Former Hajduk Player Reveals the 'Bili's' Greatest Weapon Ahead of Clash in Lithuania
Marko Capan, now wearing the Žalgiris jersey, emotionally previews the Conference League third qualifying round match and particularly praises his close friend.
Marko Capan, now wearing the Žalgiris jersey, emotionally previews the Conference League third qualifying round match and particularly praises his close friend.
Hajduk kicks off their journey in the third qualifying round of the Conference League this evening at 7 PM against Žalgiris in Lithuania. Adding a special touch to this encounter is the fact that former Hajduk player Marko Capan will be on the opposing side, and he shared his honest thoughts about his former teammates and the club from Poljud ahead of the match.
Capan didn't hide his surprise and delight at this matchup. "I didn't expect to play against Hajduk, but that's life. I'm really happy about it. I think it will be a good game. We'll try to win. Six months ago, I couldn't have imagined this," he told Lithuanian reporters, as reported by Tportal.
When asked to describe his former club, Capan was full of praise. "Hajduk is, by tradition, the biggest club in Croatia. They have great support and excellent results, maybe not in the last few years. They have a young squad and a good coach. I played with them for a long time, and the coach really wants to play football," he said, adding that he's aware of the team's current situation: "They haven't started this season well; they're under a lot of pressure right now, but they'll give their all tomorrow."
Capan spoke particularly emotionally about his close friend Rokas Pukštas, with whom he shared a locker room for five years. He described him not only as a quality player but above all as an excellent person and one of his best friends. "He's a quality player, a hard worker, and he improves every season. I think his greatest asset is his leap; it's one of Hajduk's biggest weapons," Capan emphasized.
He is confident that Pukštas has a bright future ahead. "I think he can be really good. He's still young, and he's a hard worker. He wants to improve every day. I know he had a few offers before, and I'm sure he can go far in European football," concluded the former Hajduk player.
The Split side arrives in Lithuania after two consecutive defeats that have shaken the club's atmosphere. First, they were beaten 4-0 by Pafos in Cyprus, which meant elimination from the Europa League, and just a few days later came another shock, a 2-1 loss to Varaždin.
Adding to the burden is a dismal record in European away matches. Hajduk has gone 11 consecutive away games in Europe without a win. Their last victory came back in September 2020, when they beat North Macedonia's Renova 1-0.
To break the negative streak, coach Gonzalo Garcia has prepared several changes to the starting lineup. According to Germanijak, Dario Melnjak is expected to start at left-back, while new signing Marin Šotiček will get his first start on the wing. In midfield, Sigur starts alongside Pajaziti, and the biggest surprise is the omission of Marko Livaja from the starting XI, with Šego expected to lead the attack instead.
