, 5 years for international eligibility). The issue is that it is unlikely that Perger will be picked up next to Goran Jozinovi? (also Hajduk) or Hrvoje ?ale.

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?OP BRACE PUTS HAJDUK A STEP AWAY FROM CROATIAN CUP - 7.III.2015.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 3-1 HNK RIJEKA - CROATIAN CUP SEMIFINAL - SPLIT
It was yet another masterclass from Hajduk, with Rijeka going down 3-0 before managing to get a goal back on for the return leg in Istra.

Vukuši? opened the scoring though, as ?op dropped a long ball from Jozinovi? to Vukuši?, who dribbled past Ivan ?agalj and passed the ball under Flavío Seltzer for the goal. Hajduk was delighted with the solo effort. ?op, not to be outdone, scored on either side of the half, with a powerful goal from inside the box in the 45th, and a spectacular lob from thirty meters out in the 46th before Ivan Baraban closed down the gap to 3-1.

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MEANWHILE... ZAJAC TO RETURN AGAINST PALERMO
Peter Zajac looks good to return after a lengthy injury spell from a torn calf muscle and a twisted ankle. The Slovakian has been out for more than three months, and is in line for his first appearance against Palermo in the return leg. How that goes, is really up to chance, but, with any luck, Zajac will be right on top of things

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MLINAR SALVAGES DRAW AGAINST PALERMO - 18.III.2015.
U.S. CITTA DI PALERMO 1-1 3-4 AGG. HNK HAJDUK - UEFA CL KNOCKOUT STAGES - PALERMO
Frano Mlinar scored a glorious equalizer in the 75th minute to take Hajduk to the round of 8, knocking out one of the two Italian clubs in the competition. Fortunately for Italy, Fiorentina have gone through Sevilla for away goals. Germany are not of the same luck, as both Bayern and Schalke have gone out, Bayern crushed by Monaco, and Schalke demolished in Germany 4-0 by United.

But Croatia's lone representative made it through, against all odds. Abel Hernandez scored early in the match (26th minute) and it looked like Hajduk were going to go out for a long time. Palermo were utterly dominating the match against the Croatians, and it was a few sad moments for the Hajduk fans, as they thought that they would go out. But Peter Zajac, back on the field for the first time in 4 months, wouldn't have it. Zajac somehow got on the left wing, and cut inside, exchanging passes with Jordan Ayew. Zajac then clobbered a ball over the keeper, and it looked good for goal beofre it came off the crossbar. Mlinar was ready though, and smashed the ball through all the defenders off the inside of the right post, for 1-1 and the Round of 8 through.

Financially, Hajduk gained 3 million € for the aggregate win, financing Hajduk for years to come. It's interesting to note that Hajduk players earn slightly over 3 million € annually.
Also interesting to note, Bendiš is the highest earner at the club, in terms of base salary, earning 425 000 € per year.

MEANWHILE... BENDIŠ CONTINUES RELATIONSHIP WITH MILAN WITH ANTONIO BINOTTO
Bendiš took his partnership with Milan to a new level, adding on his list of acquisitions young inside forward Antonio Binotto, to play with Gianluca Tacconi. The 17 year old Italian joins the Dalmatian club in July. Bendiš is probably looking to strengthen his U18s for a few seasons, as Hajduk was knocked out in the U19 cup in the first round this season, and looks like it won't be able to defend it's title, despite a few impressive signings (Rivero, Vrancken, Brito). Milan will receive the same amount as for Tacconi, 3 million €, with no clauses.

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3 updates at once what a treat. Love the stories keep em up

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FANS ROAR "THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE" - 8.IV.2015.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 5-0 AS MONACO FC - UEFA CL QF - SPLIT
It was the matchup between the two biggest underdogs in the tournament. Both clubs were happy to be drawn against each other, rather than Chelsea or Manchester United (drawn together), or the last Spanish team in the competition: Real Madrid. Hajduk fans weren't as thrilled as the Monaco fans, because Monaco had just come off a 7-5 aggregate win over Bayern München, but, in general, the opinion of the draw in both coastal cities could only be described with "ecstatic".

