MNK Hajduk Brings in Croatian National Team's 'Number 10'
Josip Jurlina, Croatian futsal international and European Championship bronze medalist, has joined the Split top-flight club ahead of their historic debut season in the elite division.
Josip Jurlina, Croatian futsal international and European Championship bronze medalist, has joined the Split top-flight club ahead of their historic debut season in the elite division.
Split's MNK Hajduk has wrapped up the transfer window in impressive fashion. The club, gearing up for its inaugural season in the SuperSport HMNL, has unveiled a new signing-one of the most prominent names in domestic futsal. Josip Jurlina, a 26-year-old Croatian international, has put pen to paper with the newly promoted side.
The club marked the confirmation of his arrival with an exuberant announcement on social media, highlighting that this is the biggest transfer in the club's history. "With the arrival of Josip Jurlina, the biggest transfer in the club's history has been completed, and the playing squad for the upcoming season is now fully assembled. We now turn our full attention to preparations for our historic debut season in the SS HMNL," MNK Hajduk stated.
Jurlina was born on January 13, 2000, in Zadar, and interestingly, he took his first footballing steps at Hajduk Split before making a permanent switch to the futsal court. He began his futsal career at MNK Split, where he spent two and a half years, before transferring to Olmissum from Omiš.
For Olmissum, he made 180 appearances and scored 43 goals from the 2019/20 season onward. During that period, he won two Croatian league titles, the Croatian Cup, and the Supercup. His performances earned him a regular spot in the national team, and the pinnacle of his career so far came this year with a bronze medal at the European Championship. In the third-place match against France, Jurlina also got on the scoresheet.
Last summer, seeking new challenges, he decided to try his luck abroad and signed for Italian side Napoli. However, after just five months, in search of more playing time, he moved to another Italian top-flight club, Sporting Sala Consilina. He didn't stay there long either, terminating his contract after half a season to accept MNK Hajduk's offer.
Before the transfer was officially confirmed, Jurlina bid an emotional farewell to his former club on his Instagram profile. "Another chapter in my sporting journey has come to an end. I want to thank everyone who was part of this experience in any way: teammates, coaches, and the people at the club," he wrote, adding: "In life and sport, every experience carries a lesson, and from this period, I will carry with me and remember only the good memories."