Hajduk and Ajax are playing the first round of the Conference League at Poljud, with the match starting at 18:45. This is the first time in the main phase of a European competition for the White team since 2010, and Hajduk is finally playing a European match after 16 years. The Dutch side is in crisis, with Ajax currently in fifth place in the Eredivisie.
In the run-up to the match, shouts with elements of prohibited content were recorded during the home fans' march. A criminal investigation is underway to establish all the facts and the identities of the perpetrators, with further legal action to follow. Shouts of "I will light the high furnaces, three rows of cocaine, four Jews" were heard from the Torcia, with chants including "Tread, tread, tread on the Jews", "Auschwitz, Auschwitz", and "Forward, forward, Ustasha".
The most hardcore fans are embracing the Jewish identity, but the majority of members of these fan groups have no family or religious ties to Judaism. They have declared themselves "Jews", or in Dutch "Superjoden", as a defiant reaction to the fierce anti-Semitic insults from rival groups in Rotterdam and The Hague. Dutch fans proudly wear the Star of David, Israeli flags, and use this identity as a shield and driving force for provoking opponents.
Torcia has announced ahead of the match that fans will gather at 16:00 at the blue tree, from where the march to the stadium will begin. Fans are asked to enter the stands an hour earlier to ensure the successful execution of the choreography. The march has begun, and fans are gathering in the city. Strong police forces are present on Riva, given the unrest the previous night, with some fans spotted by the coach Slaven Bilic.
Hajduk has planned a full-day program for the match, which started at 12:00. Later, there will be a gathering with Ric for the youngest, and face painting for those who did not manage to get tickets. The team from one platform has arrived in Split to report. Some subscribers in the West have received a notification from Hajduk that they will not be able to sit in their seats during the match.
The first bus has arrived, and team manager Stjepan Bard is spotted. The team has arrived at Poljud, with a strong police escort and a dribble past the stadium. The Dutch team has been escorted by police to the stadium. Dutch sports journalist Lent Goodijk closely follows Ajax, knowing Gonzalo Garcia from his time at Twente, and believes that the white team has a chance. Ivan Katalinić and Zoran Vulić were the main actors in the quarter-final of the Champions League in 1995 against Ajax at Poljud, both optimistically anticipating the evening match. Garcia, in relation to the derby with Dinamo, should make one important change for the match with Ajax. This match will not be broadcast on HDTV.
Hajduk's lineup (4-2-3-1): Silvić, Acapandi, Marešić, Hadžikadunić, Hrgović, Del Moral, Fayad, Dalisson, Bamba, Štiček, Šego. Ajax's lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Keizer, Bouman, Baas, Torrents - Klaassen, Amrabat, Brand - Cigan, Aro, Ouzane.
