Former Hajduk Goalkeeper Finds New Club in County League Side
After a rich career that included stints in Romania and Lithuania, Tomislav Duka (33) has signed for NK Orkan Dugi Rat, a club competing in the First County Football League.
After a rich career that included stints in Romania and Lithuania, Tomislav Duka (33) has signed for NK Orkan Dugi Rat, a club competing in the First County Football League.
Tomislav Duka (33), who once guarded the goal for Hajduk, Split, and Istra 1961, has decided to continue his career with NK Orkan Dugi Rat, a team competing in the First County Football League of the Split-Dalmatia County. The club from Dugi Rat officially confirmed the transfer on Monday, which is considered one of the biggest signings in Dalmatia's lower-league football this summer.
The Split native, born in the city under Marjan and standing 190 centimeters tall, boasts an impressive career. In the SuperSport HNL, he played for Split (where he wore the captain's armband), Hajduk, and Istra 1961. He also gained experience abroad, with Velež Mostar, Romania's CFR Cluj, and Lithuania's Žalgiris, and had domestic stints with Kamen Ivanbegovina, Zagora, and Imotski.
In Hajduk's jersey, he made five official appearances over two seasons, conceding seven goals. He is most remembered for the two-legged tie against Malta's Gzira in the Europa League qualifiers of the 2019/20 season. After a 2-0 away win, Hajduk lost 3-1 at Poljud and were eliminated in sensational fashion, which is considered one of the club's biggest European failures. Three months after that tie, Duka mutually terminated his contract with Hajduk.
Although he did not achieve great results with Hajduk, Duka won numerous trophies abroad. With CFR Cluj, he was the Romanian champion in 2018. He was even more successful with Žalgiris in Lithuania, where he won a total of five titles, including the double in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Supercup.
Last summer, Duka moved from Dugopolje to Zadar, for whom he made 29 appearances in the 3. NL Jug, keeping clean sheets in 11 matches. Now he returns to his county, where he will bolster the squad under coach Jure Žilić. Orkan finished last season in 9th place with eight wins, four draws, and 14 losses.
"We are confident that Duka, with his professionalism, experience, and mentality, will be a huge asset on and off the pitch. His arrival will especially benefit our young players and goalkeepers, who will have the daily opportunity to learn from a footballer who has played at the highest level and won trophies across Europe," stated NK Orkan Dugi Rat.
Duka is the sixth player to leave NK Zadar this summer. Before him, Roko Čilaš (NK Junak Sinj), Jakov Vrdoljak (NK Hrvace), Marko Zebić (NK Hrvace), Juan Manuel Garcia Medone, and Frane Prljević departed. On the other hand, Zadar has brought in six new players: right-back Anđelo Kordić, defensive midfielder Dinko Kuzmić, winger Dominik Paškvan, center-forward/winger Joao Pedro Ramos Coutada, left-back/winger Lovro Duždević, and midfielder Gabrijel Gagula.
