The Refereeing Commission of the Croatian Football Federation has stated that HNK Hajduk Split was denied a clear penalty in the last round of the SuperSport HNL. In its analysis of incidents from the 5th round, the commission expressed the opinion that referee Ivan Vukančić should have awarded a spot kick to the Whites for a foul in the 68th minute of the match against Lokomotiva. The report was published on the official HNS website and reported by Index.hr Sport.
Hajduk won that match at Poljud 2:0, but the analysis shows the scoreline could have been more convincing. The commission simultaneously reviewed another match from the round, Varaždin against Rudeš, where referee Duje Crnojević correctly awarded a penalty to the home team after a VAR review. For Hajduk, however, such intervention did not occur.
Why Should It Have Been a Penalty?
The key incident happened in the 68th minute when Hajduk's attacker wearing number 7, Abdoulie Bamba Syangon, entered Lokomotiva's penalty area. The visiting defender with number 20, Marin Leovac, made a movement with his left leg, striking the back of Syangon's left leg. According to the technical guideline cited by the commission, a defender behind an attacker must avoid any contact that could impede running. The contact was sufficient for Syangon to clearly stumble and fall naturally onto the turf.
Referee Vukančić allowed play to continue on the field. The chairman of the refereeing commission, Joško Layec, stated that in that situation, "it is considered that Hajduk was disadvantaged after a foul in the penalty area on Abdoulie Bamba Syangon." The commission therefore expected a VAR intervention and the awarding of a penalty kick, which did not happen.
How Does This Decision Fit Into the Season?
This episode occurs as Hajduk is building its position at the top of the table. After five rounds played, the Whites are fourth with 10 points, with three wins, one draw, and one loss. They have a positive goal difference of +6, having scored 11 and conceded 5 goals. They currently trail leaders NK Osijek by just two points.
Their recent form shows win, win, win, loss, draw (WWWDL). Every lost point, and even a potential penalty, can be significant in a tight title race. You can follow the current standings on our standings page.
What Happened in the Other Analyzed Match?
Unlike the case at Poljud, in the Varaždin – Rudeš match the VAR system functioned correctly. In the 59th minute, referee Duje Crnojević recommended a review for a potential foul in Rudeš's penalty area on Varaždin's attacker number 16. After reviewing the monitor, Crnojević awarded a penalty. As he stated in his report, he "awards a penalty kick for the home team." Layec agreed with that decision, showing consistency in applying the rules when using available tools.
What's Next for Hajduk?
The team now prepares for its next league engagement. Already on Friday, September 6, 2026, Hajduk travels to face Rudeš away. Rudeš is currently in 8th place in the table. The full match schedule can be found on our fixtures display. Before that match, the players and coaching staff will certainly analyze this refereeing episode from the last game, also considering current team performance data available on the stats page.
The match against Lokomotiva remains recorded as a win, but without the additional goal that potentially could have increased the goal difference. Marin Leovac, Lokomotiva's defender with number 20 on his shirt, avoided punishment for the foul on Abdoulie Bamba Syangon in the 68th minute.