And Bendiš, unlike Guy Lacombe, his French counterpart, didn't miss a beat.

The match, which was only watched by 20 000 fans, can be characterized by only a few players. It could have been either that Ondrej Kušnír was lightning quick, and was finally getting his shots on target, troubling Stephane Ruffier. Or, it could have been the youngster on the other flank, Gianluca Tacconi, who, time and time again, kept getting away from the Monaco defense and sending the crosses to the middle again, and again, and again... Or maybe it was Duje ?op, who, when given the chance, and the time, got away from everyone, including the keeper. And then there was Peter Zajac, making yet another great contribution, with a 9.0 rating and an assist.

In any case, it was a total debacle for Monaco, as Ondrej Kušnír opened the scoring from the right in the 11th minute, ?op rounded the keeper in the 37th, Kušnir poached a great cross in the 57th, ?op headed Tacconi into the net in the 73rd and then Ante Vukuši? got in a zero-angle shot from the left.

It was a good day for Hajduk, and when the final whistle was blown, Bendiš's name was cheered through the stands, as, bar the most spectacular catastrophe in Champions' League history, Hajduk go to the Semifinal, for the second time in a row, something no one would have believed possible 5 years ago

MEANWHILE... BENDIŠ REJECTS BOTAFOGO
A resolute Bendiš rejected any and all contract offers from Botafogo. "The appeal of living in Rio de Janiero at a huge salary of 700 000 € a year is enticing, but I am at home here in Split," was Bendiš's comment to Slobodna Dalmacija.
Bendiš is currently on a 450 000 €/annum salary until June of 2016.

MEANWHILE... IN SPLIT
Duje ?op, with his strike against Istra, has taken the club top league goalscoring record. Ante Vukuši?, who, we remind you, is still only 23 and happily playing for the club, was the previous record holder, at 67 goals. He was, however, injured in the match against Istra, and is out for the next 6 to 8 weeks, which gives ?op time to build on his record and get away from Vukuši?.

?op is currently the top goalscorer in the Croatian first division, what with Peter Zajac being injured for most of the season.

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ZAJAC IS BACK, HAJDUK CLAIM FIRST DIVISION - 11.IV.2015.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 4-0 HNK RIJEKA - CROATIAN FIRST DIVISION - SPLIT
It will take Zajac an unprecedented 9 goals more than Duje ?op in the final five games of the season to grab the first division top goalscorer award and become only the second player to have won it two years in a row. And, while it doesn't seem possible, with performances like the one last night, even the fans are believing it true.

They don't really care though, as long as both ?op and Zajac are scoring, everyone is happy... The problem for Zajac is that, as well as he is playing, ?op is matching him goal for goal. In the demolition against Rijeka, Zajac scored two goals and assisted one to grab the man of the match for the first time since going off the pitch for 4 months. But, in the meantime, ?op scored two, keeping the goalscoring charts well separated: ?op: 18, Zajac: 9.

In the meantime though, what with the sublime performances of all of Hajduk's players, the club from Split has grabbed the Croatian first division the day before a very early Easter, without dropping a single loss. Yes, Hajduk still has a few games to go, specifically the climax of the season against Dinamo, but with their current form, Hajduk has every possibility of remaining unbeaten.

MEANWHILE... HAJDUK PROGRESSES. 7-2 VS. MONACO
Monaco took a two goal lead early in the return fixture against the Croatians, and for a few minutes, Bendiš seemed very nervous. But Gianluca Tacconi, with a man-of-the-match winning performance for the 20 year old, and Peter Zajac with another goal, managed to come back from two behind to hold the draw, and progress.
On the other side of the draw, United made a comeback against Chelsea, winning 2-0 in London, while Lyon throttled Fiorentina and Real Madrid knocked out Tottenham, despite losing the first leg. It will be Lyon vs. United and Hajduk vs. Real Madrid in the semifinal, before the big match in Barcelona. Hajduk play the second leg at home, in what will surely be a sold-out match.

