Van Hoorenbeeck and Marešić's blunders against Istra reopen the Whites' old wound: foreign center-backs at Poljud have been failing to meet expectations for years. While reinforcements are awaited, young Gabrić and Raci bide their time.
Hajduk's defense is once again in the spotlight, and for all the wrong reasons. In the match against Istra at Poljud, the Whites let a victory slip away in literally the final seconds, conceding a goal for a 2:2 draw. Although the team only needed to "survive" about ten more seconds, the center-backs' reaction was far from the required level.
At the moment when Hajduk had five or six players in their own penalty area, Istra's duo, Hamza Jaganjac and Dukan Ahmeti, managed to create a goal. Jaganjac powered through the crowd, and the ball somehow found its way to Ahmeti, who beat the home defenders. In the whole situation, Mathieu Acapandie was particularly poor, as he didn't even notice the Istra forward, let alone stop him.
The main culprits for the dropped points, however, are Alec Van Hoorenbeeck and Dario Marešić. Their clumsy reaction at the crucial moment left a bitter taste and once again raised questions about the quality of the center-back roster. Coach Gonzalo Garcia did not hide his displeasure. When explaining the decision to loan out young Marin Skelin, he noted that he "fluctuates a lot. He's not stable."
Van Hoorenbeeck was brought in as a reinforcement. He is 27 years old and has experience playing in leagues better than the Croatian one, namely the Belgian and Dutch leagues. It was expected that he would be the one to stabilize the fragile defense. He was paired with Marešić, a year younger, whom Garcia desperately wanted to bring in last season. However, the two have yet to gel, and reinforcements are being touted loudly. President Ivan Bilić has announced the arrival of three more players, and it is expected that at least one of them will be a center-back.
The problem with foreign center-backs at Hajduk is not new. The last one to leave a positive mark was Chidozie Awaziem, who showed quality while on loan from Portugal's Boavista. After Hajduk, he continued his career ascent, playing in the MLS for Cincinnati and Colorado, then in France's Nantes, and this season he joined Turkey's Konyaspor.
Since then, it has been a string of disappointments. Edgar Gonzalez, once a player for Betis, Oviedo, and Almería, looked completely lost in the white shirt. At times, it seemed as if the man wasn't actually a center-back. Ferr is a special story: he came, left, and then returned. Real reportedly offered 100 million euros for him, and in Split he had his bright moments, scoring with a header from a corner, but also making such a blunder that it cost the team a goal. Kristian Dimitrov, who arrived in 2020 from Bulgaria's Plovdiv, is remembered more for his forays into attack than for reliable defending over his two years.
Unlike the foreigners, domestic center-backs brought in from outside haven't left a bitter taste. Zvonimir Šarlija, Filip Uremović, Nikola Katić, and Toni Borevković may not have made a name for themselves, but each is remembered for at least something good.
Hajduk traditionally produces quality domestic center-backs. The best example is Branimir Mlačić, who was sold to Italy's Udinese after a solid half-season. There are also bigger transfers like Luka Vušković, who was bought by Tottenham and now plays for Brighton, and Dominik Prpić, who is at Porto at the age of 22.
This season, Garcia has opted for the experienced duo, but their performances are calling for change. Young Roko Gabrić (19) got only 45 minutes against Varaždin in the first round before being substituted at halftime. Ron Raci has played just a few minutes against Pafos and about 40 minutes against Žalgiris. Given the announced reinforcements, it is expected that at least one of the new players will be a center-back who will bring much-needed stability to the Whites' defense.
