[FM13]The Adriatic Adventure [Hajduk Split]

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HAJDUK SMASH CHELSEA AND TURN TO MANCHESTER CITY IN THE SEMIS
HAJDUK 4-1, 7-4 AGG. CHELSEA - POLJUD - P. BAŠI?, T. KIŠ, M. MALO?A, M. LJUBI?I?
It looked like Chelsea would take it to be honest. Roberto di Matteo's team walked onto the pitch, and a few minutes later, they got a penalty awarded. It was a weak penalty, but it was a penalty after all, and Steven Joveti? took it like a champ, ending his nearly 500 minute goal draught. Mario Malo?a was besides himself. What if Chelsea closed up, and Hajduk were knocked out. WHAT IF EXACTLY THAT HAPPENED?!

It didn't. Di Matteo wasn't happy with one goal, he wanted at least two, just in case, so Chelsea kept pressing. At Poljud, that doesn't really cut it that well, and goaded by nearly 35 000 people, Hajduk didn't disappoint. Pero Baši? scored off of a lovely dinked pass from Kiš, and Hajduk simply overloaded the midfield. Danko Ravni? was playing next to Antonio Mili? to make sure that nothing went through the center, and Janža and Baši? were having the times of their lives, while Ljubi?i? dropped back to help the central defenders, rather than being a center forward.

It was still only 1-1 though, and Bendiš didn't want to win by only 1. He wanted a rout, and boy did he get it. Kiš scored his 8th Champions League Goal in the 35th to give Hajduk a 2-1 lead, before Mario Malo?a paid back for his mistake in the 38th with a neat header off a corner. 3-1.

Chelsea managed to hold on for the rest of the half, and looked a bit more confident as they came out for the second though, but Hajduk wasn't going to have it, and, with one small move, Mario Ljubi?i? made it into 4-1, and simply crushed Chelsea mentally. It was over in the 49th, as Hajduk, with 0 starting investment, take out Abramovi? and his billion euro squad.

BARCELONA (a) 4-4 ATLETICO MADRID
MANCHESTER UNITED 2-0 OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE
CHELSEA FC 4-7 HNK HAJDUK SPLIT
FC BAYERN MüNCHEN 2-5 MANCHESTER CITY FC

SEMIFINAL MATCHUP
MANCHESTER UNITED v. BARCELONA
MANCHESTER CITY v. HAJDUK

SEMIFINAL FOR EUROPA LEAGUE
DORTMUND v. ARSENAL
INTER v. VALENCIA

Let's see an all Manchester final? Too bad Hajduk will definitely beat City

LET'S GO INTER, BRING HOME THAT EUROPA LEAGUE!

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KIŠ GIVES HERO'S SACRIFICE TO LEAD HAJDUK INTO THE FINAL
HAJDUK 4-1 A.E.T., 5-3 AGG MAN CITY T. KIŠ (1, 119), T. MUJAN ('23), J. ELEŽ ('110)
Kiš will not be playing in the final, as a yellow card, one of 12 yellows and 2 reds during the match, saw him be suspended for the showcase at Stade de France in Paris. But, even with the yellow card, the striker - widely hailed to be Europe's most underrated player - scored two goals to give Ivan Džoni the chance to win it all.

Poljud was buzzing. Manchester City just barely managed to win in the creatively named Manchester City stadium as they fielded an entirely foreign outfield, with Joe Hart as England's only representative, but Kiš had managed an away goal to give Hajduk a slight advantage. And they looked only to build on it. Kiš scored in the opening 20 seconds to give Hajduk the lead on away goals, before Ton?i Mujan made sure that they couldn't be ambushed.

But ambushed they were. Josip Baši? couldn't stop Sergio Aguero from running at goal, and despite getting it out from under the Argentinian's feet, he beat Blaževi? as well, and gave City back the draw. Extra time beckoned, as Bendiš took off Pero Baši?, Croatia's #7 to put on the nervous Andrej Medari? and Kruno Ivan?i? for Antonio Mili?, incidentally, Croatia's #6. Medari? and Ivan?i? were both nervous because they were both 16 years old. But the crowd, oh the crowd... there was no measure for how the crowd made them feel. 35 000 people cheered their names, as they looked around and basked in the glory of the moment.

It was Medari? who assisted Josip Elež in the 110th minute. Everyone was exhausted, but Medari? cut outside before floating a cross to the forward running defender, who beat Joe Hart only just. And then, as his last hurrah for the European season, Tomislav Kiš poked a ball past the English keeper to make sure that Hajduk went through.

