Gorica Sets €15 Price for Away Section
After the dispute with Varaždin over ticket prices, the new season brings a new potential controversy. Hajduk visits Velika Gorica on Sunday, and the away fan ticket price is higher than the usual agreement.
After the dispute with Varaždin over ticket prices, the new season brings a new potential controversy. Hajduk visits Velika Gorica on Sunday, and the away fan ticket price is higher than the usual agreement.
Hajduk and Gorica will face off on Sunday, August 16, 2026, in Velika Gorica, both seeking their first win of the new SuperSport HNL season. The Round 3 match is scheduled for 9 PM, and both teams enter the game with a pressing need for points after a disappointing start. However, even before kickoff, the announcement of ticket prices for the away section has drawn attention.
NK Gorica has released ticket sales details for Sunday's clash. Hajduk fans will be seated in sections C1 and C2, with away tickets priced at €15. Sales for away fans are handled exclusively through the Split-based club. For home fans, prices range from €12 to €18, while club members can purchase tickets for €8 to €14. Tickets are available via the Sportify system or at the West ticket office, which will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The announced €15 price for the away section immediately raised eyebrows, as it exceeds the usual unwritten agreement among clubs. Torcida is typically well-represented at away games in Velika Gorica, but the question remains whether this pricing will once again provoke a reaction from the fans.
The situation gains weight in light of events from the first round. Hajduk's away trip to Varaždin was marred by a dispute over ticket prices. NK Varaždin initially demanded €18 for the away section, prompting Torcida to call for a boycott of the match. After pressure, the price was reduced to €10, and around 150 Torcida members gathered in the south stand of the Varteks stadium.
But that wasn't the end of the story. After the match, more than 50 seats were set on fire in that stand, with another ten damaged. Due to the material damage, NK Varaždin filed a criminal complaint with the police. The incident cast a shadow over the match itself and raised questions about safety at away games.
A stark contrast to these prices is the biggest derby in Croatian football. For the recent Hajduk-Dinamo clash at Poljud, the Maksimir club offered its fans, the BBBs, away tickets for just €5. This fact clearly shows that some form of unwritten agreement on affordable prices for away fans exists, but certain clubs evidently do not adhere to it.
Amid all the surrounding drama, the sporting aspect should not be overlooked. Gorica and Hajduk have combined for just one point in their four matches at the start of the season. The Split side lost to Varaždin 2-1 and then drew 2-2 with Istra 1961. This raises the stakes even higher ahead of Sunday's encounter.
Now Torcida faces another away trip and a decision on how to respond to the €15 price tag. It remains to be seen whether the Varaždin history will repeat itself or if Sunday's match in Velika Gorica will pass without new controversies and incidents.
