The Croatian Football Federation has announced the referees for the 2nd round of the SuperSport HNL. The spotlight is on the clash between Hajduk and Istra 1961, while the Rijeka-Dinamo derby has been postponed due to European commitments.
The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) announced the official referee appointments for the 2nd round of the SuperSport HNL on Thursday, August 6, 2026, with matches scheduled for August 8 and 9. The focus is once again on Hajduk from Split, with Mateo Erceg from Benkovac set to officiate their clash against Istra 1961 at Poljud. The round will not be complete, as the big derby between Rijeka and Dinamo has been postponed.
The reason for the postponement is the European commitments of both clubs. Rijeka will face Ilves from Tampere in the Conference League qualifiers, while Dinamo will travel to Kauno Žalgiris for the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round. A new date for their league encounter will be announced later.
Hajduk will be looking for their first league points on Sunday at 9 PM at a sold-out Poljud, following their defeat to Varaždin in the first round. After numerous controversies in the opening round, special attention will be paid to the officiating. In Varaždin, many pointed to the referee's decisions, including a penalty awarded to Hajduk in the dying moments, which Marko Livaja failed to convert.
Assistants to the main referee Mateo Erceg will be Stipe Brajković from Šibenik and Ante Podnar from Gospić. Filip Dragašević from Zagreb will serve as the fourth official. In the VAR room, Ivan Matić from Osijek will be in charge, with Dario Kulušić from Šibenik as the AVAR official.
The second round kicks off on Saturday at 6:30 PM with the match between Rudeš and Osijek in Velika Gorica. Marko Crnojević from Novska will be the main referee, marking his second appearance in the SuperSport HNL. He made his debut last season in the match between Osijek and Slaven Belupo, which Osijek won 2-0 in the 36th round. His assistants will be Ivan Starčević from Bjelovar and Patrik Krmar from Zaprešić, with Antonio Melnjak from Rijeka as the fourth official. In the VAR room, Igor Pajač from Sveti Ivan Zelina will be assisted by Bojan Zobenica from Velika Gorica.
At the same time, at 9 PM, Lokomotiva and Gorica will meet at Maksimir. Antonio Škobić from Osijek will referee, with Ivan Bebek from Rijeka as the main VAR official. This will be Škobić's second time officiating in the top tier of Croatian football, after his debut last season in the match between Lokomotiva and Hajduk, which ended 1-1. His assistants will be Marko Reljan from Osijek and Filip Đerđ from Darda, with Patrik Pavlešić from Duga Resa as the fourth official, and Kristijan Novosel from Valpovo also in the VAR room.
Sunday's schedule begins at 6:30 PM with the match between Slaven Belupo and Varaždin in Koprivnica. Duje Strukan from Split will be the main referee, with Tihomir Pejin from Donji Miholjac in charge of VAR. The assistants are Dujo Sarić from Klis and Bruno Geller from Sveti Ivan Zelina, with Ante Terzić from Podstrana as the fourth official, and Ante Čuljak from Zagreb as the assistant VAR official.
The HNS has wished luck to the Croatian representatives in Europe via its official Twitter profile. "In the battle for a spot in the @Conf_League, the players of @hajduk will visit Žalgiris from Vilnius tonight at 7:00 PM, while the players of @NKRijeka host Ilves from Tampere at 8:45 PM - good luck!" the post reads.
