Legendary player and former Hajduk coach Zoran Vulić analyzed the Split side's poor start to the season, the form of captain Marko Livaja, and the chronic ailments of Croatian clubs for Net.hr.
Hajduk finds itself at a crucial turning point at the very start of the season. After being eliminated from the Europa League by Pafos with an aggregate score of 4-2 and suffering a 2-1 defeat to Varaždin in the HNL opener, Gonzalo Garcia's side will play the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Žalgiris from Vilnius on Thursday, August 6, 2026. On this occasion, legendary player and former Hajduk coach Zoran Vulić shared his thoughts on the club's situation with Net.hr.
Commenting on the defeat to Varaždin, Vulić did not hide his dissatisfaction with what he saw. "The result is not what we expected. We had our chances; I'd say a draw would have been a fair result, but in the end, we lost," Vulić told Net.hr. He was particularly critical of the team's performance in the first half and the manner in which Hajduk conceded the goals.
"The first half was unwatchable; neither Varaždin nor Hajduk played well. The second, however, was very interesting. There were plenty of chances, and in the end, Hajduk conceded cheap goals. I'm not saying that to diminish Varaždin's success-they played well-but to highlight Hajduk's problems. They need to think about the goals they're conceding because both were preventable," he emphasized.
Vulić also addressed a worrying trend that plagues not only Hajduk but also other Croatian clubs and even the national team. Varaždin's first goal came from a set piece, and in their European outings, they conceded four goals, all from set pieces. Hajduk, meanwhile, was eliminated by Pafos after conceding from a corner in stoppage time.
"I think set pieces are trained just like everything else. You have people who specialize in that, and that's normal abroad. Croatian clubs usually only work on set pieces before matches, which isn't good. I believe our biggest issue with set pieces is concentration, and I also get the impression that other teams work more on offensive set pieces than we do; they drill them," Vulić analyzed.
A special topic of conversation was captain Marko Livaja, who has not been performing at his recognizable level since coach Gonzalo Garcia arrived. He started the season as a substitute, and the match against Varaždin was his first start. Vulić believes that the overall atmosphere created around him has affected the form of the SHNL's best player in recent seasons.
"I think the whole situation surrounding Livaja and all those questions has had an impact on him and on the results. A 'normal' Livaja solves matches without any trouble because he's quality, but right now, he can't do that. The media tug-of-war has certainly left its mark on him. However, it should be noted-Hajduk is not just Marko Livaja. We all know that a striker depends on the midfielders, and it's not like they helped him much. He's always needed by the team, and I'm sure all this tugging and questioning will stop as soon as Marko returns to form because Hajduk will immediately be a level better and more competitive," Vulić said.
Although Hajduk got a nominally favorable opponent in the third qualifying round of the Conference League, Vulić warns of caution. The team is shaken after two consecutive defeats and must not underestimate the Lithuanian side. He is also aware that times are different than two decades ago.
"Twenty years ago, it would have been a question of whether Hajduk would score three or four goals, but today it's not like that. In Serbia, there's a saying, 'Once burned, twice shy,' and it's the same here. The team is shaken after two straight losses, and it certainly won't be easy for them. It's important that the team pulls together and shows they are better over those 90, or 180, minutes. They have the quality, but it's all in their hands, and the fact that the draw was favorable doesn't matter. First, they need to get past Žalgiris, then think about what's next. Hajduk is 'alive' in Europe; we're slowly building form, and everything is on us," Vulić concluded.
