Kek: HNL is the priority, first goal is to finish ahead of Hajduk
Rijeka got past Derry City and now turns to the league, with coach Matjaž Kek making it clear that third place is not on his mind.
Rijeka got past Derry City and now turns to the league, with coach Matjaž Kek making it clear that third place is not on his mind.
Rijeka's footballers successfully cleared the first European hurdle of the season, beating Derry City 2-0 on aggregate, but coach Matjaž Kek made it clear that the domestic league will be the absolute focus of his team. Rijeka will open their league campaign on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Rujevica against Rudeš, and Kek has announced a fight for the very top, as reported by Večernji list.
After a narrow 1-0 win in the return leg against the Northern Irish side, Kek did not hide his satisfaction with advancing to the third qualifying round of the Conference League, but he quickly shifted the focus to the SuperSport HNL. "I think we deserved to go through. Admittedly, we didn't start the match well; maybe we showed a bit too much respect for their style of play. But we scored at the right moment. I like to see character in my team, to see the players fight and show it when needed. Congratulations to the players on the win; they earned it on the pitch. The primary goal was to start the season positively. We managed that, but now we immediately turn to Rudeš and the league, which is very important to us. Europe is a bonus for me, but the Croatian league is even more important," Kek told Večernji list.
Although bookmakers and predictions see Rijeka as the third favorite for the title, behind Dinamo and Hajduk, the Slovenian coach's ambitions go much higher. Kek did not return to Rujevica to fight for third place. According to Večernji list, his minimum goal is to finish ahead of Hajduk from Split, and if the opportunity arises, to challenge Dinamo as well. After all, Kek has already proven that he can win the title from an underdog position, as he did in the 2016/2017 season when he led Rijeka to a double crown.
Matjaž Kek is a record holder in Rijeka's history with an average of 2.05 points per game, and he led the club in 276 matches during his first tenure from 2013 to 2018. In five seasons at the helm of Rijeka, he was runner-up four times and champion once. If he continues with such a record, second place should not be in question. However, much will depend on squad matters. As Večernji list reports, the stay of key player Fruk is uncertain, and a potential departure would force sporting director Darko Raić-Sudar and president Damir Mišković to find an adequate replacement. An additional challenge will be potential qualification for the league phase of the Conference League, which would bring a financial boost but also put extra strain on an already thin squad.
Rijeka's match on Sunday at 9 PM at Rujevica will be the last game of the first round of the SuperSport HNL. According to the schedule provided by Lika Online, Saturday brings clashes between Istra 1961 and Lokomotiva in Pula (6:30 PM) and Gorica vs. Osijek (9:00 PM). The most attention is drawn to Sunday's derby in Varaždin, where Hajduk will seek redemption after a painful elimination from Europa League qualifiers against Pafos. Champions Dinamo have already secured a win in their opener, beating Slaven Belupo 2-0 at Maksimir.
In the first match of the season, Dion Drena Beljo scored twice to give Dinamo all three points. "We opened the season with a win; it's important for confidence. After a tough match three days ago, this was what we needed to turn our attention to the next round in Europe," Beljo said for Dinamo's official channel, as reported by HRT Sport. He added that he was not entirely satisfied with his performance despite the two goals: "The two goals are important for my confidence, but I'm not overly happy with my play; I have room to improve in efficiency, and I'll certainly work on some things."
Stjepan Radeljić, who started for the first time in front of a full Maksimir, admitted he felt nervous: "It's a special feeling to start from the first minute in front of so many fans. At the beginning, my legs were a bit shaky, but as the match went on, it got better and better."
