While Varaždin builds its story on stability and continuity, Slaven Belupo turns to young talents and an attacking style. Another unpredictable neighbor clash awaits them on Sunday.
Varaždin and Slaven Belupo will play another neighbor derby on Sunday at Koprivnica's Apaš stadium, a match that traditionally has no clear favorite. Both clubs enter the new season with distinct, yet diametrically opposed identities, making this one of the most intriguing fixtures of the opening round.
Over the past two seasons, Varaždin has secured European qualification, a huge achievement for a club that ranks in the lower half of the top-flight table in financial terms. Although they failed to progress past the first hurdle in the Conference League qualifiers both times-last year being stopped by Portugal's Santa Clara and this summer by Czech side Jablonec-the mere fact that they represented Croatian football on the international stage remains etched in club history.
The key to their success lies in stability. Coach and sporting director Nikola Šafarić has not made many changes to the squad, relying on a well-drilled system of a solid block and dangerous transitions. This edge over their northern rivals allowed Varaždin to finish last season just one point ahead of Slaven and Istra 1961.
On the other hand, Koprivnica has seen numerous changes. After former coach Mario Kovačević left for Dinamo, his former assistant Mario Gregurina took the helm. He has stayed true to an attacking brand of football with high pressing and intensity-a style that attracts crowds and produces high-scoring games, but sometimes results in painful defeats when the team opens up too much.
This approach has proven ideal for nurturing young players, which has become a pronounced club policy. The results of this strategy are visible in significant transfer revenues, with the sale of Adrian Jagušić to Panathinaikos alone bringing in €6.2 million.
Interestingly, both clubs operate with very similar financial resources. According to 2025 data, Slaven Belupo spent €2,659,402 on player wages, while Varaždin allocated €2,375,838 for the same purpose. Although the difference is minimal, their approaches are completely different: Varaždin has again made minimal changes to its playing squad this summer, while the Pharmacists have undergone another wave of changes.
Last season was particularly painful for Slaven Belupo. The team let European qualification slip away in the final round, and losing the Cup final to Rijeka left them without a trophy and a chance for redemption. It was speculated that their Cup run had cost the Pharmacists a better league finish, but fans were ultimately satisfied that their club had risen above mediocrity.
The new season has brought further changes to Slaven's squad, while Varaždin has once again remained consistent with its strategy. Ahead of Sunday's neighbor derby at Apaš, that stability could give the visitors a slight edge. However, predictions are always tricky-these matches have traditionally been ones where all three outcomes are possible, and fans are hoping above all for good football.
