A poor start to the season, a clash with Livaja, and growing fan discontent have put Hajduk's coach under immense pressure. The banner on the training pitch is a clear message from part of Torcida.
On the auxiliary pitch of Poljud Stadium on August 4, 2026, a banner with an unequivocal message aimed at Hajduk coach Gonzalo García appeared. "Garcia, go home" was written by an as-yet-unknown author, and the banner was placed next to the pitch where the first team of the Split club trains. This message is just the culmination of growing discontent among a section of fans after a turbulent period at the club.
The Split side started the season poorly, recording three defeats in their first five matches. The initial optimism from preseason, where they won all their games, quickly faded. After beating Cypriot side Pafos 2:0 at Poljud, a shocking 4:0 defeat after extra time followed in the return leg in Cyprus. With an aggregate score of 4:2, Hajduk was eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers. Pafos's goal in stoppage time, which sent the game to extra time, was particularly hard to take, and after that, Hajduk's play completely collapsed.
Just a few days later, at the start of the league season, another shock came. In Varaždin, Hajduk lost 2:1, and captain Marko Livaja missed a penalty in the closing stages, squandering the chance to earn a point. In their last four official matches, Hajduk has suffered three defeats.
García had already found himself in the spotlight during the summer preparations due to a conflict with captain Marko Livaja. Hajduk announced that Livaja, along with several teammates, had broken rules and was given a running punishment. Livaja interrupted training, spoke inappropriately to sporting director Robert Graf and coach García, and left training on his own initiative. He was temporarily left out of the preparations, but later, after a meeting where he signed the disciplinary code, the situation was calmed and he returned to the team. Although the club said the issue was resolved, the whole story further divided the fans.
When analyzing the Uruguayan expert's record, the numbers do not favor him. Since García's arrival, Hajduk has only two wins in 14 matches against the top three teams from last season-Dinamo, Varaždin, and Rijeka. Rijeka once thrashed them 0:5 at Rujevica and knocked them out of the Cup. Last season was unsuccessful from the start-an early elimination from Europe against Albanian side Dinamo City. The Cup run ended in the quarterfinals, and finishing second in the HNL cannot hide a massive 18-point gap behind Dinamo.
A comparison with former coach Ivan Leko, who was sacked three years ago for similar results, is also interesting. Leko's average points tally was 1.79 points per game, while García's is only slightly higher at 1.81 points. Leko, meanwhile, won the Cup during his tenure-Hajduk's last trophy-and beat Dinamo twice in a row at the start of the 2023 season. Unlike García, Leko arrived on the bench with trophies in his coaching career-he won the league and Supercup with Club Brugge and the Cup with Royal Antwerp.
García's coaching pedigree is also under scrutiny. During his career, he has not won a single trophy, and his best result is fifth place with Istra. In his first season in Pula, he finished ninth; in his second, fifth; and after a stint at Portuguese side Arouca, where he was sacked after just three months with only two wins in nine rounds (14th place), he returned to Istra and lifted them from eighth to sixth place, also reaching the Cup semifinals. At Twente, he led the team for less than a full season, finishing 14th, after which the club did not renew his contract.
Besides results, some fans also hold García's post-match statements against him. He rarely took responsibility, usually blaming the players, their lack of concentration, a weak squad, and even the wind at Rujevica in the 0:5 loss, referees who "allowed opposing players to do what they wanted" in the Cup, the excessive stoppage time at Maksimir, and even Torcida, whose flares "brought Dinamo back to life." His comments that elimination against Azerbaijani side Zira would not be a tragedy, or that no one told him he should fight for the title, particularly sparked outrage.
Pressure on the coach is growing, and the banner at Poljud is just the most visible sign of it. Although it seems the club's leadership still has some patience, the question is how long results and relationships that do not bring the desired progress will be tolerated.
