Hajduk Split: One-euro salaries, Perisic and a first title since 2005?
However, the glory days of the traditional club, which culminated in eleven Yugoslav championships and three quarter-finals in the European Champions Cup and Champions League, appear to be long gone.
Sporting relegation and hooligan chaos
Hajduk Split last won the Croatian championship in 2005, almost two decades ago.
Other clubs, such as HNK Rijeka, have long since overtaken the Dalmatian club in terms of sport and prestige.
Even the derby against Dinamo Zagreb has lost more and more of its lustre and explosiveness in recent years.
In contrast, the club has made headlines in its recent history due to the right-wing nationalist fan group "Torcida", which has repeatedly caused riots and negative symbolism on the national and international stage.
Historic transfer to play for one euro
This is set to finally change in 2024, and with the latest addition, which according to sports director Mindaugas Nikolicius is one of the "biggest transfers in Hajduk history", the club is now announcing this with an international roar.
None other than Ivan Perisic, Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, two-time German champion and former world champion with Croatia, is joining on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
His salary is merely symbolic: he will earn one euro until the summer and then wear the shirt of his home club for another year. A transfer for love and nothing in return - a rarity in today's football.
Ivan Perisic: world-class behind closed doors
Especially when this gesture comes from a world star like Ivan Perisic, who could certainly have moved to Saudi Arabia for millions. A world star? Yes.
Even if Perisic has always been underestimated in his career, the 34-year-old has shown time and again during his spells at VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and not least at Spurs, just like in the national shirt of Croatia, that his teams are successful - and that he is a man for the important games.
In 2019/20, for example, he played a major part in Bayern winning the Bundesliga with six goals in 10 games.
With six goals at World Cups and four at European Championships, he is Croatia's record goalscorer at major tournaments. His goal and assist in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, with which he led his country to the very first final in their young history, are unforgettable.
Perisic also got on the scoresheet in the final against France, which was an extremely unfortunate and controversial loss.
Old stars cavort in Split
His gesture towards his home club honours the winger, who is known for his technique, strength and shooting ability.
For Hajduk, however, it is the cherry on top of a huge cake. After all, Nikola Kalinic, once a great striker jewel at Blackburn Rovers and later a goal scorer for AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and AS Roma, was already a legend in 2022 and will also be honoured via the one-euro model.
Split is also currently home to other ex-legionnaires such as Marko Livaja (Inter Milan, Atalanta Bergamo, UD Las Palmas, among others), Lovre Kalinic (Aston Villa), Filip Uremovic (Hertha BSC, Sheffield United), Josip Elez (Hannover 96, Lazio Roma), Filip Krovinovic (Benfica Lisbon, Nottingham Forest) and Dario Melnjak.
According to rumours, the return of Ivan Raktic is also on the cards. In addition, the German Kosovar Leon Dajaku, who once played for the second team of Bayern and Union Berlin, has established himself as a regular in the team.
Hajduk playing for the title in Croatia again
And it's working: after Dinamo Zagreb's unsuccessful start to the second half of the season at home to Lokomotiva, Hajduk remain top of the table - seven points ahead of "Modri", from whom they have snatched seven points in the three derbies so far this season.
A total of 36 games are played in the Croatian HNL, meaning that teams play each opponent four times per season.
On January 28th, Hajduk will return to league action for the first time since December.
The Adriatic derby against second-placed HNK Rijeka will come too soon for hopeful Perisic.
This is because he is still suffering from a torn cruciate ligament - he is expected to return for the final spurt of the season towards the end of April.
Will he then be able to lift the longed-for first league title since 2005, for which he returned to the south of Croatia, and put the final, well-deserved icing on the cake of his career?