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STUNNED BERNABÉU STUNNED BY MAGNIFICENT HAJDUK COMEBACK - 28.IV.2015.
REAL MADRID C.F. 1-3 HNK HAJDUK SPLIT - UEFA CL SF - MADRID
M. JONJI? O.G. ('11) - F. MLINAR ('51, PEN. '72) P. ZAJAC ('75)
One can assume that there was not a word said during the halftime in the guests' locker rooms that was not inspirational, as Hajduk, clearly inspired, turned around what could have been a resounding defeat with a sensational defensive performance. Bendiš claimed that all he did was tell them to keep going, because they were clearly playing better than their more illustrious counter-parts, but we know the truth. There had to be something more.

Clearly though, he saw the Real Madrid attack coming, what with Cristiano Ronaldo, and, let's face it, that's all you need as an excuse to pump the defense. Sr?an Andri? and Ognjen Vukojevi? (both DM) started the match alongside each other for the first time, as Peter Zajac sat all alone on the other side of the pitch. Both defensive midfielders could have hardly had a better performance as a team, as Real Madrid had only three clear-cut chances during the entire match, despite holding 60% of the possession, and Hajduk only had one yellow card.

But even with the pumped up defense, it looked like Real Madrid would dominate. Twice Ronaldo beat Oremuš down the wing, and got a great cross in, before he finally pulled a goal off in the 11th minute, with Jonji? getting unlucky. While trying to clear away Ronaldo's cross, Andri? hit Jonji?, and the ball bobbled over the line for 1-0. Bendiš looked on grimly, wondering just how bad the result could be, but after that hiccup, it seemed like Hajduk simply understood.

The central defenders, Malo?a and Jonji? started clearing balls to the flanks, or directly to Mlinar, who would then have his pick: does he choose the two rushing flanks on the side, or does he feed a long ball for Zajac in the middle. In any case, with this quick-shot brilliance, Hajduk had a grand total of SIX clear cut chances, as Hajduk were simply too much for the Madrid defense. But Casillas held strong until the half, denying Zajac at least three times.

Hajduk, instead of coming out in worse shape then before the half, knew that they were doing things properly, while Madrid looked content to hold the result, and it was another Casillas save that led to the first goal. Zajac, once again, got a one-on-one chance with Casillas, and just barely missed, but this time, instead of Casillas holding on to the ball, it went a bit towards the line. Zajac, quick as the wind, got to the ball, and passed it across the box to Tacconi, who, instead of shooting, managed to lay it on for the advanced playmaker, Frano Mlinar, who scored the equalizer in the 51st minute.

It was Tacconi again who assisted the second goal, this time, winning a penalty off of, by far the worst player on the pitch, Sergio Ramos. Ramos slid in to Tacconi just as the Italian got into the box, and with Hajduk already tied, you could just see both Mourinho and Bendiš come to their lines in awe. In fact, Madrid was mostly silent, and it helped, as Mlinar powered the ball into the left corner, to give Hajduk the lead against Real Madrid for the first time, ever! Only three minutes later, Zajac finally got all the way around Casillas, getting the ball into the net in the 75th, for a massive chance of another Champions League Final appearance for the small local club in Split.

78 000 people watch and simply couldn't believe how Real Madrid conceded three goals in 45 minutes, and how, against anyone, it was against this small of a club, not United, or City or anything, but Hajduk. How long Hajduk will remain that "small local club" is the question, what with the distinct possibility of two straight Champions League final appearances. Bendiš, however, is trying to keep the team calm, and trying to make sure that he doesn't become the "unlucky one": the guy who can make it to the final with anyone, but is destined to never win it.

