Sampdoria Coach Walter Mazzarri is satisfied after the 1-0 away triumph at Hajduk Split, however remains cautious ahead of the 2nd leg.
The Blucerchiati earned a precious win thanks to Hugo Campagnaro, who deflected Sergio Volpi's free kick into the net with his heel only minutes after coming on as a substitute.
'I am very happy, I think this is the 1st triumph acquired by an Italian side here,' mentioned Mazzarri at the end of the game.
'It was not easy, they are an excellent side and were roared on by good supporters,' added the former Reggina boss, referring to the crowd of 35,000 at the Poljud Stadium.
'We definitely had other chances to end the tie, which still remains open. Now we have a 50 per cent chance of qualifying for the next round,' concluded Mazzarri.
Goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi was also pleased with the win, as Hajduk struck the woodwork 3 times in the 1st half and could have equalised after the break.
'It was very important for us not to concede any goals, I was happy that my saves were useful. We won and that must mean that we have quality and we can prove it,' mentioned Castellazzi.
'This triumph was not easy, we played in a packed stadium. In any case, we are improving match after match and that is why I am optimistic,' he finished.
03 August 2007
Draw for the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Cup made by UEFA at their headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland Friday:
Otelul Galati (Romania) v Lokomotiv Sofia (Bulgaria)
CFR Cluj (Romania) v Anorthosis (Cyprus)
Rabotnicki (Macedonia) v Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)/
Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia) *
Slaven (Croatia) v Galatasaray (Turkey)
Uniao Leiria (Portugal) v Maccabi Netanya (Israel)
Hajduk Split (Croatia) v Sampdoria (Italy)
Besa Kavaje (Albania) v Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) v Kayserispor (Turkey)
Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Vojvodina (Serbia)
Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia) v Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel)
Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) v CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria)
Basel (Switzerland) v Mattersburg (Austria)
Ried (Austria) v FC Sion (Switzerland)
MIKA (Armenia) v Artmedia (Slovakia)
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) v Belchatow (Poland)
Honved (Hungary) v Hamburg SV (Germany)
Young Boys (Switzerland) v Racing Lens (France)
Tobol Kostanai (Kazakhstan) v Groclin (Poland)
Austria Vienna (Austria) v Jablonc (Czech Republic)
Zlate Moravce (Slovakia) v Zenit St Petersburg (Russia)
Rapid Vienna (Austria) v Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)
MyPa Myllykoski (Finland) v Blackburn Rovers (England)
Drogheda United (Ireland) v Helsingborg (Sweden)
Metalurgs (Latvia) v AIK (Sweden)
HJK Helsinki (Finland) v AaB Aalborg (Denmark)
Ekranas (Lithuania) v Valerenga (Norway)
Dunfermline Athletic (Scotland) v Haecken (Sweden)
Brann Bergen (Norway) v Suduva (Lithuania)
Haka Valkeakoski (Finland) v Midtjylland (Denmark)
Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) v Odense (Denmark)
Kaerjeng (Luxembourg) v Standard Liege (Belgium)
Fredrikstad FK (Norway) v Hammarby (Sweden)
First leg ties to be played August 16, 2nd legs played August 30.
* Partizan won 1st round qualifying tie 11-1 on aggregate however are appealing against a one year-ban imposed after a fan riot during the 1st leg. If the appeal fails, Zrinjski Mostar will progress.
26 July 2007
Australia midfielder Josip Skoko was given the green light to continue playing for Wigan after being handed a new work permit.
Skoko, 31, had agreed a new contract with the Premier League club during the close season however was unable to play until his work permit was ratified by the British Home Office.
The former Hajduk Split player had a successful hearing Wednesday and he can now resume training with the Latics as they build up to the start of the Premier League campaign on August 11.
Wigan manager Chris Hutchings was relieved to get the matter resolved and informed the club's website, "This is good news for us. It feels like another new signing. I thought Skoko was excellent for us last season and only got better with every game. Josip is an intelligent footballer with a real maturity and presence on the field. I have no doubt with another year of Premier League experience under his belt he will be even better."
Meanwhile, Hutchings said that England U21 left back Leighton Baines will not be joining Sunderland.
Baines had talked with Black Cats manager Roy Keane however has not agreed to a move, fuelling speculation that he might make a £6 million move to Everton instead.
Hutchings added, "Leighton is a 1st class pro and a 1st class person and inspite of all the speculation and rumour surrounding his future, he has remained professional throughout and as ever is a joy to work with."
04 July 2007
Ex Juve defender Igor Tudor has launched a stinging attack on the Bianconeri in his 1st interview as a Hajduk Split player.
The Croatian stopper spent nearly 9 years with the Old Lady before becoming a free agent at the start of the summer when Juve decided not to renew his contract.
Having returned to his hometown club, Tudor criticised his former employers for the way he was treated during his long spell in Italy.
'I learnt a brutal professionalism there without any heart,' he lamented. 'When you play well everyone is there for you, however if you hit bad form you are straight on the transfer list. I was there to see some good players of the past such as Antonio Conte and Paolo Montero leave the club without receiving so much as a flower.'
