From Turmoil to Triumph: The Remarkable Journey of HNK Rijeka
Rockbottom.
Back in November of 2022, in the last round of the HNL before the World Cup, and subsequently the winter break, Rijeka faced off against Dinamo at home, with the Modri putting 7 goals past their captain Nediljko Labrović in a 7-2 defeat for the hosts. Gabriel Lunetta and Mario Vrančić scored two consolation goals but that didn’t help any fan in feeling down about the club’s situation. They finished that first half of the season in 8th position. Serse Cosmi was replaced by Sergej Jakirović, who had been the Zrinjski Mostar manager.
Before Jakirović came in at the end of that November, the club was filled with many half-baked players. Vrančić, Lunetta, Alvarez, Pavlović etc. All of them soon left the club as Jakirović wanted to start with a clean slate in 2023. Rijeka then had a good second half of the season, fully recovering and looking good again. They fought with Osijek for the 3rd place spot but fell short in the last game of the season. However, that was still a good result considering all the turmoil.
New season, new faces.
The fans entered the 23/24 season without big aspirations, most of them expected a calm season with a few good derby wins here and there. Jakirović brought in some great names as additions to the squad. Pašalić, Fruk, Janković and Ivanović, all four of them were good, at least good for the HNL level. They were unproven at this level, maybe only Fruk was, with his great performances at Gorica during their remarkable relegation escape.
Janković did great in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Zrinjski and was getting talked about now and then. Pašalić and Ivanović, on the other hand, weren’t as well known to the regular fans of the league. They started the season with a comfortable win over newly promoted Rudeš and lost to Hajduk, but they had comfortably dealt with Dukagjini in the 2nd qualification round of the Conference League, winning 6-1 in the 2nd leg and 7-1 on aggregate. The team was doing fine, which was confirmed with a big 6-0 win over rivals Istra 1961 that weekend. The fans at Rujevica had witnessed 12 goals from their side in the last two matches inside 3 days. Rijeka then easily dispatched B36 Torshavn from Iceland and defeated Lokomotiva in the league.
Shock managerial change!
But then, Sergej Jakirović was announced as the Dinamo manager. Dinamo was going through a rough start to their season and had sacked Igor Bišćan due to a last-minute loss to AEK in Athens. Jakirović left Rijeka without saying goodbye to the players and took most of his staff with him. Only Radomir Đalović stayed, saying “I can’t do that to Rijeka”. Jakirović left the club before a crucial Conference League play-off with Lille, so the club was left with no staff bar Đalović, before making their way to France.
On the day of the first leg, it was leaked that Rijeka would be managed by Željko Sopić, the miracle worker who saved Gorica from certain relegation the season before. He was known to be a manager who was straight to the point, no bullshit. Rijeka eventually fell in Lille, losing 2-1 after defending their lead which was given to them by a fantastic Marco Pašalić lob.
After that game, they made their way to play against Jakirović’s Dinamo, a match that now had all the spotlight with the things leading up to it. That was also Sopić’s first game in charge, in which he made 1 early substitution in the 23rd minute as he wasn’t impressed with Danilo Veiga’s performance, adding to his straight-to-the-point philosophy. Dinamo were victorious and Jakirović had used Rijeka’s tiredness and the lack of team cohesion, as the team was still gelling together and getting used to Sopić. However, they almost made a miracle happen as they pushed Lille to extra time after an amazing performance in 90 minutes. Sadly, a Jonathan Davis goal made it 1-1 and 2-3 on aggregate for Lille as the French side progressed through to the group stage.
Pjaca returns to the league.
Then the very next day, Marko Pjaca put his signature on the dotted line and was presented as a Rijeka player. It was a standard Rijeka move, a player who has taken a hit in their career searches for a club that can put him back on track for bigger and better things. Something that Pjaca deserves but injuries were the reason he couldn’t.
