Sanchez on Rijeka's Season: Wins Against Hajduk Were Most Important

Sanchez on Rijeka's Season: Wins Against Hajduk Were Most Important

Victor Sanchez, the coach of HNK Rijeka, considers the season a success despite the team's failure to win a trophy. Sanchez, who received the award for the best coach in Slovenia's top league last season, emphasized the importance of Rijeka's European qualification and victories over Hajduk. The latter has been a significant focus since his arrival at the club.

In the Croatian First League, Rijeka currently holds fourth place, one point behind third-placed Varaždin, with whom they are scheduled to play over the weekend. They also reached the final of the Croatian Cup, where they lost to Dinamo, thus handing the Zagreb club a domestic double that they won last season.

Successful Season Despite Lack of Trophies

"I believe this was a successful season for Rijeka, regardless of everything," Sanchez told siol.net. "We didn't win any trophies, but qualifying for Europe was a primary goal. It's challenging to compete with Dinamo and Hajduk, especially Dinamo, who have been very focused on domestic competition this year. Dinamo had a fantastic season, and Rijeka posed the most significant problems in their matches."

The Spanish tactician is also proud of the team's performance in Europe. "It's true that the gap is significant at the end, but Rijeka put in a lot of effort to achieve the European goal and advance to the group stage after more than 40 years."

Victories Over Hajduk Have Special Weight

Sanchez specifically highlighted the rivalry with Hajduk. "We managed to achieve something important. When I arrived at the club, I heard from everyone that Hajduk needed to be defeated. Such rivalries are the soul of football, and we have achieved the biggest win in the history of the Adriatic Derby. We also knocked out the rival in the Cup, and that means something."

Under Sanchez, Rijeka defeated Hajduk 5-0 in the league and eliminated them in the Cup semifinal with a comeback 3-2 victory. In the remaining three Adriatic Derbies this season, Rijeka drew twice (2-2 and [0-0]) and lost once (1-0). Sanchez recorded 17 wins, 13 draws, and 12 losses for Rijeka this season.