Bendiš finished off the press conference with this gem, "Someone very intelligent once told me something I will never forget. I was 16 at the time, and I tell the same thing to all my incoming players. 'There are two names on a football kit. There's one on the front, and one on the back. Make sure you know which one is more important'"

Hajduk face Jurgen Klopp's Manchester United on the 1st of June. The same Manchester United that hasn't won since 2008.

Gutsy move to throw two 16-year old players in to the fire like that and good luck in the final.

I love that you are able to keep this story interesting without having to use pictures and other “cheap tricks”

2013-10-21 10:01#138972 Northwood : Gutsy move to throw two 16-year old players in to the fire like that and good luck in the final.

I love that you are able to keep this story interesting without having to use pictures and other “cheap tricks”

Thank you, I was also forced to start my 18 year old left back because my first choice (24) was suspended... Incidentally, it's a two game suspension, so I lose him for the final as well

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THAT'S ONE
ZAGREB 1-3 HAJDUK
Hajduk played a magnificent, tiring game, as Mario Ljubi?i? scored twice and assisted to Tomislav Kiš for the third, but the real significance of the match was the other one, just down the road. In the 92nd minute, Hajduk's traveling support heard the news over the loudspeaker. Slaven Belupo had just forced a draw at Maksimir, and Hajduk had picked up their 7th title.

Bendiš turned to the away part of the stands, kissed his hand, and pointed at the sky. Under his breath, so no one could hear, the manager said two words, "That's One."

Congrats on making the final!! You got this!!

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AND TWO
HAJDUK 2-0 (AGG. 3-0) ZAGREB P. BAŠI?, M. LJUBI?I?
This was Poljud's last hurrah of the season. This was the match where Poljud would pick up their second title, and wave goodbye to their heroes. This was the stadium's swan song.

And it was breathtaking.

With the Zagreb team already on the pitch warming up, Hajduk's squad were announced one by one, as the players exited the tunnel one at a time, smiling, and waving at the crowd. Fireworks... not little dinky ones, but massive firework displays lit from the stadium rooftops, accompanied each name, but their sound, their magnificence, was no match for Poljud. Torida unfurled a massive banner that spread across half the stand. It was simple, white and gold, with a bit of red and blue sewn in, but the message written on it, as it billowed like a sail over the stands, was a thing of beauty:

"Thank You"

A high ranking member of the supporters club came down, and spoke for the stadium, to thank the players, that they were always there for the club, and that they tried never to let them down. It was touching, but nothing was more than when Bendiš got a hold over the microphone,

"You know, there is absolutely nothing that touches me more than to see this stadium full. This, the most beautiful of the stadiums to look like it does today... there is no measurement. I'd like to thank a few people today, if you'd bear with me. First off, I'd like to thank the players *roaring applause*. Without them, there would be no me, and you would surely be spending your money on some random café which is not nearly as exciting as mine.

"2nd, I'd like to thank the staff at the club. You don't see this very often, but they're there every morning with me, sorting through tactics, prospects, players, the works. This is the team behind the team. My chairman is also there, he's done a magnificent job, taking care of us, so I don't need to deal with bankers...

"Thank God,

"Third, I'd like to thank my fiancée... my lovely fiancée, who is sitting up there, waiting for us to go back to Paris to have a short vacation after the match. She has been here beside me the entire time, and supported me in every way she knows how.

"Finally, I'd like to thank you. You, are the best fans in the world, and it's because of you that all of them play so well that we don't know what to do with all the transfer money. We love you Split, and we will never forget what you brought us. YOU are the name on the front of the shirt, and you are the best chance we have. "

And, 90 minutes later, to ovations, fireworks, and a new trophy, Hajduk was ready. Hajduk was finally ready to collect that last scalp. It was their time...Manchester United? They were just someone in the way.

Hopefully you'll beat the Manchester scum and win that loved CL. Good luck Timmy!

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HAJDUK WIN IT ALL - STADE DE FRANCE, PARIS
HAJDUK 2-1 MAN UNITED I DŽONI ('5), N IVAN?I? (pen '26) - T HUDDLESTONE ('94)
There is no comparison to winning the Champions League. There simply is no way to imagine the kind of feeling it is to win the greatest competition in football, or in anything for that matter. But for Split, it was truly something surreal.

If you looked at the team sheets though, it didn't look like Hajduk would do much winning against one of the best Manchester United teams of a generation. Teo Peši? had been sidelined with a virus just before the match, leaving the right wing free for Ton?i Mujan. But Franko Andrijaševi? also couldn't get fit for the match, leaving Hajduk with a bit of a predicament. They were without a playmaker. Not to mention Kiš's suspension last time out against Manchester City... Hajduk were not in good shape.