After that signing, Rijeka went on a 13-game unbeaten run and solidified themselves as a title contender with Dinamo and Hajduk. The team was playing better and better but then Selahi, a key part of their success, said he didn’t want to sign a new contract with the club. Rijeka played the next game against Slaven at home and Selahi was nowhere to be seen on the teamsheet. They lost that match 2-4 and Slaven outclassed them on the day, was that due to Selahi’s absence? Well, if you ask me, not mostly but that did play a part. They ended the first part of the season with an easy win over Rudeš and sat in 2nd place. A huge jump compared to the 22/23 halfway point of the season. The fans were very happy with the season up until that point, they were still in the title fight and had Pjaca and Pašalić called up to the Croatian National Team.
New year, better Rijeka.
2024 began and Selahi had found an agreement with the club, as he put pen to paper and extended his loyalty to Rijeka. The transfer window was mostly uneventful for the side as they only brought in Marko Marić near the end of it, a big signing and a striker that had already won the Golden Boot in the HNL. The squad stayed the same, which was a very positive thing for the club. However their first game back in the league got off to a horrible start, they were losing 2-0 after 25 minutes to Gorica in very bad conditions. The pitch was soaked and it’s still remarkable to me that the ref thought that the game should be played on. Nevertheless, Rijeka came back. Pjaca put away a penalty and missed his second penalty only to score the rebound of that penalty. Then in the 89th minute stepped up Niko Galešić who headed the ball past Banić to complete the comeback.
That was a whole new Rijeka side after that victory, they then beat a Hajduk side who was riding their euphoria, as Josip Brekalo and Ivan Perišić had joined the club. They beat their rivals with 2 amazing goals and a stunning volley from Lindon Selahi, reminiscent of Benjamin Pavard’s strike against Argentina in the 2018 World Cup.
Rijeka continued to win and had won all their games in the new year heading into their 3rd match against Dinamo. It was a very tight match where Dinamo was dominating, then in the dying moments Bruno Goda fouled Fran Brodić in the box and Dinamo got a penalty to possibly get the win. Fran Brodić puts it away and Dinamo beat Rijeka for the 2nd time this season. Except, Rijeka didn’t let that stop them, they’ve won every single game since then. 9 wins in a row, and the latest came against Gorica at home, as they scored 3 in the 2nd half and cruised to another three points.
The title is not required, it’s a bonus.
Labrović, who conceded 7 goals back in November of 2022, hasn’t conceded a goal since that Brodić penalty in February. Rijeka has everything it takes to win the title. The manager, the style of play, even the championship DNA. They just win matches, something that Hajduk for example couldn’t do. No matter what, they seem to get through in the end. The only issue for them, Dinamo is doing the exact same thing. Both sides seem worthy of the title but only one can win it. And we have 5 games left to decide the winner of the league.
But this squad will go down in history no matter the outcome, the fans are selling out the stadium every time they play at home. The away stand is almost always sold out too, it’s already a win for the club and for the fan base. They’ve outdone themselves and can only make it that more sweeter with a trophy. Maybe even two, as they face off against Dinamo in the Cup final. Or should I say finals, as the Croatian Cup final is now being played over 2 legs again, for some reason.
2024 = 2017?
Sopić has taken this squad and made it into a title challenger, and possibly even a title winner. I think that the lack of title aspirations will help the club, if you don’t win the league or the cup you won’t be THAT fussed about it. Obviously, you would feel let down, but when fans sum everything up, they’ll be proud and roaring to go again next season. And that mentality is the polar opposite of Hajduk’s situation and we know how they turned out. Will Rijeka do it? I have them as the favourites to do it right now, but all eyes are on the 5th of May as Dinamo comes to the Rujevica for the straight-on title match, which could easily turn out to be the title decider.
Will 2024 be the new 2017, for Rijeka? We will soon find out, but even if it’s not. The club and the fans can be sure that nothing close to the 22/23 season will happen anytime soon.