Garcia After Rout in Lithuania
Hajduk crushed Žalgiris 5:0 away, ending a six-year drought without a European away win. Coach Garcia didn't hide his enthusiasm for the young players, especially Rokas Pukštas.
Hajduk crushed Žalgiris 5:0 away, ending a six-year drought without a European away win. Coach Garcia didn't hide his enthusiasm for the young players, especially Rokas Pukštas.
On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Hajduk demolished Žalgiris 5:0 away in Lithuania in a Conference League match. The Whites thus impressively ended a six-year winless streak in European away games and practically secured their place in the playoffs.
Coach Gonzalo Garcia didn't hide his satisfaction after the match. He emphasized how difficult it is to cope with the pressure at the Split club, and how his team constantly makes life difficult for themselves.
"When you lose a couple of matches at Hajduk, there's pressure, but tonight it's been six years since Hajduk won an away European match. We were better, and we almost ended the first half level. Something always has to go wrong for us, it's unbelievable. It's really not easy with us,"
Garcia told Sportske novosti.
The Uruguayan tactician has been building the team for 14 months and is particularly proud of the young players who came through the club's ranks. He singled out three: Rokas Pukštas, captain Silić, and Hrgović.
"I've been here for 14 months, and focus is important to us. It can be damn hard, but we all have to stick together and improve. The team's future is secure; we have a lot of young players. You see Pukštas, Silić, Hrgović... We have to help them, and they'll get even better,"
he added.
His decision about the captain's armband was particularly interesting. When asked about Silić as captain, Garcia briefly confirmed: "Yes, that's my decision. He's one of the captains."
Rokas Pukštas received the most praise. Garcia described him as a player with incredible energy and dedication, revealing that they practically have to drag him off the training pitch. His physical potential and mentality, the coach says, have no limits.
"He didn't play much before I arrived. We have to keep him away from training; it's something else. He has so much athleticism, physicality, talent. He's so dedicated... But he still needs to improve. If he continues like this with us, who knows where he can go. His mentality isn't a problem; he's like an animal,"
Garcia praised Pukštas.
He also touched on the incident when some home fans threw objects at Pukštas after his goal. Garcia didn't want to make too much of it, replying with a smile: "Ah, you should see what gets thrown in Croatia... I'd say people were full of respect for him. He'll stay a few hours with his family. There are always all kinds of people, but I wouldn't pay attention to that."
The match was played on artificial turf, which is often a problem for visiting teams. Garcia, however, didn't look for excuses. In fact, he admitted that he even prefers such a surface to natural grass, given the frequent maintenance issues.
"The opponent always has to adapt here, but it's a matter of the mind. There's no need to talk much about it. Personally, I like this. I even prefer it to real grass, which often has problems... But my boys are singing and dancing in the locker room; that's what matters most to me,"
concluded a cheerful Garcia.
