August 29, 2022 - The 7th round of the SuperSport HNL was held from August 26 to 28, 2022. The most exciting match of this round was the Osijek-Hajduk derby at City Garden Stadium, in which Osijek took 3 points. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 7. 

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (0:2)

Gorica and Istra opened the 7th round in Velika Gorica on Friday, August 26, 2022. 

After a scoreless first half, Erceg's goal was disallowed in the 70th minute after consulting VAR. Erceg found the back of the net just 11 minutes later to put Istra in the lead with 0:1. Erceg scored again in the 4th minute of stoppage time for the final 0:2 for Istra. 

Gorica is currently in 9th place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Istra is in 6th place with 8 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo met in Zagreb on Saturday, August 27, 2022. 

The first half was full of yellow cards as Belupo was shown three and Lokomotiva one, though the match went into halftime without goals. The match's only goal came in the 80th minute when Kocijan scored for 0:1, which was the final result. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 6 points, while Belupo is impressively in 2nd with 14. 

Rijeka v. Varazdin (1:2)

Rijeka and Varazdin met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, August 27, 2022. 

Another scoreless first half was quickly changed at the start of the second when Djouahra put Rijeka ahead in the 47th minute. Pavlovic was shown his second yellow in the 73rd minute, forcing Rijeka to play with a man down for the rest of the match, and Teklic equalized a minute later from the penalty spot. Kolaric made it 1:2 for Varazdin in the 87th minute, and it could have been 1:3 if Peric's goal was not called offside in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. 

Rijeka has dropped to last place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Varazdin is in 4th place with 9 points. 

Sibenik v. Dinamo (1:2)

Sibenik and Dinamo met in Sibenik on Sunday, August 28, 2022. 

Ivanusec put Dinamo ahead in the 35th minute for 0:1. Mina equalized just two minutes later for 1:1 at the half. A penalty taken by Petkovic put Dinamo back in the lead in the 68th minute, which was the final score. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 7 points, while Dinamo sits in first place with 19. 

Osijek v. Hajduk (2:1)

Osijek and Hajduk closed out the 7th round at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, August 28, 2022. 

It was an emotional game for Hajduk as Marko Livaja learned of his father's tragic passing early on Sunday morning. Leovac scored Osijek's first goal in the 23rd minute for 1:0, before Beljo scored a penalty for 2:0 just 4 minutes before halftime. Livaja scored a penalty for Hajduk to reduce the score to 2:1 in the 72nd minute. Mlakar's goal was called offside by VAR in the 83rd minute, and the match ended 2:1 for Osijek. 

Osijek is currently in 5th place with 8 points, while Hajduk is in 3rd place with 9 points and two games in hand. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 20, 2022 - Another Špancirfest in Varaždin has kicked off. This year's is the festival's 24^th edition, and the organisers are expecting three hundred thousand visitors.

As Poslovni reports, On Friday 19^th August, the 24^th Špancirfest began in Varaždin, which is one of the longest-running Croatian summer events. Over the space of ten days, it brings more than five hundred programs, concerts, street performances, plays, dance and other contents, reports HRT.

Photo: Matija Habljak (Pixsell)

The soul of Špancirfest, which will last until August 28, are the street performers who will come to Varaždin this year from all over Europe. The street performer list is made up of mobile performers, among whom there will be drummers, costumed performers, stilt walkers, etc.

The musical part of Špancirfest will offer its audience a diverse program on four main and several smaller stages on the streets and squares of the historic core of the city. An essential part of the Festival is the theater program at Villa Bedeković.

Director of the Varaždin Tourist Board, Jelena Toth, told Hina that more than 500 different programs will be held as part of Špancirfest in the next ten days on the outdoor stage of Varaždin's historic city center. The program is diverse and expects a large number of visitors. Toth reminded that last year the official number of visitors was 230 thousand, and in 2019, before the pandemic, it was 300 thousand.

Photo: Matija Habljak (Pixsell)

"We hope that this year we can approach the figure of 300 thousand again. Of course, a lot depends on the weather. We really did our best to organise Špancirfest, to equip the space, and to design quality content", said the director of the Varaždin Tourist Board, noting that the only thing that is not within their control is the weather.

All festival programs will be held outdoors, while tickets only need to be booked for the programs at Villa Bedeković.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 15, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 5th round was held last weekend, bringing some surprising results - especially amongst the traditionally top clubs. And we're not only talking about the Eternal Derby. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 5. 

Sibenik v Istra 1961 (0:0)

The 5th round opened on Friday, August 12, 2022, at Stadion Šubićevac in front of 1296 fans. 

