HNK Hajduk Split has been at the center of several separate developments over the past 24 hours. The club has arranged loan moves for two players and remained on the road for a Croatian Cup fixture following a convincing league victory.
Young defender Marino Skelin is joining Slaven Belupo on loan. The 19-year-old centre-back, a product of the Hajduk academy, has made 12 official appearances for the first team. Manager Gonzalo Garcia had previously stated that regular playing time elsewhere would benefit Skelin's development.
"He is a player who should have a good future at this club," Garcia said in early August. "I think he needs to go because he is very talented." Alongside him, midfielder Mihael Žaper is also leaving on loan, rejoining Slovenian side Radomlje. Žaper suffered a serious knee injury in February 2024 and began last season on loan at Lokomotiva.
The Hajduk squad did not return to Split after Sunday's 4:0 win over Rudeš. Instead, they immediately traveled to Baranja for their Croatian Football Cup round of 32 match against Vardarac on Tuesday. Young striker Peter Nnaemeka Ugwuodo, who is still awaiting his official debut for the senior team, traveled with the squad.
The match against Vardarac, a club from a village of around 500 inhabitants that competes in the Fourth Division, is scheduled for Tuesday at 16:30. Hajduk are the clear favorites, and the winner of this tie will face the victor of the match between Slavonija from Požega and Oriolik in the round of 16. Manager Garcia could use this opportunity to rotate his lineup.
Ugwuodo is a 20-year-old Nigerian striker standing 193 cm tall. He joined Hajduk directly and spent last season on a dual registration with Uskok from Klis. This summer, he extended his contract with the Whites until June 2028 and was then sent on dual registration to Croatia from Zmijavci.
His start to the season in the Second League has been excellent. In the first three rounds, he scored two goals in just 79 minutes of playing time. He found the net in wins against Hrvace and Dubrava. The match against Vardarac could be his first chance to play for Hajduk's senior side. The current squad status can be followed on our squad page.
Raków Częstochowa, the team Hajduk knocked out of the Europa Conference League in late August, continues its poor run of form. The Polish club lost 1:0 to Lech Poznań on Sunday and remains bottom of the Ekstraklasa without a point after six rounds. The only goal was scored by Leo Bengtsson in the 71st minute.
This marks Raków's sixth consecutive league defeat. Their last victory dates back to August 13th, when they beat Hammarby in Europe. Following the two-legged tie with Hajduk, the club sacked manager Dawid Kroczek, but the change on the bench has not brought a turnaround. Elimination by the Split side further deepened the crisis at the Polish club.
Hajduk secured a convincing 4:0 away win against Rudeš in the sixth round of the HNL. Michele Šego scored twice, with Marin Šotiček and debutant Khalil Fayad adding one each. The victory saw the Whites take top spot in the table, sharing it with Dinamo and Varaždin, each on 13 points. The full table can be seen on standings.
The Split side dominated from the start. Šego opened the scoring in the fourth minute and added a penalty in the 28th. Šotiček scored in the 48th minute, and Fayad sealed the win three minutes from time. This victory marks Hajduk's fourth win in six matches, with one draw and one loss, scoring 15 goals while conceding five. Their next league challenge is a home match against Slaven Belupo on September 12th.
