Hajduk coach after big win: 'The club is in a difficult situation, I'm working damn hard here'

Hajduk Split achieved a crucial 5-2 away victory against Žalgiris Vilnius in the Conference League qualifiers, putting them in a strong position to advance to the playoff round. The Croatian club secured a substantial lead with goals from Michele Šego (twice), Adrion Pajaziti, Dalisson, and Rokas Pukštas, while Nikola Petković and Marko Capan scored for the Lithuanian side.

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When you lose a few games at Hajduk, there's always pressure. Hajduk hasn't won away in Europe for six or seven years. Now we've managed it, but it wasn't easy.

Following the match, Hajduk's coach, Gonzalo Garcia, reflected on the win, acknowledging the persistent pressure at the club, especially after recent losses. "When you lose a few games at Hajduk, there's always pressure," Garcia stated. "Hajduk hasn't won away in Europe for six or seven years. Now we've managed it, but it wasn't easy." He noted the game was tied 1-1 after 30 minutes, with Hajduk missing a penalty and other opportunities, expressing hope that the victory would benefit the team moving forward.

Garcia candidly described the club's challenging circumstances, stating, "The club is in a difficult situation. We work hard, I've been working here for 13-14 months extremely hard." He stressed the need to maintain focus, with another match approaching in two days, and acknowledged that a loss would bring renewed criticism. "We know if we lose, everything will be bad again," he said. Garcia also highlighted the club's future prospects, pointing to the many young players from the academy, including Hrgović, Silić, Pukštas, and Šego, as evidence of potential.

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The club is in a difficult situation. We work hard, I've been working here for 13-14 months extremely hard. We have to push forward, in two days we have a new match. We know if we lose, everything will be bad again.

The coach praised the atmosphere in Vilnius, calling the city "great" and its people "kind." He was impressed by the Žalgiris fans' support even when their team was losing. However, a negative incident occurred when some fans threw glasses at Rokas Pukštas. Garcia commented on this, understanding the local expectation for Pukštas, who is from Lithuania, to play for their national team. He mentioned Pukštas is focused on his game and will spend time with his family.

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The city is great, the people are kind, we were received excellently. I said before the match that watching the Dinamo match, I was surprised by the atmosphere. And today, even when we were leading, Žalgiris fans were singing. That's nice.