This match wasn't too exciting to watch, as it finished without goals. Sibenik had eight shots compared to Istra's 9, while Sibenik held 44% possession to Istra's 56%. Sibenik committed 17 fouls to Istra's 7. 

Sibenik is currently in 5th place with 6 points, while Istra is in last place with 6 points. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Gorica and Lokomotiva played the next match on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Radnik Stadium in Velika Gorica.

A bit more exciting than Friday's game, Vasij put Lokomotiva ahead for 0:1 in the 9th minute, which was the result at the half. Kalik equalized for 1:1 in the 60th minute before Fruk made it 2:1 six minutes later. Da Cruz made it 3:1 for Gorica in the 79th. Five minutes later, Tuci scored for the final 3:2. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Lokomotiva is in 4th with 6. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (4:1)

Dinamo and Hajduk met for their first big derby of the season on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Maksimir Stadium. Fourteen thousand three hundred one fans were in attendance. 

After continuous pressure from Dinamo in the first half, Hajduk went ahead thanks to Livaja and Atanasov, who scored in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 0:1 Hajduk. And then things went downhill for the Split club, especially after coach Valdas went in with fresh legs in the defense. Dinamo was up 2:1 with goals by Baturina and Ademi in the 61st and 64th minutes. Gojak made it 3:1 in the 84th minute, and Orsic 4:1 in the 90+1'. 

Dinamo sits in 1st place with 13 points, while Hajduk sits in 3rd with 8 points but two games in hand. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (2:2)

Osijek and Varazdin met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

After a scoreless first half, Jugovic made it 1:0 for Osijek in the 57th minute and Brodic 1:1 eight minutes later. Beljo put Osijek back ahead in the 77th minute for 2:1, and Peric made it 2:2 in the 81st. 

Will Osijek coach Nenad Bjelica finally get sacked? With unimpressive results round after round, his sacking seems inevitable. Croatian media reported on Monday morning that Nenad Bjelica would sit down with the president of Osijek, Ferenc Sakalje, to negotiate the best option for parting ways. 

Osijek is currently in 7th place with 5 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 5. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Rijeka and Belupo closed the 5th round on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at Rujevica Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, Crnac scored for Belupo in the 70th minute, giving Belupo a massive three away points and pushing Rijeka to the bottom of the HNL table in second to last place. 

Rijeka is currently in 9th place with 4 points and one game in hand, while Belupo is in 2nd place with 8 points. 

You can see the HNL standings here. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 8, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 4th round was held from August 5 to 7, 2022. This round was without the originally scheduled Hajduk and Gorica match, as Hajduk requested a postponement due to Conference League obligations. And it wasn't a good weekend for Croatia's top clubs, Dinamo, Osijek, and Rijeka. A look at SuperSport HNL round 4. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo (1:1)

Varazdin and Dinamo opened the 4th round in Varazdin on Friday, August 4, in front of 7,132 fans. Dinamo went into the match coming off of a 2:1 win against Ludogorets in the Champions League qualifiers earlier in the week. 

The Croatian champion was the first to score with a goal from Spikic just before the ref blew the whistle to end the first half. But former Hajduk player Sego made sure they didn't stay ahead, scoring the equalizer in the 63rd minute for 1:1 and the final result. 

Varazdin is currently in 8th place with 4 points, while Dinamo sits in first with 10 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (0:0)

Belupo and Sibenik met in Koprivnica on Saturday, August 5, in front of 473 fans. 

The match was uneventful, displayed in the 0:0 final result. 

Belupo is currently in 5th place with 5 points, while Sibenik is in 4th with 5 points. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (1:0)

Istra and Osijek met on Saturday, August 6, in Pula. 

Tensions are already high among Osijek supporters who have been calling for coach Nenad Bjelica to be sacked. Losing to Istra on Saturday did not help. 

Istra scored first in the 62nd minute when Bakrar found the back of the net, though his goal was ultimately called offside after consulting VAR. But that didn't stop Bakrar from killing Osijek's hopes again with a goal in the match's final minutes (90+4') for the 1:0 Istra win. Coach Bjelica has yet to resign, nor has he been asked to step down as coach by the club. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 3 points, while Osijek is in 6th with 4. 

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (3:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka closed out the 4th round on Sunday, August 7, in Zagreb. 

