Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Rokas Pukštas acknowledged the painful issue of the Split club's away record in European competitions during a press conference ahead of the match against Žalgiris.
Hajduk faces another European test. On Thursday at 7 PM in Vilnius, they play the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Lithuanian side Žalgiris. Ahead of the clash, coach Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Rokas Pukštas faced the media. This will be the fifth European match for the Split side this season.
Hajduk celebrated victories over Žilina and Pafos at Poljud, but their away trips ended in defeats. They eliminated the Slovaks with an aggregate score of 3:2, while Cypriot side Pafos stopped them after extra time with an aggregate of 4:2. Following their elimination from Europe, they also stumbled in the SuperSport HNL-a 1:2 loss to Varaždin in the first round.
"It's always important to win after a defeat. Especially in a club like Hajduk, where it gets loud as soon as you don't win. We need to stay focused, and tomorrow is a very important match for us. We have to go in with a winning mentality," Garcia said at the press conference on August 5, 2026.
The Hajduk coach openly addressed the issue that has plagued the club for years. "Hajduk hasn't won an away match in Europe for 6-7 years. At home, we have great support from the fans. When that goes on for years, it becomes harder and harder. We hope to put an end to that streak," Garcia stated.
He added that the key problem lies in the mental approach: "In European matches, it's probably been the fact that we travel to the return leg with a positive result. We start thinking about that, and then it doesn't go well. At home, we have the fans, but away it's more about the mental aspect. There's also the history of failures, so it gets harder every year. We hope to break that."
The match will be played on artificial turf, but Garcia doesn't want to use that as an excuse. "Anything that's different changes the situation on the pitch. As a player, I loved playing on artificial turf. It's good for clubs that want to play football. If you're mentally unstable, you can immediately find an excuse if you lose on it. We have quality players who want to play, players who attack. It should work in our favor."
He also commented on the fact that Žalgiris scored seven goals in their last match: "The atmosphere was wonderful. You could see a lot of passion and enthusiasm. It seems like a miracle, but when there's that much positive energy, those things happen. You have energy, positivity, quality-I didn't expect that."
Hajduk midfielder Rokas Pukštas has Lithuanian roots, making this a special match for him. "I'm excited to come back. I spent a lot of time in Lithuania as a boy. My grandma, grandpa, and relatives will be at the stadium. I'm looking forward to the match. My parents grew up here; my dad is a big Žalgiris fan. He often sends me news. I have many fond memories of this place."
When asked if he had ever considered playing for Lithuania, Pukštas was clear: "Right now, I'm focused only on Hajduk. I'm not thinking about who I'll represent, Lithuania or the USA; we have a match tomorrow that we need to win."
He also spoke about his friend Capan from Žalgiris: "We need to enter the match with a lot of energy from the first minute. We need a killer mentality. Capan is a hardworking player. We did a lot of individual work together. We've played together since the cadet level. He's a really good friend of mine. I've learned a lot from him. I wish him all the best."