The giant international also had strong words about dressing room relationships at the club which he thinks are based on business rather than friendship.
'Juve is like a machine,' he insisted.'There are no friendships between the players. There is some reciprocal respect amongst the Italians, however the only thing that matters is the training and the match.'
04 July 2007
Wigan have said that Josip Skoko has agreed to extend his contract by another season.
The Latics had asked the midfielder to make a decision on his future, with Hajduk Split and Genclerbirligi rumoured to be circling, and Skoko has now delighted the Premier League club by deciding to remain on at The JJB Stadium.
The contract extension is still subject to the granting of a work permit, however Latics manager Chris Hutchings is pleased that the Australian international has decided to shun other interest to sign a new deal.
"I think Skokes proved himself to be a really valuable member of the team last season," Hutchings informed the club's official website.
"He's a quality player who is equally strong on either foot and is an excellent passer of the ball. He came in last year and did really well. He offers something different for us in the midfield, which of course is an area where, traditionally, competition is highest. Skokes had offers from elsewhere, and I know that he was tempted to try his hand at another club. However, he mentioned he felt very settled at Wigan and that he would always be treated fairly here, which pleased me a lot. I am delighted he has decided to remain with us, really delighted."
Wigan have prepared for the coming season by bringing Titus Bramble, Mario Melchiot, Antoine Sibierski and Carlo Nash to the club, however Hutchings is still working hard to bring more new faces to the club.
"I hope so, you never know," Hutchings informed Sky Sports News. "It is one of those things you can never tell however we are certainly in the market for new players."
29 June 2007
Croatian international defender Igor Tudor Thursday signed a 2 year contract with Hajduk Split, where he started his carrier 12 years ago.
Tudor arrives from Juve, whom he joined in 1998.
In the 2005-2006 season Tudor was loaned out to Siena, however his 2007 season was blighted by an ankle injury which meant he failed to play any games.
The amount of the transfer was not revealed.
Tudor has played 55 games for Croatia's national side and scored 3 goals.
Hajduk Split have won the national title 6 times since Croatian independence in 1991. The club, founded in 1911, also won 8 championships whilst playing in the former Yugoslavian league, between 1946 and 1991.
This season they finished runner up to Dinamo Zagreb.
22 June 2007
FC Dynamo Kyiv have loaned Romania midfielder Florin Cernat to HNK Hajduk Split with young Croatian forward Tomislav Busić moving in the opposite direction.
The 21 year old Busić, who recently signed a 3 year contract with Prva Liga runners up Hajduk, said, "This transfer is a dream come true. Playing for a club who have missed out on the UEFA Champions League only once in the last 10 years is a huge opportunity." The forward has scored 27 goals in 64 league games for Hajduk.
As Ukrainian champions, Dynamo will enter the UEFA Champions League 3rd qualifying round. Whilst Busić joins them for a season, subject to a medical, 27 year old playmaker Cernat will spend the campaign in Split having been denied regular football in Kiev in recent years.
In all, the former FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti man has made 126 Premier League appearances for Dynamo. Hajduk start their UEFA Cup challenge in the 1st qualifying round.
13 June 2007
Igor Tudor will join former club Hajduk Split in the summer after revealing that he will not renew his contract with Juve.
'I am happy with my return to Hajduk,' mentioned Tudor, who left the club to join the Bianconeri back in the summer of 1998.
'I still have 10 to 15 days of rehabilitation to do after my injury, however I will soon be ready to join the team. I had lots of offers however Hajduk was my 1st choice.'
The defender expects to quit the Old Lady this month after his injury nightmare with the Italian giants in recent years.
The 29 year old missed the whole of last season with an ankle problem and the club actually tried to annul his deal last February, by taking advantage of a release clause related to his fitness in his contract.
The Croatia international, a one time Man Utd target, will officially be able to join Hajduk when his Juve agreement expires on June 30.
Tudor, who spent a period on loan at Siena between 2005 and 2006, scored 21 goals for Juve in 174 official appearances. He has also won 55 caps for his national team.
09 June 2007
Croatia defender Robert Kovac is leaving Juve after agreeing to a 3 year contract with Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, local media reported on Saturday.
"Next year Robert Kovac will play for Dinamo," club exec Zdravko Mamic informed the Jutarnji List daily.
"He still has 2 years left on his contract with the Italians however has fallen out of favour with the management, so it is a done deal which we signed next week."
Mamic did not reveal details of the deal, however the daily mentioned the 33 year old would earn 2 million euros ($2.69 million) per season.
Kovac was one of the most reliable players in the Croatian team together with his older brother Niko, a midfielder, who local media reported was also in talks with another Croatian team, Hajduk Split.
Niko currently plays for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, where his contract expires in 2008.
"First I must talk to my club's executives. If they agree, I am ready to join Hajduk," the 35 year old informed the Jutarnji List.
It was also reported that 26 year old Croatian international forward Mladen Petric had left Swiss side Basel for Germany's Borussia Dortmund after agreeing to a 4 year contract.
