Faris Krkalić: Rijeka Must Break Through Former Dinamo Player
The 24-year-old goalkeeper, who developed at Maksimir, now stands between the posts for Ilves and is a key player for the Finnish club ahead of the clash at Rujevica.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper, who developed at Maksimir, now stands between the posts for Ilves and is a key player for the Finnish club ahead of the clash at Rujevica.
Rijeka continues its European journey on Thursday evening. Finnish side Ilves arrive at Rujevica at 8:45 PM, and the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League brings an interesting Croatian connection. Standing in goal for the visitors will be former Dinamo goalkeeper Faris Krkalić, who will face his former youth teammate Niko Janković wearing the opposition's colors.
Krkalić joined Dinamo in 2018 from Sarajevo as a 16-year-old. He came through the youth system in Zagreb, sharing a dressing room with a generation that has since reached high European levels, including Joško Gvardiol, Josip Šutalo, Roko Jurišić, and Bartol Franjić. He had to wait until the final round of the 2023/24 season for his senior debut, when he played in a 3-3 draw against Rudeš.
After that, he fell out of contention for the first team. Loans to Sesvete and Kustošija followed, and a fresh start came last spring when he moved on loan to Ilves. After a few months, the club's management from Tampere decided to trigger the buyout clause in his contract, and Krkalić agreed to a multi-year deal.
In the new season, Krkalić initially rotated with captain Otso Virtanen, but quickly established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper. Since mid-June, he has been the regular starter for Ilves in all league and European matches. His biggest contribution came in the second qualifying round of the Conference League against Stjarnan from Iceland, after a 2-2 aggregate draw, the winner was decided by penalties, and Krkalić saved the visitors' first attempt, securing his team's progression.
At Rujevica, Krkalić will have the chance to show how much he has developed since leaving Dinamo. On the other side of the pitch, he will face Niko Janković, Rijeka's midfielder, with whom he shared a dressing room in Dinamo's youth setup. Rijeka eliminated Derry City with two wins in the previous round, and now faces a new challenge, breaking down the former Dinamo player to take a step closer to the Conference League group stage.
