Fans demand coach's exit as Hajduk Split faces mounting pressure

Hajduk Split's coach, Gonzalo Garcia, is under immense pressure following a dismal start to the new season. The Croatian club suffered early exits in the Europa League qualifiers and a significant defeat in their domestic league opener, fueling fan discontent.

Fans have openly expressed their dissatisfaction, with a banner reading "Garcia, go home" appearing on the team's training ground. This message clearly conveys the supporters' desire for the Spanish coach to leave, stemming from perceived poor decisions and a strained relationship with the team's star player, Marko Livaja.

Livaja, considered a club legend, has had limited playing time under Garcia this season. He only recently started a match after previously accumulating just 80 minutes across five games, including the end of the previous season. This situation has further exacerbated tensions between the coach and the fanbase.

Former player Hrvoje Vejić also voiced strong criticism of Garcia's management on a sports program. Vejić questioned the coach's tactical philosophy, citing instances where key players were seemingly misused. He specifically pointed to the degradation of Livaja's role and the deployment of other players in positions where they appeared uncomfortable or ineffective, questioning the overall strategy behind these decisions.

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You have totally degraded the team captain. A player who is an absolute legend of the club, who has achieved numbers that no one will ever achieve. You degraded him because he is a forward who does not play defense. Terrible. Then we put a player who was brought in as the best winger to play main striker because he plays defense well. For the main defender, we bring in a player who is great but doesn't know how to play defense. We put a left-back who has the best cross in the league in a defensive midfield role where he has no idea what he's doing. Is that the philosophy? That's the idea that we at home don't understand because, apparently, everything from abroad is better.