Marko Livaja Named Best SuperSport HNL Player in “Captains’ Choice” Awards

Daniela Rogulj

Photo: Zvonimir Barisin/PIXSELL

January 24, 2025 – Marko Livaja has been named the best player in SuperSport HNL for the third time in the traditional “Captains’ Choice” awards!

The prestigious event, organized annually by tportal, took place in the elegant ballroom of the Le Meridien Lav Hotel in Podstrana.

Livaja, who garnered 82 points in the voting, secured the top spot, finishing 18 points ahead of Dinamo Zagreb’s Bruno Petković. The event was hosted by Joško Lokas and attracted an array of notable attendees, including Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blaženko Boban, Split Mayor Ivica Puljak, former footballer Stipe Pletikosa, Hajduk Split President Ivan Bilić, and several Hajduk first-team players such as Ivan Rakitić, Filip Uremović, and Dario Melnjak.

Silvijo Škrlec, the journalist who first conceived the idea for these awards, announced an exciting addition to the format this year: captains also voted for Croatia’s best female footballer. This inaugural honor went to Maja Joščak of ŽNK Osijek.

“Something like this doesn’t exist in Spain — there’s a fan-based vote, but nothing like this,” said Ivan Rakitić during the ceremony. “I’m glad to see my teammates and my captain here, and I’m thrilled that Marko Livaja has earned this title. One of my favorite moments in life was stepping onto Poljud when I joined Hajduk.”

The awards were accompanied by unique statuettes crafted by artist Silvijo Vujčić.

“I’m honored to receive this award,” Joščak said. “It’s a debut prize, and I hope it motivates other girls to keep working on themselves. It’s about recognizing the best, and this year, it was me.”

Marko Livaja also expressed his gratitude, reflecting on the significance of being chosen by his peers for a third time after also winning in 2021 and 2022. “It’s always an honor when your competitors select you,” he said. “It’s a great motivation to keep improving, even though age isn’t on my side. We’ll keep pushing to show we can do more and be even better.”

When asked about his mindset regarding accolades, Livaja remained humble. “I don’t stress about awards — they come naturally. We’ve had moments when we weren’t at our best and others when we were. I had a tough year in 2024, missing three months due to injury. It was challenging and I hope it doesn’t happen again. The most important thing is to stay healthy and avoid injuries.”

The “Captains’ Choice” awards remain a celebration of excellence in Croatian football, with captains from all first-league teams participating in the voting process. For Livaja, this recognition underscores his continued impact and leadership on the pitch, cementing his place among the greats of Croatian football.

 

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