After the defeat to Varaždin and the debacle in Cyprus, the atmosphere at Poljud is heated. Coach Gonzalo Garcia and Marko Livaja are under the scrutiny of fans, but the question is whether a coaching change is the solution to two decades of wandering.
Hajduk has once again found itself in a whirlwind of crisis and uncertainty, with the club's future becoming the main topic even after a convincing victory over Žalgiris in Vilnius in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Coach Gonzalo Garcia admitted that the situation is not easy but added that he is already accustomed to constant pressure.
The football mood in Split is extremely volatile. After a brilliant performance and victory in the first match against Pafos, everything turned upside down in just 19 days. The return leg in Cyprus and a heavy 4:0 defeat enraged the fans, with Garcia becoming the main target of criticism.
His relationship with Marko Livaja, marked by an incident during preparations in Bled, has further inflamed the atmosphere. Fans are divided-some support the Uruguayan, while others have turned their backs on him fiercely.
Although elimination from Europe is not yet confirmed, as a 'second chance' against Lithuanian side Žalgiris awaits, the Split side opened the new HNL season with a defeat. Varaždin celebrated 1:2 at their ground, raising fan dissatisfaction to a new level.
Before the clash in Lithuania, a banner with a clear message appeared at Poljud: "Garcia, go home". The season has just begun, and the Uruguayan's position is already shaky. Nevertheless, club officials still believe in him, and a potential dismissal is complicated by the high severance pay the club would have to pay him and his staff.
Coach Garcia firmly rejects claims of a poor relationship with the team's biggest star. "Our relationship is good. The problem is that people think when Livaja plays we are friends, and when he doesn't, we are in a fight. That's not true," Garcia stated, adding that Livaja played 60 minutes against Pafos and did very well.
"Livaja is a very good player whom we must utilize; sometimes he will start, sometimes come off the bench. He is doing very well. I see that Marko is happier than before, than last year when I first arrived. Of course, he wants to play all the time and is not happy about that, but he is smart and understands that I want to use him for the team in the best possible way," the Uruguayan explained before the match with Varaždin.
Despite this, the fact remains that Livaja has never played worse than under Garcia's leadership. He is far from his best form and is not even a shadow of the player who dominated the SHNL in recent years. His missed penalty for an equalizer in Varaždin only added fuel to the fire of fan anger on social media.
Garcia signed a three-year contract with the idea of being the bearer of the long-awaited continuity, similar to his predecessor Leko. However, Leko did not last even ten months, despite winning the Cup. Hajduk has been wandering for over 20 years, constantly changing coaches and sporting directors.
The question is what an eventual dismissal of Garcia would truly bring. If another coaching change guaranteed improvement, everyone would accept it. But practice and experience show a completely different picture. The truth about the current state of Hajduk is probably somewhere in the middle-the club is again in a precarious position, caught between reality and emotions, which are known to be difficult to manage.
