Istra 1961 striker speaks out about the refereeing controversy at Poljud: 'Silić grabbed Maurić's leg, it was a clear penalty. It's unbelievable that VAR didn't intervene in either situation.'
The 2nd round SuperSport HNL match between Hajduk and Istra 1961 at Poljud, which ended 2:2, will be remembered for the refereeing decisions that sparked fierce reactions. Head referee Mateo Erceg and VAR official Ivan Matić from Osijek came under fire for not awarding two penalties to the visitors from Pula, and the Croatian Football Federation's Refereeing Commission later confirmed that Istra was wronged.
After the head of the Refereeing Commission, Bertrand Layec, clearly stated that Istra was shortchanged, the direct participant in the disputed situations, striker Hamza Jaganjac, also spoke out. In an interview with Tportal Vijesti, he detailed what happened on the pitch and what he told referee Erceg. His statements are also carried by Glas Istre, and Jaganjac emphasized that even on the field, he thought it would be absurd not to call such a foul.
The key disputed situation occurred in the 89th minute when Hajduk defender Alec Van Hoorenbeeck elbowed Jaganjac in the penalty area. Erceg did not point to the spot, and the VAR room did not react.
"The home defender elbowed me in the head, and it was a clear penalty. I was quite surprised and taken aback by the head referee's decision," Jaganjac told Tportal Vijesti.
The Istra striker also revealed what he directly said to the referee after the foul: "After I got up, I immediately approached him and told him he would embarrass himself if he didn't at least look at the replay of that action, but he stuck to his decision, and in the end, it turned out I was right."
Jaganjac particularly highlighted another officiating oversight: the fact that play was not stopped after the blow to the head, regardless of whether it was deemed a foul. He believes that stopping play would have given the VAR room a chance to review the disputed situation.
"All in all, I can say I came off okay, because if the opposing player had hit me a bit harder, or at a different angle, he could have cut me open and maybe even broken a bone, and blood would have flowed, and then maybe the referee would have stopped the game. Luckily, there was no blood, but after any blow to the head, regardless of the decision on whether it was a foul or not, the referee must stop the match immediately, and I don't understand why Erceg didn't do that," said Jaganjac.
However, that was not the only disputed situation. In the 63rd minute, Jaganjac witnessed from close range the contact between Hajduk goalkeeper Toni Silić and Istra midfielder Antonio Maurić. According to the Refereeing Commission's analysis, Istra was wronged for at least one penalty for the elbow on Jaganjac, while the situation with Silić is not considered a clear error. However, Jaganjac disagrees and believes that penalty should also have been awarded.
"It happened right in front of me; Silić grabbed Maurić's leg, and it was a clear penalty. It's simply impossible for me that VAR didn't intervene in either of those two situations. Regardless of the head referee's decision, his colleagues should have called him over to look at the replay, and then he could make the final call," complained the Istra 1961 striker.
In its analysis of the officiating at Poljud, Dnevno.hr points out that this is a classic case of VAR technology abuse. "After obvious suspicious and delicate situations, not to proceed with a check, not to go to the monitor, and not to reconsider one's decision-we're talking about the head referee-means only one thing. That is undeniable abuse of VAR technology," the text states.
It is particularly emphasized that Van Hoorenbeeck's foul on Jaganjac was not just a potential penalty but also a situation that required a check due to a possible sending-off. Yet Erceg did not consult the replay, and VAR official Ivan Matić from Osijek did not call him over for a review.
Dnevno.hr also draws a parallel with Luka Modrić and the World Cup, reminding that the rules of the game punish carelessness and clumsiness. "You accidentally miss the ball and hit an opponent's leg, like Modrić did at the start of the World Cup against England. Clearly, a punishment follows. And we listen to stories that the man didn't intend to smash someone's head with an elbow in a jump," the analysis concludes ironically.
