The Show Must Go On? Hajduk Returns to the Fourth Tier

After two years of wandering in the wilderness, Hajduk Split is finally dragging a second team onto the pitch. But where? Not in the spotlight. Not even in the second tier. No, the club’s reserve squad will compete in the 3. NL Jug, the fourth tier of Croatian football, for the 2026/27 season. The club promises to reveal the roster, coaching staff, and home ground details soon. Meanwhile, the partnership with NK Uskok continues, with the affiliate side returning to the third tier, where eight young Hajduk talents already gained senior experience via double registration this season.

Three Tiers of Talent, One Questioning Eye

Unofficially, the youth academy is being split into three groups. The first? Elite prospects deemed ready for the first team by sporting director Robert Graf, academy head Jiri Plíšek, and coach Gonzalo Garcia. The second? Players on the cusp of senior football who haven’t quite broken through—they’ll head to Uskok for game time. The third? The new B-team, comprised mostly of U-16 to U-18 cadets and junior players. The club may even sign an older veteran on a minimal contract to provide mentorship, echoing past plans with players like Mario Maloča.

Strategic Masterpiece or Organizational Mess?

On paper, pushing youth into senior fourth-division football makes sense. In reality? It looks like reactive panic. The B-team was scrapped in April 2021 by then-president Luka Jakobušić, citing a €1.32 million annual cost. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) abolished all B-teams in early 2022, leaving clubs in limbo. By late 2024, HNS rules allowed B-teams to return—but only from the fourth tier. Hajduk jumped in; Dinamo Zg demanded second-tier entry or nothing.

Then, in early 2025, poor results from Croatia’s youth national teams triggered an HNS review. Conclusion? Croatian U-19s weren’t getting enough senior minutes. Suddenly, Hajduk’s B-team became a “strategic youth development project.” But let’s be honest: this isn’t a long-term vision. It’s a patchwork response to external pressure, shifting with every new sporting director. Critics aren’t wrong—this feels less like a master plan and more like chaos wearing a badge.