Ajax Face a Hostile Hajduk Split Test as Conference League Football Returns to Poljud
Ajax begin their Conference League league-phase campaign in Croatia with a demanding visit to Hajduk Split, where a sold-out Poljud Stadium and a fervent home crowd are expected to create an intense atmosphere. The fixture brings together two clubs with a shared European past—but very different ambitions and pressures in the present.
Ajax have a long record of success on the continental stage, yet they arrive outside the Champions League and Europa League this season. Hajduk, meanwhile, are back in European football’s autumn schedule for the first time in 16 years. For supporters in Split, Thursday’s match is more than an opening-round fixture: it is a chance to measure their team against a famous opponent and revisit a rivalry that stretches back decades.
Hajduk’s Form and the Players Ajax Must Watch
Journalist Frane Marsic, who follows Hajduk closely for Jutarnji, identifies Marin Soticek, Michele Sego and Abdoulie Sanyang as players in strong form. He also points to Marko Livaja, the experienced centre-forward who has become one of the club’s defining figures and a local icon.
Livaja’s influence is significant, but Hajduk will have to manage without him against Ajax. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring injury at the end of September and is unavailable for the European encounter. His absence removes a proven focal point from the attack, though it does not erase the threat posed by Hajduk’s other in-form players.
Ajax will also be without Kasper Dolberg, whose serious knee injury is expected to rule him out for the rest of the season. Marsic believes that news will not fundamentally alter Hajduk’s view of their opponents. Ajax still have attacking options, including Adingra and Tolu Arokodare, while Amrabat adds further quality to the squad. The hosts, he says, will draw confidence from their recent performance against Dinamo Zagreb rather than focus solely on who is missing.
A Dutch Connection on Hajduk’s Touchline
Hajduk are coached by Gonzalo Manuel García García, a familiar name to Dutch football followers. The 43-year-old former Uruguayan midfielder and forward played for several clubs in the Netherlands, including AGOVV Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Heracles Almelo, Groningen and VVV-Venlo. He later worked at FC Twente, first as an assistant and then as head coach.
Marsic describes García’s approach as modern and energetic, built around hard work, aggression and high intensity. Hajduk aim to play forward and score, rather than simply defend their position. That style could make the match lively, particularly if the home side feed off the crowd and press Ajax early.
Hajduk currently lead Croatia’s top division, the 1. HNL, and their domestic momentum has been strengthened by a 2–1 win over title rivals Dinamo Zagreb. The result matters beyond the points: it showed that Hajduk can overcome a team considered stronger on paper, a useful source of belief before facing Ajax.
European Ambition—and a Measured Prediction
Despite the excitement around Ajax’s visit, Hajduk’s European campaign is not necessarily the club’s overriding priority. Marsic says supporters would be pleased with seven or eight points in the league phase, a total that could be enough to finish among the top 24 and advance. For now, the club’s approach is to take each match as it comes rather than make bold forecasts about the final outcome.
That caution reflects Hajduk’s recent history in Europe. The club have endured disappointing exits, including elimination by lower-ranked opponents, and last season they were knocked out in the Conference League qualifying rounds. Reaching the league phase this time is therefore a meaningful achievement in itself. It guarantees European football in the autumn and offers a chance to move beyond years of frustration.
Ajax remain favourites in most pre-match assessments, given their reputation and resources. But a prediction based only on club stature would miss the key factors: Hajduk’s strong home form, their recent win over Dinamo, and the emotional force of a packed Poljud. Marsic notes that Hajduk have not lost at their stadium this season. That record does not guarantee a result, but it makes an Ajax victory far from automatic.
Poljud, 1995 and the Search for a New Chapter
The stadium itself adds another layer to the occasion. Opened in 1979, Poljud hosted the first leg of the clubs’ Champions League quarter-final in 1995. That match finished goalless, before Ajax won the return leg 3–0 and continued their march toward the trophy. Older Hajduk fans still recall the tie, while younger supporters see Thursday as an opportunity to create a memory of their own.
The teams have also met in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. In 1993–94, Ajax lost 1–0 in Split but responded emphatically at home, winning 6–0 at the Olympic Stadium. Their limited number of meetings has helped preserve the fixture’s special status, and the contrast between the clubs’ European histories gives the latest contest extra intrigue.
For Hajduk supporters, the match is widely viewed as a chance for sporting revenge. Marsic says the city recognises that Ajax are the stronger side on paper, but believes there is genuine confidence that Hajduk can take at least a point—and, if circumstances allow, all three. The expectation is that the home team will attack the opportunity rather than settle for a cautious display.
What the Match Could Mean for Hajduk’s Season
The timing makes the fixture especially demanding. Just three days after Ajax visit, Hajduk are due to face Varaždin, currently among the leading sides in Croatia. Domestic success remains a major ambition for a club that last won the league title in 2005. Since then, arch-rivals Dinamo Zagreb have dominated, collecting 19 championships and setting the standard Hajduk are desperate to challenge.
That context helps explain why García’s season could become defining. A strong European campaign would bring prestige and belief, while a sustained domestic title challenge could end a long wait for silverware. Beating Ajax would not settle either objective, but it would provide a powerful statement.
For Ajax, the challenge is to control the atmosphere, handle Hajduk’s intensity and avoid allowing the crowd to turn the opening stages into a wave of pressure. For the hosts, the route to an upset is likely to involve aggressive pressing, sharp transitions and taking advantage of every opportunity in front of goal. The prediction may favour Ajax, but Poljud’s unbeaten record and Hajduk’s recent form make this a far more complicated test than reputation alone suggests.
