Torcida Lights Flares at Poljud in the 10th Minute with a Message of Support
In the 10th minute of the SuperSport HNL Round 2 match against Istra 1961, Hajduk's most loyal fans put on a fiery display and sent a clear message of support.
In the 10th minute of the SuperSport HNL Round 2 match against Istra 1961, Hajduk's most loyal fans put on a fiery display and sent a clear message of support.
Hajduk's footballers began their quest for the first league points of the season on home turf on Saturday, August 9, 2026. After a defeat in Varaždin and a European adventure in Vilnius, the Whites welcomed Istra 1961 to Poljud, and the match was marked early on by a fiery backdrop on the north stand.
Coach Garcia's squad returned to Split on Friday, a day after securing a convincing 5:2 victory over Lithuanian side Žalgiris in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round. It was the third consecutive away match for the Split side. In the domestic league, however, the start was not ideal. In the first round, Hajduk suffered a 2:1 away defeat to Varaždin, making the clash with the Pula-based side a must-win. The match against Istra was also the final fixture of SHNL Round 2, with both teams entering it without a single point to their name.
Visiting Istra 1961 is led this season by Spanish coach Javier Cabello, and his team lost 3:2 at home to Lokomotiva in the opening round. They, too, were seeking their first points.
The key moment of the opening phase came as early as the 10th minute. Torcida members then lit several flares in succession, creating a characteristic smoke screen above the stands. Soon after, chanting echoed around Poljud: "Stay strong, Miše!"
The atmosphere at the stadium, although Poljud was not filled to capacity, was lively from the start. The most loyal fans cheered the team from the first whistle, following every move of the players in white shirts.
However, that was not the only fan demonstration of the evening. At the start of the second half, Torcida raised a banner with a message directed at the Chief State Attorney, Ivan Turudić, responding to his recent comments about fan violence and the slow processing of such cases. Then another message appeared: "For 84 hours we let water flow over Knin. The scum surfaced on tractors in Šid." Following that, the north stand led the chant "For the homeland," to which the east stand responded "Ready." The Ustaša salute "For the homeland ready" thus echoed through Poljud once again, and such chanting has no place in football stands or at sporting events. The message refers to Operation Storm, whose main phase lasted 84 hours, from August 4 to 7, 1995, and the mention of tractors alludes to the columns of Serbian civilians who left the Krajina area during and after the operation, with Šid being a town in Serbia through which part of the refugee columns passed.
The referee for the match was Mateo Erceg from Benkovac. His assistants were Stipe Brajković from Šibenik and Vinko Podrug from Zagreb. The fourth official was Filip Dragašević from Zagreb, while the VAR room was manned by Ivan Matić from Osijek and his assistant Dario Kulušić from Šibenik.
Coach Garcia was still without the injured center-back Brajković, whose absence further complicated the Whites' already demanding schedule.
