Hajduk faces Ajax and Rangers, Rijeka draws Monaco and Brighton in playoff
Conference League playoff groups drawn, Croatian clubs learn potential opponents ahead of today's draw in Nyon.
Conference League playoff groups drawn, Croatian clubs learn potential opponents ahead of today's draw in Nyon.
Hajduk and Rijeka are one step away from the Conference League group stage, but two tough hurdles remain. While they face third qualifying round matches this week, this morning they learned their potential playoff opponents, the decisive round for a place in European autumn.
The draw that will determine the final pairings takes place today, August 3, 2026, in Nyon at 2:00 PM. Neither Hajduk nor Rijeka are seeded, which means extremely tough opponents await them.
The Split club must first overcome Lithuanian side Žalgiris from Vilnius. The first leg is away on Thursday, with the return leg a week later at Poljud. Hajduk has so far in qualifying eliminated Žilina in the Europa League qualifiers, then lost to Pafos, which saw them drop into the Conference League.
If they get past Žalgiris, Hajduk will be placed in Group 3, and their opponent will be one of the following clubs: Poland's Jagiellonia or Scotland's Rangers, Hungary's Debreceni or Denmark's Copenhagen, Greece's PAOK or Belgium's Anderlecht, Poland's Raków or Sweden's Hammarby, and the Netherlands' Ajax or Ireland's Shelbourne.
Rijeka began their European journey in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, where they eliminated Derry City with an aggregate score of 2:0. Now, Finland's Ilves stands in their way. The first leg is scheduled for Thursday at Rujevica, with the return a week later in Tampere.
If Rijeka gets past Ilves, they will be placed in Group 2, with potential opponents: France's AS Monaco, England's Brighton, Ireland's Bohemian or Denmark's Midtjylland, Sweden's Göteborg or Belgium's Gent, and Cyprus's Pafos or Austria's Salzburg.
Both Croatian clubs face a challenge that will define their European season. Progressing past the third qualifying round brings a playoff, and just one tie separates them from the Conference League group stage. Given the quality of potential opponents, it's clear that top-level performances will be needed for success.