Lokomotiva took the lead in the 14th minute when Gorican scored for 1:0, and Cokaj made it 2:0 just five minutes later. Karrica gave Rijeka some hope in the 34th minute scoring for 2:1, but Vasilj settled all doubts about the winner with Lokomotiva's goal in the 79th minute for the final 3:1. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 3rd place with 6 points, while Rijeka is in 7th with 4. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (Postponed)

Hajduk asked to postpone their 4th-round match against Gorica due to Conference League obligations. After beating Vitoria at Poljud on Thursday 3:1, Hajduk plays the return match against the Portuguese club on Wednesday in Portugal. Hajduk has played only two rounds in the SuperSport HNL thus far, as Rijeka postponed their 2nd round match against Hajduk due to Conference League obligations. 

As it stands now, Hajduk is in 2nd place with 6 points and only two games played, while Gorica is in the last place with 2 points and three games played. 

You can see the HNL standings here. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 25, 2022 - SuperSport HNL round 2 was held from July 22 to 24, 2022. The 2nd round only included four games as Rijeka asked to postpone the Adriatic Derby against Hajduk due to Conference League obligations. Here's our SuperSport HNL round two recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (1:2)

Istra and Varazdin opened the 2nd round in Pula on Friday, July 22, 2022. 

While the first half went without goals, Marin put Istra ahead in the 70th minute for 1:0. Brodic equalized 7 minutes later for 1:1, before Postonjski gave Varazdin the lead and ultimate win in the 83rd minute for 1:2. 

Istra is currently in the last place with 0 points, while Varazdin is in 6th with 3. 

Gorica v. Sibenik (0:0)

Gorica and Sibenik met on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Velika Gorica. 

The first half went without goals, and Kalik's goal in the 83rd minute was eventually called offside after consulting VAR. The match ended at 0:0. 

Gorica is currently in 8th place with 1 point, while Sibenik is in 9th with 1. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1:5)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saurday, July 23, 2022, in Koprivnica in front of 2613 fans. 

Marina missed a penalty for Belupo in the 2nd minute of the match, which was redeemed with a goal in the next play for 1:0 Belupo in the 2nd minute. Baturina scored 6 minutes later to equalize at 1:1. Orsric put Dinamo ahead in the 15th minute for 1:2 and Drmic five minutes after that for 1:3, which was the score going into halftime. And Dinamo wasn't finished yet. Misic made it 1:4 in the 74th minute, and Spikic 1:5 in the 90th, which was the final score. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 3 points, while Dinamo upped their goal differential this round to sit in first place with 6 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Osijek closed out the 2nd round on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Zagreb. 

Kleinheisler put Osijek in the lead in the 16th minute, which was the result at halftime. Osijek also had a goal called offside by VAR in the 50th minute. Boskovic equalized for Lokomotiva in the 80th minute for 1:1 before scoring again for 2:1 six minutes later, which was the final score. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 4th place with 3 points, while Osijek is in 5th with 3. 

Recall that Rijeka and Hajduk did not play the Adriatic Derby in the 2nd round as planned after Rijeka asked for the game to be postponed due to Conference League obligations. The two teams will make up the 2nd round match when they have a free term. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 18, 2022 - The new Croatian football season opened on July 15 after a month of preparations. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 1 results. 

Dinamo v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Dinamo and Lokomotiva opened the first round on Friday, July 15, at Maksimir Stadium in front of 4,320 fans. 

Kulenovic and Ibrahim put Lokomotiva ahead by two goals by the 22nd minute, though it didn't last long. Dinamo subbed on Drmic, who scored two goals in the next 10 minutes for 2:2 at the half. Maric was shown a red card in the 78th minute, forcing Lokomotiva to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. Menalo scored in the 91st minute for the final 3:2 Dinamo. 

Dinamo is currently in 2nd place with 3 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 0. 

Osijek v. Gorica (2:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Saturday, July 16, at City Garden Stadium in front of 3,590 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Beljo scored for 1:0 Osijek in the 62nd minute. A Loncar own goal made it 1:1 four minutes later. Beljo put Osijek back in the lead for 2:1 with a penalty in the 74th minute. Lokomotiva's Julardzija was shown a red card in the 86th minute.

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 3 points, while Gorica is in 7th with 0. 

Sibenik v. Rijeka (0:1)

Sibenik and Rijeka met in Sibenik on Saturday, July 16, in front of 1,678 fans. 

The first half went without goals, and the match's only goal came in the 74th minute when Obregon scored for 0:1. 

Sibenik is currently in 8th place with 0 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 3. 

Varazdin v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Varazdin and Slaven Belupo met in Varazdin on Sunday, July 17. 

The match's only goal came in the 49th minute when Kocijan scored for 0:1 Belupo. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 0 points, while Belupo is in 5th with 3. 

