Hajduk and WhiteBIT Partnership Falls Through
The offered fixed amount is significantly lower than announced, and a key part of the contract is conditional on access to the personal data database of over 100,000 club members.
The offered fixed amount is significantly lower than announced, and a key part of the contract is conditional on access to the personal data database of over 100,000 club members.
The partnership between Hajduk and the cryptocurrency trading company WhiteBIT appears to be falling through. The key sticking point is a clause that would grant WhiteBIT access to the personal data database of the membership, which numbers over 100,000 people-something the Split club is unwilling to accept.
WhiteBIT, a company owned by Ukrainian billionaire Volodimir Nosov, has its representative in Croatia in the form of Ivica Pirić, a former Hajduk footballer and honorary consul of Ukraine. Pirić has made public appearances with ambitious announcements about big money for the club and an attack on the top of Croatian football, but the story has gradually lost momentum.
According to unofficial information, Pirić and WhiteBIT representatives requested access to the personal data database of all club members. Such a move, according to interpretations, would be highly problematic in terms of personal data protection laws and would represent a step into a gray area.
It was precisely this clause that the largest portion of the contract money depended on. The base amount WhiteBIT offers for a spot on the jersey is reportedly less than one million euros per year, while the variable portion, significantly larger, was conditional on the use of the company's app by Hajduk members and partners.
Hajduk issued a lengthy statement on July 2, 2026, in which, although without directly mentioning the disputed clause, it clearly hinted at where the problems lie. "As with all serious long-term business partnerships, this is an offer consisting of a predefined and guaranteed fixed portion and a significantly larger portion whose value is a projection of future revenues and is achievable only upon the fulfillment of a series of assumptions, goals, and circumstances whose realization is uncertain," the statement reads.
The club also emphasized that "the offered fixed portion is not in line with the perception of the total value that has been created in the public eye." Special emphasis was placed on protecting the interests of members: "As a Club co-owned by its members, we have a responsibility to protect their long-term interests, governance processes, the Club's identity, and the rights of members and fans. In doing so, we place particular emphasis on the protection of the personal data of members and fans."
Ivica Pirić, in his appearances for Sportske novosti, announced that his "plan is to secure at least 5 to 10 million euros per year for Hajduk." However, the reality, according to information from Slobodna Dalmacija, is significantly different. Without the disputed clause on member data, the total contract amount would be several times smaller than announced.
In its statement, Hajduk also warned about the manner of communication: "financial amounts presented to the public are presented without full context, which can lead to erroneous conclusions about the true value and content of the received offer." In some appearances, Pirić even announced an attempt to enter the club's management structure.
