Hajduk's Management Board President Ivan Bilić acknowledged the justified discontent after the draw with Istra, announced the arrival of several players, and called for unity ahead of the return leg against Žalgiris.
A day after "Management, resign!" echoed from Poljud, the first man of the Split club spoke out. Ivan Bilić, President of Hajduk's Management Board, in an interview with Dalmatinski portal, admitted he understands the fans' anger but also sent a clear message: the club hasn't stopped with reinforcements, and the focus is now urgently shifting to Europe.
In the second round of the HNL, Hajduk drew 2:2 at home against Istra 1961, having let the win slip in the 90th minute. After the match, Torcida directed their discontent towards the club's leadership, which Bilić did not ignore. "We are aware of the justified discontent, and the feeling among everyone at the club is that we lost the match last night," Bilić stated.
However, alongside acknowledging the poor start to the season, a concrete announcement followed. "We haven't started the championship well, but we have enough time to correct the bad start. We are actively working on bringing in several players who will further strengthen the team," said the Management Board President. Although he didn't reveal names or positions, the mere confirmation that the transfer window isn't over brings hope to the fans. Recall that Hajduk lost 2:1 in Varaždin in the first round, where Marko Livaja missed a penalty in the closing stages to equalize.
Despite the league problems, Bilić emphasized that the entire club is now focused on one match. "The focus of the whole club is on the return leg against Žalgiris and continuing the European journey. We have a great opportunity to secure a place in the group stage of a European competition after more than 15 years and ensure a more stable future for the club," he said.
On Thursday, August 13, at 9 PM at Poljud, Hajduk hosts the Lithuanian side with a massive 5:2 advantage from the first leg. Although Bilić mentioned the "group stage," it's worth noting that winning this tie would only secure a spot in the play-off round, the final step before the Conference League league phase. The play-off draw was held on August 3, so the Whites already know their potential path to European autumn.
Aware that nothing will come easy without support from the stands, Bilić also made a direct appeal. "We can only reach that goal together, so we call on the fans to be our loud and strong support on the road to the Conference League play-offs," concluded the Management Board President.
Thus, Hajduk faces several extremely important days ahead, during which concrete moves in the market are expected from the management, and maximum concentration from the team in the return leg that could define the rest of the season.