Istra 1961 v. Hajduk (0:2)

Istra and Hajduk closed out the first round in Pula on Sunday, July 17. 

Interestingly, it was announced before the match that the VAR system was out of order because there was no electricity in the VAR room, meaning the match would go on without using VAR. 

Melnjak scored Hajduk's first goal for 0:1 in the 43rd minute. Livaja increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 off a header in the 60th minute. 

Istra is currently in last place with 0 points, while Hajduk is in first place with 3 points. 

*Rijeka and Hajduk will not play in the 2nd round next weekend as Rijeka asked that the match be postponed due to Conference League obligations. 

You can see the standings HERE.

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 10, 2022 - In June 2021, the revitalization of the Varteks textile industry premises was declared a strategic investment project of the Republic of Croatia called "VARTEKS district - urban regeneration".

As part of the project of great economic importance for the City of Varaždin and all its residents, through cooperation between the City of Varaždin, Varteks, and Austrian investor SES Spar European Shopping Centers, the northeastern part of the old factory will become S-PARK Varaždin, the central part of the revitalized VARTEKS district, today's press conference at the City Hall concluded, where the partners signed a contract to construct a roundabout on Zagrebačka Street. This will be the first step of the new project, and an agreement on cooperation for the strategic investment project "VARTEKS district - urban regeneration".

"The city of Varaždin welcomes the arrival of S-PARK in Varaždin as part of the project "VARTEKS district - urban regeneration" which the Government of the Republic of Croatia has declared a strategic investment project. This will not only be another shopping center in the city, but it will revitalize valuable space that has lost its original economic purpose. It is important to us residents of the city of Varaždin that the architectural solution is fully respectable and our industrial heritage and brand that is a kind of symbol of the city. It was created for years from the former Tivar to today's Varteks. We consider it necessary and support the regeneration of this valuable space because it preserves jobs and keeps production Varteks. At the same time, S-PARK means creating new jobs in the store and providing better supply and new facilities to all citizens", concluded Neven Bosilj, mayor of Varaždin.

"S-PARK Varaždin will be the first and unique retail park in Croatia to be developed in a historically important industrial site. I am very proud that we as SES have the opportunity to develop a quality, new meeting place with retail, gastronomic, and service facilities for people in Varaždin and its surroundings. In doing so, we will be guided by the important historical heritage of this place, which will be our inspiration for the design of the new S-PARK," said Christoph Andexlinger, Chief Operating Officer of SES Spar European Centers.

SES Croatia representative and project manager Boštjan Brantuša revealed that in the northeastern part of Varteks there will be a complex of commercial, gastronomic, and service facilities, and the first Interspar in Varaždin, which will significantly raise the standard of available content to citizens.

The Chairman of the Board of Varteks, Tomislav Babić, expressed his satisfaction that the City of Varaždin also recognizes the value and quality of the project and advocates to preserve buildings important in the industrialization of Varaždin, as well as expressing interest in revitalizing the central part of the complex with facilities important for citizens.

"Since the start of the restructuring in 2019, Varteks has worked on the sale of unused assets that generate additional costs as unused capital.  By activating this capital, Varteks plans to settle its debts, modernize its business and expand its retail network. Varteks does not intend to engage in real estate but in the basic business, which is fashion, while we believe that the Varteks complex should definitely get facilities adapted to modern life, with a lot of greenery and functional roads and all other facilities that will ensure a higher standard of living. We are glad that SES, a sister company of SPAR has an identical vision and that as a buyer of a significant part of the complex it will build modern, beautiful, and functional contents that will fit perfectly into the characteristic architecture of the city of Varaždin, nurturing its historical heritage", concluded Babić.

The Zagrebačka street roundabout project financed by the Austrian investor will, upon completion, contribute to better traffic regulation for greater safety of citizens and its smooth running with new facilities in the city.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

May 28, 2022 - Last night, a major storm in northern Croatia affected the areas of Varaždin, Čakovec, and Koprivnica, tearing down trees, public lighting, and flooding streets. The inhabitants of Varaždin, informed in advance, parked their cars in underground garages.

A new storm in the north of the country, the wind in Bukovac uprooted a tree

A strong wind accompanied by heavy rain and pea-sized hail hit the north of Croatia last night after 10 pm, reports Index.hr.

From the field, the worst was in the area of ​​Štrigova, Ludbreg, and again Veliki Bukovac, where a strong wind knocked down a tree near the NK Bukovčan playground. The hail was small, but it was pouring heavily, and the wind was strong and took some parts off the roofs of people trying to protect their homes from the damage caused by hail the size of tennis balls on Wednesday afternoon.

