Who Is the Victim Here?

Hajduk drew with Varaždin, and the tactical approach in the match was both obvious and expected. It is likely that Hajduk lost the championship in this game. As one player from Hajduk’s locker room once said, “It’s nothing new; we’re used to it.” However, this player appears to be out of form and is not contributing to Hajduk’s game as his coach expects. His lackluster performance has a significant impact on the team and the club’s surroundings. Journalists who appreciate his past achievements believe that Hajduk and its coach do not respect him enough and consider him a victim. This perspective creates enormous confusion, degrading both the locker room atmosphere and the overall environment surrounding the club. But who is truly lacking respect in this situation? Is it the player who does not adhere to the system of play, or the coach who refuses to change his philosophy, for which he was brought to the club?

About the Match:

Šafarić took advantage of Hajduk’s buildup and positioning strategy, where the right fullback moved into midfield but was frequently late in his defensive duties. Varaždin created serious opportunities on their left wing by implementing diagonal passes to Tavares whenever possible.

In the second half, Šafarić shifted to a 5-3-2 formation, further crowding the central corridor. Even after receiving a red card, they maintained their shape in a 5-3-1 formation.

Garcia failed to adapt and did not utilize the width of the pitch effectively. His substitutions were poor, leaving the “victim” player in the lineup while placing Šego in a winger position. He should have responded by introducing Bamba as a right winger and moving Šego to a central forward position.

Hajduk played in a manner consistent with Garcia’s tactics and made enough penetrations into the 16-yard box, but the “victim” player was not present to score.