HNK Hajduk Split learns its first European opponent in the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League, with possible matches against Vestri, Žilina, Vojvodina, Universitatea Cluj, Aluminij, and Derry City. Hajduk started its preparations for the new season yesterday, but only 17 players showed up for the first call. New sports director Robert Graf has a lot of work to do, and Gonzalo Garcia urgently needs reinforcements. The Hajduk players will spend the first week of preparations in Split, and then move to Bled, where they will stay until July 1. They will play three friendly matches against Škendija, Čerkasija, and Celja, which will also be a general rehearsal before the first match of the season, scheduled for July 9 in the 1st round of the Europa League. The return match of the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League is on July 16. HNK Hajduk Split has not played in Europe for a long time, with the last European competition group stage matches at Poljud dating back to the 2010/2011 season. Among the potential opponents is also the Slovakian team Žilina, with whom Hajduk did not have a good experience in 2009. Of the possible opponents in the 1st qualifying round, the most favorable is the Icelandic team Vestri, which was relegated to the 2nd Icelandic league but qualified for the Europa League by winning the Icelandic Cup. This team from Ísafjördur in northwest Iceland is worth less than 1.5 million euros. However, given Hajduk's past performances in Europe, the 'whites' should not underestimate anyone, even if it's Vestri. The draw is scheduled for 17:00. HNK Hajduk Split has a 'safety net' this season, as if they are eliminated from the Europa League, they will move to the qualifying rounds of the Conference League.