?OP LOOKING FOR BIG RECORD
Duje ?op is looking to take Peter Zajac's record for the amount of Croatian League goals in a season. Currently sitting at 20, ?op only needs four more goals in three matches to beat the young Slovakian, who set the record at the age of 19. Zajac probably would have broken it himself this season, but his injury shortened it by at least half. ?op on the other hand has been in top form, and the 25 year old is looking to get his name in the books, as well as become only the 5th player to win the top goalscorer award twice, and the first Hajduk player.

Simply Astonishing

2013-01-31 08:57#79469 AustralianFM : Simply Astonishing

Always nice to have a fan

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OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS HOLD UNITED TO FACE HAJDUK IN FINAL - 6.V.2015.
MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0, 1-2 AGG. OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS - UEFA CL SF - MANCHESTER
J. EVANS ('19)
Lyon held on at the theatre of dreams to face Hajduk in the french team's first ever Champions League final. Marseille is the only club to have one the illustrious cup, but with Lyon facing the everpresent underdogs, they could add to the French tally. Lyon got lucky in the first match, and scored two goals against Manchester, Mike Phelan's side, and, even though it looked like Manchester might fight back in the return leg, Lyon held strong, and only conceded one goal to go to Barcelona.

Hajduk meanwhile, faced Real Madrid at home, and in a bumper crowd of 33 000 people, and a record in matchday profits (575 000 €), the Croatians held the Spanish giants at home. It looked bad, as Ronaldo got a very early cross in to Gonzalo Higuain to score in the opening minute, but Hajduk didn't let them score any more, and it was Gianluca Tacconi who put the game completely beyond doubt, in the 86th. Madrid, of course, needed three goals to progress, due to Hajduk's magnificent away performance. It was again Mourinho who had to congratulate Bendiš, as the Portuguese leaves Split unlucky, and the 33 000 Hajduk fans once again cheered their team onto the final at Camp Nou.

Bendiš, for the second time in a row, looks like he might be able to take the treble. He has already secured the Croatian First league, with several months of astonishing performances and only TWO draws in the 33 week long season, and he has made the final of the Croatian Cup on the harder side of the draw: smashing both Dinamo Zagreb and Rijeka to reach the final against second division Croatia Sesvete. The most important match it seems then is against Lyon, where Hajduk could become only the sixth team to have won the European treble, and the first in Croatia.

MEANWHILE... IN ZADAR AND SOLIN
Hajduk are looking to build the Croatian league's profile dramatically. The Croatian defending champions for the past 5 years, have built their team into a European powerhouse, but with the small league becoming predictable, Hajduk wants the other teams in the country to have successes in Europe as well.
Bendiš made his way to Solin, a small town nearby, but also on the sea, to discuss the promotion of the Croatian second division club. Bendiš hopes to achieve this by several high profile loans to the small club, to hopefully dethrone the relegated clubs from the top of the Croatian second division.
Also, he made a bit of a longer trip to Zadar to discuss the possible move of Sandi Križman on loan north. Križman has been a bit of a rotation player in Hajduk (and spent the last six months on loan in Spain), and it seems that Bendiš hopes that Križman could make a lasting influence on the Europa League with Zadar.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL BUILD-UP - 30.V.2015.
Hajduk face Lyon in a double treble encounter. If Hajduk win, they become the first Croatian club to win the European treble, and only the 7th team overall. Of course, if Lyon win, with their recent successes in the league (finished 1st, with 84 points. OM 2nd with 76) and their win over Monaco in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue (2-1), Lyon could very well become the first French team to win the Treble. It's an important match for both sides, and, more to the point, quite even.

Lyon and Hajduk both have one win against the other, and a draw, although the odds are heavily stacked in Lyon's favour. Hajduk are also without Ondrej Kušnír, one of their more influential talents this season, and (surely this time) a shoe in the for the Czech player of the year. Lyon, on the other hand are without Hugo Lloris, who will be replaced by 34 year old Rémy Vercoutre.

It's a very close match up, what with Duje ?op, Lisandro Lopéz, and Peter Zajac all on form recently.

