Splitski Hajduk will welcome Vukovar to Poljud on Saturday at 18:15 in the final round of the SuperSport HNL. The Whites will conclude their season in second place on the league table, 20 points behind Dinamo. However, due to Dinamo's double crown, Hajduk will compete in the qualification rounds for the Europa League next season, giving them flexibility to manage their squad and potentially drop into the qualifying rounds for the Conference League.

The arrival of new sporting director Robert Graf is expected to significantly reshape the team. Several deadweight contracts will likely be resolved, and Hajduk will need to sell some of their younger, marketable players. One such player to join Poljud this season is Dario Marešić, a 26-year-old midfielder who moved from Istria on Gonzalo García's recommendation. However, certain aspects of his play have raised concerns.

Vučko Criticizes Marešić

Former Hajduk midfielder Luka Vučko, who frequently comments on events at Poljud, detailed his analysis of Marešić's strengths and weaknesses in a column for Dalmatinski portal. Vučko believes that Marešić is not up to the mark as a defensive leader for Hajduk.

"He came as a significant upgrade, and we all know his qualities, but what he has shown so far is that he is only elite in the attacking phase with the ball. His defensive phase is not sufficient to be a leader in Hajduk’s defense. He is not tall, not good at jumping, not explosive, and not fast. Marešić will have to show much more," Vučko wrote.

"Very soon, European competitions will start, and in this match, he had several poor judgments. Of course, we can give some credit to the nature of the game and players not being fully into it, but for me personally, while modern midfielders need to be technically strong in the attacking phase, his defensive phase is currently worrying."