The race for the top position of the Croatian Olympic Committee is marked by police searches, the arrest of the Olympic program director, and allegations of non-transparent spending of €64 million.
The Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO) will get a new president on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, ending the long era of Zlatko Mateša. The main battle is between former minister and presidential candidate Dragan Primorac and cardiothoracic surgeon and president of the Croatian Swimming Federation Josip Varvodić, who is also the first vice-president of the European Swimming Federation (LEN). Primorac submitted 59 supporting signatures, and a total of 155 representatives from federations, sports communities, Olympians, and athletes will vote, as reported by Teleskop.hr.
According to the same portal, in sports and political circles, the election is also interpreted as an indirect clash of different power centers. Primorac is openly supported and lobbied for by lawyer Anto Nobilo, while Varvodić gathers part of the federations seeking a departure from HOO's old system. Although it is whispered in the corridors that such an outcome would suit Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, he has not publicly commented on the elections, nor is there evidence of personal campaign involvement. Miroslav Buljan also announced his candidacy, but public focus remains on the duel between Primorac and Varvodić.
Additional tension comes from the fact that on 23 July, police searched the home, office, and HOO premises of Secretary General Siniša Krajač, and the director of the Olympic program Damir Šegota was arrested, reports Teleskop.hr. Krajač, considered an important operative of Mateša's system and a key figure in Primorac's campaign, was not a suspect at the time but gave a statement as a witness and continued to perform his duties. When asked if he feared arrest, he replied: "As you can see, I'm still here." Nevertheless, his position has been seriously shaken publicly and politically, and the election will also serve as a kind of referendum on whether the people of the old system will remain in charge of an institution that manages tens of millions of euros of public money.
In an interview with Novi list, Josip Varvodić stated that he was prompted to run by existing poor and unclear criteria, poor fund allocation, and the impression that funds are not being spent properly. "The problem is HOO, and the basic problems of HOO are non-transparent financing, non-transparent fund distribution, and poor criteria for distributing those funds. Today, an image has been created that the athlete and coach are not at the center of the system," said Varvodić. He added that his goal is to restore the trust of athletes and coaches, and in his program "Together for the Development of Croatian Sports," he outlined a 100-day action plan that includes talks with all national federations and the establishment of transparent criteria.
Varvodić is publicly supported by the football, handball, water polo, basketball, volleyball, and other ball sport federations, as well as the Croatian Olympic Club. Responding briefly to Primorac's claims of growing support, he said: "I have no comment on Mr. Primorac's statements. The electoral assembly is on 29 July, the voting is secret, and everything will be seen there. I know how much support I have, and I am going for victory."
In the background of the election are years of allegations about non-transparent spending of HOO's budget. According to Dnevno.hr, the amount mentioned in this context reaches €64 million. Varvodić believes that Croatian sports have enough funds, but they are not distributed transparently and there are no clear criteria. He describes scandals like the one in the Croatian Ski Federation (the Vedran Pavlek case) as isolated and says that HOO's internal audit will in the future enter national federations in a friendly manner and correct mistakes.
The election on 29 July will decide whether HOO will continue on the path of the old system or move toward the reforms promised by Varvodić. The voting is secret, and the results will, as interlocutors point out, show the true strength of support for both candidates.