FUN FACT
New Zealand and The Netherlands are the only two countries to have have won the continental treble twice. New Zealand won it in 2006 and 2008 (Auckland and Waitakere) and Holland has won it in 1972 and 1988 (Ajax, PSV)

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"IT JUST WASN'T MEANT TO BE, I GUESS" - BENDIŠ - 1.VI.2015.
HNK HAJDUK SPLIT 0-2 OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS - UEFA CL FINAL - BARCELONA
It happened again. Bendiš becomes only the third manager to have been to two Champions League Finals in a row without a win. Juventus did it first, but started their string off with a win in the late 1990s, while Valencia did it only 4 years later. But Hajduk is, by far the biggest underdog, and it is so sad to watch them fail, because they are the ones who are so surprised, so grateful of getting this far, that to watch them drop at the very end is heartbreaking.

Without Gianluca Tacconi, the Italy U21s Captain, and Ondrej Kušnír, Bendiš was forced to field an all Croatian side for the final match, looking over Peter Zajac for the competition's best goalscorer, Duje ?op. The line-up was simply incredible, as no squad has fielded an entirely home-grown line-up in years for the Champions League final, and yet here they were, with 11 Croatians on the pitch (12 if you count Lyon's Dejan Lovren):

M DELA? (GK) - M OREMUŠ (DR) - M JONJI? (DC) - M MALO?A (DC) - G JOZINOVI? (DL) - O VUKOJEVI? (DMC) - S ANDRI? (C)(DMC) - I MILI?EVI? (MR) - F MLINAR (AMC) - I TOMI?I? (ML) - D ?OP (CF)

But they just couldn't. Yoann Gourcuff opened from 20 metres out, and although Hajduk fought, oh how they fought, ?op couldn't get in front of the keeper, and neither could Zajac later, before Jonathan Biabany broke the fans' hearts in the 86th minute by cutting inside and spotting the top right corner.

Out of 98 000 fans on the stadium, only 5 000 were from Split, but like last year, they cheered enough to fill the whole stadium... this time though, there was just a touch of sadness to their chants though, and Bendiš knew that to do what he did, again, would be nearly impossible. Andri? and Buljat were there, as usual to console him, but in the end, Bendiš drove from Barcelona to Split, alone...

TRANSFER SEASON OPENING UP
Hajduk have a few big transfers all ready to go. The most significant of whom is Mario Gavranovi?, who comes to play in Croatia for the first time. The Swiss-Croatian forward will be a substitute for ?op, Vukuši? and Zajac, while Sandi Križman goes on loan to Zadar.
A lot of big clubs are trailing Hajduk's infamous front line, with bids already tabled for Zajac and ?op. Bendiš however, wouldn't take less than 15 for the Slovakian, while ?op wasn't leaving for less than 12. Both players have expressed an interest to stay.
This year, Bendiš will not have to play in the Champions League qualifying rounds, having raised the league reputation, almost singlehandedly, to 9th in the World. Dinamo Zagreb do go to the qualifying rounds, but Hajduk get a direct passage to the group stage. Hajduk is, officially, the 11th best club in Europe and the 21st wealthiest. Barcelona tops both lists.
Križman, Perger, Tomi?i?, Andrijaševi?, Treboti? and Ozobi? will all be playing in the Europa League this year. Denis Perger is playing for Šibenik, on loan, while the rest are playing for Zadar. It is thought that with the sudden influx of midfielders (Andrijaševi?, Treboti? and Ozobi?) Zadar could look to move to a 4-5-1.
Karlo Težak moves to NK Solin due to the arrival of Gavranovi?, while new hot prospect, Darko Gavrani? also moves with him. The 2nd Divison's Young player of the year, Mario Še?er, stays in Solin for another season, and is joined by Marko Bariši? and Domagoj Boljat in this year's promotion campaign.
Although, to start the transfer season, Croatia Sesvete (Croatian 2nd division, but participating in the Europa League because of the Cup final) has signed Ivo Ili?evi? on a free transfer from Kaiserslautern.