Such was the extent of their calamity, that Bendiš was forced to field a 16 year old in the central midfield, Nikica Ivan?i?, who, while excellent, was hardly up to par with Pesi? or Hajduk's captain, Franko Andrijaševi?.

But Hajduk soldiered on... unintentionally fielding a team which was made up of Hajduk home grown players.

Bendiš had been to Stade de France once. He had been lucky enough to, as a child, watch Croatia capitulate against France in 1998, and had never returned. The stadium was not one of happy memories for him, nor for the rest of his friends. But his team was too young to know the difference, and they walked on without disdain for the historic walls, only anxiousness

Only Bendiš had seen the Manchester team sheets. He didn't want to get his players overly nervous about the star quality of the names. But, for a few moments, he was happy. It could have been worse. Neymar and Gareth Bale could be on the left, instead of the right, and attacking his 18 year old Hrvoje Žlidar. It could have been a lot worse.

Bendiš just kept telling himself that, over and over again. It didn't make him feel any better... but it was better than not saying it at all. He looked at his paper again...

------------------ A HENRIQUEZ ------------------
- NEYMAR JR. ------ W ROONEY ------------ NANI --
------------- D FLETCHER - SANDRO ---------------
-------------------------------------------------
- G BALE ---- P JONES --- C SMALLING ---- A SMITH-
------------------ D DE GEA ---------------------

And muttered under his breath "Just keep saying it to yourself... don't look at the sheet"

Andrijaševi? and Kiš both nicely dressed, as they weren't going to be playing, walked with Bendiš who was, frankly, distraught, before the three of them walked into the dugout. Andrijaševi? looked at Kiš from behind Bendiš, and both of them knew exactly what he was thinking... and they were thinking the same thing.

Pesi?, meanwhile, was in Split in his bed, with the TV right at his feet, wondering aloud "Why, oh why God, can I not be on that pitch right now?"

But none of them could. Only, arguably, the least impressive of the Hajduk team sheets this season...

But, by God did they do it right.

As soon as the whistle blew, they were attacking. Neymar was blocked on every attempt he made going forward, Josip Baši? was fantastic. And when Bale tried the move he did on Maicon all those years ago... well... Baši? sent him flying, and got the ball in the bargain.

Then, on the other side, there was Nikica Ivan?i?, who, as a deep lying playmaker, and at 16, was nothing short of sublime. Linking up with Mario Ljubi?i?, who was tracking back like no one else, Džoni, Pero Baši? on the left, and Ton?i Mujan on the right had nothing but clear open spaces that they could only dream of. It was inevitable then, when it happened, although, one can say it wasn't exactly the most orthodox goal. Ton?i Mujan rushed up, and made a neat cross in the middle for the marauding duo up front (Ivan Džoni and Mario Ljubi?i?) when Bale headed it... right into the flying Ivan Džoni, who took the ball to the face and bumped it in. Despite the bloody nose, Džoni could not have been happier as he took the opener in the 5th minute.

Hajduk kept going though, and when Mario Ljubi?i? danced inside the box, he was brought down clumsily by Chris Smalling, and Nikica Ivan?i? took a beautiful penalty to become the youngest player to score in a Champions League final, at 17 years and 25 days. He broke two records with his appearance, (youngest player and youngest scorer)

United tried to attack, oh they tried. Rooney was, more often than not tracking back to the center line, but they couldn't get a look past Hajduk's defense, and, while they were failing, Hajduk nearly scored again. And again... and again, before Bendiš remembered why Džoni wasn't as good as Kiš (who was nearly in tears)

In the 60th minute, Ivan?i? lost one of his records to Andrej Medari?, who, at 16 years, 335 days became the youngest player to ever appear in the final, when Pero Baši? came off injured. Huddlestone scored for Manchester United later... it was a decent goal, but, in the 94th minute, it was too little, too late, as Jurgen Klopp congratulated Timmy Bendiš on, possibly, the greatest underdog story of all time.

Split partied. They partied after the match, they partied between the match and the trophy. They really didn't stop. In fact, more people took that week following the 1st of June off, than in any other week that year. Hajduk had won the European treble.

Bendiš returned to Stade Dénis a week later, to manage France against Kazakhstan. And, just as the match was about to start, he ran to the center of the pitch and kissed the ground.

Match Highlights

YESSSSSSSSS YOU'VE DONE IT TIMMY! GREAT WRITING AND YOU CAN TELL KLOPP TO SUCK YOUR COFFEE.. Yep, I was said coffee.

Wow, just wow. Brilliant achievement to win the Champions League with Hajduk, downright brilliant. I love this story

I've never been so happy to see United lose. I love it :*

Congrats man

Congrats on winning the Champions League great work