Zonzi delighted with Hajduk, but missing Hajduk's own youth players
Legendary Hajduk player Ante Ivković analyzed the convincing victory in Vilnius for Net.hr, highlighting the team's effort but also issuing a clear criticism.
Legendary Hajduk player Ante Ivković analyzed the convincing victory in Vilnius for Net.hr, highlighting the team's effort but also issuing a clear criticism.
Hajduk's footballers ended a six-year winless streak away from home in European competitions on Thursday in Vilnius, defeating local side Žalgiris with a convincing 5:2 scoreline. A day after the big celebration, legendary Ante 'Zonzi' Ivković, who played for the Split-based club from 1964 to 1971, shared his thoughts with Net.hr.
"After a long time, Hajduk won away, and it immediately lifted the spirits; here in Split, we quickly forget what happened. Now we're enjoying it and hoping Hajduk advances," Ivković said at the start of the interview, not hiding his satisfaction after the Whites' last away win in Europe came in 2020, when they beat North Macedonia's Renova 1-0 in Skopje in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
The hero of the match was two-goal scorer Michele Šego. He scored the first goal from the penalty spot in the 5th minute, and although goalkeeper Šarkauskas saved his second penalty in the 14th minute, Šego redeemed himself in the 44th minute with a fantastic free-kick goal. In the second half, Adrion Pajaziti in the 56th minute, Brazilian Dalisson de Almeida in the 73rd, and Rokas Pukštas just two minutes later found the back of the net for Žalgiris, making it 5:1. The Lithuanian side's consolation goals came from Nikola Petković and former Hajduk player Marko Capan.
Ivković particularly highlighted what impressed him most about the Split team's performance. "The commitment, I saw such commitment, running, and aggression for the first time; that's the new thing with Hajduk. They should play like that consistently," the legendary player emphasized. He added that he noticed the players were pressing the opponent's first line, which he specifically linked to captain Livaja's influence. "That's what Livaja did in the last match; you could see he was pushing them forward, and that's a matter for the coach."
Young Rokas Pukštas also earned praise, with Ivković having only words of admiration: "Little Pukštas is full of energy, full of motivation; he's a wonder." Beyond the play, the atmosphere also impressed him: "There were really nice things, and their crowd impressed me. Our fans are constant, but they also sang non-stop the same way."
Despite the euphoria and a three-goal lead ahead of the return leg at Poljud, Ivković also issued a clear criticism regarding the squad. "Hajduk must play as if it's 0:0 and towards the end give a chance to a young player. Look, Hajduk's own youth players are missing here. Forgive me, everyone, but when you look at the starting eleven, there's a lack of homegrown players," Ivković concluded, alluding to the absence of players developed in the club's own youth academy in the first team.
