June 4, 2020 – After several months away, the Croatian First League will return this week with the match between Hajduk and Inter Zapresic at Poljud on Friday at 8 pm.
This means that the pre-game press conferences have returned, but not in the standard form. Hajduk coach Igor Tudor addressed the press via Zoom on Wednesday. We are transmitting the meeting via Index.hr.
What are the expectations and what kind of Hajduk will we see?
“We are all looking forward to the game; that’s why we work and live. It’s a unique story to play without an audience, and it’s never been pleasant for me. It’s an aggravating circumstance for the home team. We have to justify the role of favorites on Friday. At the moment, we have 10 games, and we want to win each one. I think the players are in good shape; they are motivated, they are eager. “
Who stood out the most during the break?
“I never like to point out individuals, but there will be three or four new names on Friday. They have imposed themselves during this break, they are here, but in football, everything changes in a few moments. I want to get a winning mentality from the team. Every rehearsal and every addition better. I think this generation is missing that in general, we saw it in Jordan’s documentary ‘The Last Dance’. I want to see it and we’re going in the direction of improving it.”
Will there be a loudspeaker at the stadium during matches?
“We’ll see. Normally it’s not that, it has nothing to do with real cheering, it has pros and cons, it kills that sick silence, but on the other hand, you hear some weird noise. I really hope the audience comes back in a few rounds and we continue going in the right direction.”
What is the impact of the break on the state of the team, plans for the transition period and the summer?
“As it is for us, so it is for everyone else. In time, everything will be better, in terms of the whole game. An important segment is the selection of players, and we overestimate the role of coaches in such things. You have to be a magician for that, considering the budgets that Croatian clubs have.”
Any comment on the Croatian Cup semifinal?
“It didn’t look bad; there was a good rhythm, a good Slaven in the first half, Lokomotiva solved the game thanks to individual class. The referees overshadowed the great game between Rijeka and Osijek; the boys in black were the best individuals there. Osijek solved that game already, but the boys in black disagreed.”
What about Inter?
“We looked at them a bit in two friendly matches. We will be asked the most here. We have to run full throttle from the first minute and sort things out as soon as possible. We’re going to win.”
What about the match schedule?
“The schedule is not tight, and it’s good that we have five substitutions. This way, while playing every five days, it’s not bad.”
Did you hear from Bjelica after his dismissal at Dinamo? In addition, will these referee problems ever change in the HNL?
“Neno is great, the enemy never sleeps, not even across the border, and he was surprised by a neighbor from Bosnia. As for the refereeing, Hajduk has always beared the brunt of the refs, and now that is Osijek. We give them support. In the last 30 years, what should not be happening is happening, the refs who should be invisible are always here. That can change immediately, but a few people decide it. I welcome the suspension of refs, whoever makes a mistake has to suffer the consequences. The HNL has a long, beautiful history around that, but I hope it goes in a better direction as a lot of things in this state are going in a better direction.”
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