Bibinje players did not appear for their away fixture in Debeljak in the 8th round of the 1. ŽNL, scheduled for 1 November, the All Saints' Day holiday, at 14:30. The reason for the absence was not of a sporting nature — the Bibinje club decided that they did not wish to play football on that holiday.
Zvonimir Pedić, the competition commissioner for the 1. ŽNL and 2. ŽNL, stated that the match has not yet been resolved, but that it will most likely be registered as a 3:0 victory for Debeljak and that the matter will be referred to the disciplinary judge. The final decision on the unplayed match will be made by the competent bodies, and Bibinje will have to bear the consequences prescribed by the competition regulations due to their failure to attend.
NŠK Debeljak issued a statement in response to media reports about the unplayed match against NK Bibinje. It stated that it had fulfilled its obligations, that communication between the clubs had taken place, and that a proposal to change the fixture time had been considered. The club explained why it was unable to play at a different time, and stated that it received a response from the opposing club that the match would be played according to the official schedule — they claim there is written communication regarding this. In accordance with the time set by the competent Association, they prepared everything necessary for the match to be played. Debeljak stated that it would not take responsibility for others' decisions nor participate in attempts to shift the blame onto their club, adding that it respects every club, every holiday and everyone's personal values, and expects the same respect for its own club. The statement was signed by Ante Gambiraža, president of NŠK Debeljak.
NK Bibinje president Mate Bugarija told Radio Zadar that he had contacted Debeljak ten days before the match with a request to postpone the encounter, as he considered playing on All Saints' Day inappropriate. He was told they would get back to him, but after a few days, when he contacted the club again, he received the answer that the alternative time did not suit some players and that they could only play on Sunday. Bugarija added that he had tried to find a solution through the Football Association, proposing to play on Saturday, Wednesday or in a make-up fixture, but no agreement was reached. After discussions with players and coaches, Bibinje decided not to travel to the match, aware of the disciplinary consequences. The penalty, he noted, was one point and 150 euros, but that was not decisive for them. He also highlighted that there had been a lot of pressure and comments from the local community, but the decision had been made — they wanted to go to the cemetery and mass on that day.
Bugarija also criticised the state of the County Football Association, considering that a lack of clear leadership and communication among clubs leads to such situations. He said this state of affairs has lasted for two years, and warned that until a president is elected and the situation stabilises, clubs will continue to blame each other and create unnecessary disagreements.
Debeljak president Ante Gambiraža emphasised that his club could not accept the proposal to play the match on Saturday due to the obligations of individual players. He was asked if they could play on Saturday, but that time did not suit him because they have bocce players who compete in the First Croatian League — his two main players, Karlo and Marko, compete in bocce. In addition, they have three or four firefighters who received their match schedule before the start of the championship. Gambiraža stressed that he could not change the Saturday fixture, and that the Bibinje players said they could not play on Sunday. Debeljak, he claims, did not refuse the postponal out of disrespect for Bibinje, but simply did not have the possibility to gather the team at another time. They have nothing against Bibinje and are on good terms, and he personally does not agree with playing on All Saints' Day, but the Association decided so. They stuck to the schedule because it is difficult to gather players, and they do not have floodlights for an evening fixture.
According to the match delegate's report, the home team and officials arrived on time, and everything was prepared for the match to be played. The Bibinje players did not appear at the scheduled time, nor during the additional 15 minutes of waiting. The delegate noted that neither he nor the representatives of the home club had been previously informed of the reasons for the away team's absence.
Bibinje had been announcing the match on social media during the morning with the message "Lion-like for victory", and a few hours later posted that they would not take the field. The club stated that out of respect for the holiday, its members and the values it upholds, it would not participate in the match scheduled for All Saints' Day. They emphasised that it is a day dedicated to remembering the deceased, family gatherings, prayer and visits to cemeteries. They believe such a date should not overlap with sporting competitions and call for more understanding when compiling the competition calendar.
In other Saturday fixtures, Škabrnja ’91 won away in Zemunik with a score of 1:2, Abeceda sporta in Poličnik was better than Dragovoljac with 1:3, and Velebit convincingly defeated Pakoštane in Benkovac with 4:1. Nova zora beat Zlatna luka Sukošan in Sv. Filip i Jakov 2:0, Raštane narrowly defeated Polača 1:0, and Sabunjar was convincing against Hajduk from Pridraga in Privlaca, winning 3:0.