Varaždin residents hid cars in underground garages

In Ludbreg, citizens report that it looked as if "heaven and earth had merged", but so far there is no information about the damage. There was also a hailstorm in Gornji Međimurje, but it is not yet known if anything was damaged.

The people of Varaždin frantically hid their cars in underground garages last night for fear of hail and new damage that many suffered on Wednesday. However, apart from heavy thunder and showers, there are no reports of damage in Varaždin, and fortunately, there was no hail.

Storm in Podravina: Felled trees and lighting, flooded underpasses

The storm hit Koprivnica and the surrounding areas. At around 11:30 pm, a stormy wind and heavy rain, which in some places turned into hail and thunder, ravaged Podravina. The stormy wind destroyed trees all over the city of Koprivnica, and the heavy rain made the road impassable, reports Glas Podravine.

The aforementioned local portal states that the wind not only destroyed the trees, but also public lighting infrastructure. Underpasses, roads, and pavements were also flooded. Emergency services quickly went to the scene and cleared the roads.

The wind broke off parts of many trees and part of the roads were temporarily rendered unusable. Firefighters are still removing fallen trees from the roads. Traffic was suspended until further notice over the Koprivnica underpass, which was also totally flooded. 

In Koprivnica, 16 liters of rain per square meter fell, and in some villages, such as Torčec, even more. Emergency services are on the ground to enable the smooth flow of traffic.

For more news about Croatia, click here.

May 23, 2022 - Varaždin secures their Croatian First League promotion after beating Dugopolje 2:1 on Sunday!

One round before the end of the Croatian Second League (HNL), Varaždin secured their return to the highest rank of Croatian football. Thanks to a 2:1 victory against Dugopolje, Varaždin escaped second-placed Rudeš with unattainable four points with one round to go.

In a wonderful atmosphere in front of more than 5,000 fans, Varaždin took 3 points and secured their spot in the Croatian First League next season.

In the 15th minute, Varaždin took the lead thanks to a phenomenal goal scored by Itsuki Urata. The Japanese left-back received the ball and hit the bottom left corner from more than 30 meters out. It was a goal that will surely be included in the narrow competition for the best goal of this Second League this season.

The start of the second half saw Varaždin increase its advantage. Namely, in the 55th minute, Fran Brodić found the back of the net, who had previously missed four great opportunities in the match. Then, in the 66th minute, Urata made a mistake, and Ćubelić took advantage of his clumsiness to bring the score to 2:1.

Dugopolje did not give up, but several changes led to a drop in the game's intensity. Before the end of the match, Varaždin again had two great opportunities in the 83rd and 88th minutes, and the ball moved from one end of the penalty area to the other, and no one managed to shoot on target.

At the end of the match, excited fans rushed onto the pitch and celebrated with Varaždin for winning the Second HNL title and promotion to the First HNL.

Dugopolje will fight for its status in the Second League until the very end. Namely, five clubs are dropping out of the Second HNL since the league will be reduced to 12 clubs next season, and there will undoubtedly be other Dinamo and Osijek teams included. Furthermore, it is already known that Sesvete and Opatija will be relegated, and we will find out the remaining passengers for the Third HNL on Saturday, May 28, when the last round is scheduled.

Source: Gol.hr

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, 14 May 2022 - More than a thousand young Europeans will attend the Ø BORDERS youth programme in Varaždin in November, comprising workshops on democratic processes as well as various concerts,  the European Parliament Liaison Office in Zagreb has recently reported.

The two-day programme, known as  Ø BORDERS will be held on 25 and 26 November and will focus on youth, their knowledge, curiosity and innovativeness, the organisers said. 

The programme includes workshops on democratic processes and public policy as well as concerts.

The event is being organised in Croatia by the V.U.K. association of Varaždin youth and the P4 Centre. The organisers have been issued a grant from the European Parliament for this purpose.

"We have followed and always follow the events in Europe and the rest of the world so we created a programme that will address topics related to democracy and the importance of election processes, migration, green policies and geopolitics in general," one of the programme leaders, Nino Preložnjak said.

The event is being organised in partnership with the Network of Croatian Youth and the Croatian Scouts Association with full support from Varaždin city authorities, said Preložnjak.

The European Youth Event (EYE) is an event initiated and hosted by the European Parliament with the aim of stimulating active citizenship amongst young Europeans.

The Varaždin version will also provide a series of activities and debates, interactive workshops, plays, entertainment and educational programmes.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.