Hajduk Faces Turbulent Start to Season Amidst Captain's Conflict and Squad Overhaul

Hajduk Split is bracing for a turbulent start to their European campaign, with their Europa League qualifier against Slovakia's Žilina looming. The club has navigated an extremely disruptive preparation period, largely dominated by the status of their captain, Marko Livaja.

“

Livaja refused to sign the disciplinary code and then was removed from training at Bled after he inappropriately addressed Garcia and Graf when he refused to run penalty laps for not going to rooms as the club had requested the day before.

Livaja was reportedly in a major dispute with coach Gonzalo García and sporting director Robert Graf. The situation escalated when Livaja missed the team's photo session, refused to sign a disciplinary code, and was removed from training camp after an incident involving penalty laps. Even after returning to Split, Livaja initially refused to apologize to the coach and sporting director, abstaining from team training. The conflict appeared to resolve when Hajduk announced Livaja had agreed to sign the disciplinary code and complete the required running drills, allowing his return to the first team. However, given the drama, it's unlikely he will start against Žilina.

“

Even when the situation was supposed to be smoothed over in Split this weekend, Livaja refused to apologize to the coach and sporting director and did not train with the team.

Beyond the Livaja saga, Hajduk has seen a substantial squad overhaul. Players like Zvonimir Šarlija, Filip Krovinović, Hugo Guillamón, and Anthony Kalik were told they could seek new clubs. Ante Rebić declined a contract extension, and Bruno Durdov was sold. New arrivals include midfielders Alberto del Moral, Etnik Brutti, and Dalisson de Almeida, right-back Mathieu Acapandie, and center-back Alec van Hoorenbeeck. This significant restructuring means Hajduk will present a considerably different lineup against Žilina.

“

Yesterday, the situation finally calmed down, as Hajduk announced that Livaja had finally agreed to sign the disciplinary code and complete the aforementioned penalty laps, i.e., the running training.

Meanwhile, other Croatian clubs are also preparing for European competitions. Dinamo Zagreb, the domestic double winner, has bolstered its squad with signings like Mislav Oršić, Stjepan Radeljić, and Dani Rodríguez. Dinamo had a strong pre-season, finishing with a 12-0 goal difference across their matches before facing Swiss champions Thun in the Champions League second qualifying round.

“

Despite this reconciliation, it is still too early to claim that everything is rosy between Livaja and his superiors. Who knows what else could happen and what turns could occur.