Garcia Open: Hajduk Has Not Contacted Selahi
Hajduk's coach previews the match against Istra 1961, comments on exhausting away trips and Marin Skelin's future.
Hajduk's coach previews the match against Istra 1961, comments on exhausting away trips and Marin Skelin's future.
Ahead of Sunday's Round 2 SHNL match against Istra 1961 at Poljud, Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia held a press conference. He touched on numerous current topics at the club, from the team's physical condition after a demanding schedule, to the departures of Filip Krovinović and Hugo Guillamon, to potential reinforcements and the status of individual players.
Garcia initially dismissed speculation about a poor atmosphere in the dressing room, emphasizing that the real issue was the grueling away schedule. "Those stories about the atmosphere and the state of the dressing room are strange. Our biggest problem was that we had a lot of away games in a row, and the travels exhausted us," said Garcia, adding that even he personally felt tired, despite not training or playing.
He particularly highlighted the absurdity of a situation where the team had only 72 hours between two matches and spent 20 hours on the road. "It's lucky when you have 72 hours between matches and you spend 20 hours traveling. It wore us out," the coach was honest, but confirmed that the players have now physically recovered and are ready for the new challenge.
Commenting on the departures of midfielders Filip Krovinović and Hugo Guillamon, Garcia was clear. "We're looking for such players on the market. We have Niko Sigur who can play that role, but I don't regret letting them go," he said. He explained that there were several reasons why it was decided that some players had to leave, with the key one being the desire to build a team with more intensity, speed, and running.
One of the journalists' questions touched on the name of Lindon Selahi, a former Twente player, as a potential reinforcement. Garcia confirmed that Selahi is the type of player he needs, defensively strong and capable of dictating the tempo of the match. "I know Lindon; he played under me at Twente, but as far as I know, the club has not been in contact with him," Garcia revealed, leaving little room for speculation about an imminent transfer.
The Hajduk coach also eased concerns about Alec Van Hoorenbeeck, who left the pitch early in the second half in Vilnius against Žalgiris (5:2). "We took Alec off as a precaution, but everything is fine. He's not injured; he just felt some discomfort," Garcia explained, adding that he didn't want to take risks with players who are on the verge of fatigue.
As for Marin Skelin, Garcia sees a great future for him at the club, but believes he needs a change of environment. "Skelin has a great future at this club, but I think he needs continuity. Right now, I think he has to change his environment because he fluctuates a lot and deals with great pressure. He needs a place where he can gain routine, and then next season he could be a new player ready to be a player for Hajduk," he concluded.
Speaking about the next opponent, his former club, Garcia didn't hold back in his praise. He revealed that he watched Istra mostly on the plane and that he really likes what they're doing. "They play much better than they used to. They're more compact than before. They're better with and without the ball; they have a clear idea of how they want to play," he said, adding that he enjoyed watching their matches. He also recalled a midfielder whom he had brought up to first-team training while he was at the club. Despite Istra's loss to Lokomotiva (3:2) in the first round, Garcia believes that if luck is on their side, the Pula side will have a good season.
The match between Hajduk and Istra 1961 is scheduled for Sunday at 9 PM at Poljud.
