In the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round against Žalgiris, Hajduk's captain's armband was worn by Toni Silić, the player with the longest tenure at the club among those on the pitch.
Hajduk's footballers are playing the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round against Lithuanian side Žalgiris in Vilnius tonight. Coach Gonzalo García, following the defeat in Varaždin (1-2), has decided to leave Marko Livaja on the bench again, and the unexpected detail of the evening is the captain's armband worn by Toni Silić.
While many fans might wonder why the honor didn't go to, say, Rokas Pukštas, an American of Lithuanian descent who has contributed more to the senior squad in recent years, the explanation lies in tenure. Silić joined Hajduk at age 11 from Dugopolje and, of all the players who took the field tonight in the Lithuanian capital, has worn the white jersey the longest.
As reported by Telegram.hr, strictly speaking, Silić is the player who has spent the most time in Hajduk's jersey among all the visiting players on the pitch in Vilnius, which is likely the reason he was given the honor of wearing the captain's armband.
The decision is all the more interesting given that earlier this season, the captain's armband belonged to Dario Melnjak, specifically in matches against Pafos and Žilina. Melnjak, the vice-captain, was not in the starting lineup tonight, so the choice fell to Silić. In Varaždin, meanwhile, the armband was worn by Livaja, who started that match from the first minute.
In recent years, alongside Livaja, Filip Krovinović served as vice-captain, but after a mutual contract termination at Poljud, he continued his career at Brazilian club Grêmio. Silić's journey from a regular backup goalkeeper to captain in a European match is yet another indication of how quickly the dynamics within a team can change.
