Garcia after victory in Vilnius: 'I've been working here for 13, 14 months, fucking hard'
Hajduk's coach calls for patience and understanding ahead of a crucial week with matches against Istra and Žalgiris.
Hajduk's coach calls for patience and understanding ahead of a crucial week with matches against Istra and Žalgiris.
After Hajduk convincingly won in Vilnius and secured a spot in the Conference League playoffs, coach Gonzalo Garcia didn't want to talk about the positives. When directly asked by a journalist about the team's future, he responded with brutal honesty.
"Our future is tough. The club is in a difficult situation. We work hard, I've been working here for 13, 14 months, fucking hard...", Garcia stated.
The coach also addressed the discontent from the stands. In the last two home matches, against Žilina and Pafos, he was met with whistles during the lineup announcements. Garcia understands this, but he still tries to rationally explain his decisions, especially the most controversial one, leaving Marko Livaja on the bench and pushing Michele Šego to the forefront of the attack.
However, the statistics support his decisions. Data shows that Hajduk earns the same number of points with Šego as the main striker as they did when Livaja was the central figure of the attack under any previous coach. Garcia sees Livaja as a powerful "super-sub," a weapon that can turn a game, but some fans don't accept this.
The coach is trying to bring out individuals from the team who can step up. In Vilnius, that was Marin Šotiček, whose performance raises the question of buying out his contract from Basel. Earlier, it was Michele Šego, Dalisson de Almeida, and unfortunately, the injured Roko Brajković.
The club's financial situation is dire and dictates every move. Departures are inevitable. The club hopes to cash in on the potential of Rokas Pukštas or Niko Sigur within the next month or two. Luka Vušković, Dominik Prpić, and Branimir Mlačić have already been sold, bringing in around 20 million euros, but also leaving a big hole in the defense. Garcia is aware that players like Alec van Hoorenbeeck and Ron Raci are cheaper solutions from which perfection cannot be expected overnight.
Sports director Robert Graf, according to Dalmacija News's assessment based on a sample of six matches, deserves a positive rating. Bringing in Dalisson de Almeida on loan and Mathieu Acapandie has increased competition, and it seems that Anđelo Šutalo could become a valuable player. "It seems that 'something could come' from the team 'under reconstruction'," the analysis states.
Club president Ivan Bilić stood up for his coach a few months ago with the message: "Don't touch my coach." Despite this, the pressure on him and Garcia does not let up. Ahead of Sunday's match against Istra 1961 and the return leg against Žalgiris at Poljud next Thursday, a clear appeal has been made: "If you won't applaud him, at least don't whistle at him!"
