Heart of Hajduk (Croatian: Hajdučko srce) is an annual football award established in 1994 and officially awarded by the Hajduk Split supporters' association Torcida Split to the Hajduk player of the year.

The inaugural winner of the award was the midfielder Ante Miše, a key player in the squad which won the Croatian championship in the 1993–94 season. Two players have won the award twice, the striker Nenad Pralija in 1995 and 1996, and the goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa in 2000 and 2002. Up to 2012, only three foreign players had received the award (Josip Skoko in 1998, Mirko Hrgović in 2007 and Senijad Ibričić in 2010), although they all hold Croatian citizenship.

In 2006, the title was not awarded because, according to supporters' judgment, none of the players deserved it following a string of bad results in both domestic competitions which saw Hajduk, widely considered a powerhouse in Croatian football, finishing fifth in the national championship and exiting the 2005–06 Croatian Cup in the semi-finals.

In 2009, the club had initially struggled to find its form, but improved later in the season and eventually finished second in the championship and runners-up in the 2008–09 Croatian Cup (after coming back from a 3–0 defeat to their biggest rivals Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg and then losing the final in a penalty shootout). The supporters' frustration with yet another trophiless season was further increased when Hajduk went through much turmoil related to the transformation of the debt-ridden club into a public limited company in summer 2009.[1] In addition, the team experienced a series of humiliating results at the beginning of the 2009–10 season, and this all led to the cancellation of the award for the second time.[2] On 11 August 2011, the award was posthumously awarded to the legendary Hajduk manager Tomislav Ivić, who died in June 2011.[3] In August 2012, Heart of Hajduk was awarded to the youth academy.[4]

Winners

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Nenad Pralija, the only player to have won the award in consecutive years (1995 and 1996)
 
The 2009 winner, Drago Gabrić, pictured here posing with a Trabzonspor shirt after being transferred out from Hajduk in August 2009.
Names in bold indicate multiple winners.
International caps correct as of 18 August 2022.
Season Name Position Nationality Int. caps Ref
1993–94 Ante Miše Midfielder   CRO 7
1994–95 Nenad Pralija Midfielder   CRO 11
1995–96 Nenad Pralija Midfielder   CRO 11
1996–97 Tonči Gabrić Goalkeeper   CRO 9
1997–98 Josip Skoko Midfielder   AUS 51
1998–99 Darko Miladin Defender   CRO 1
1999–2000 Stipe Pletikosa Goalkeeper   CRO 114
2000–01 Ivan Bošnjak Forward   CRO 14
2001–02 Stipe Pletikosa Goalkeeper   CRO 114
2002–03 Darijo Srna Midfielder   CRO 134
2003–04 Dean Računica Midfielder   CRO 2 [5]
2004–05 Vladimir Balić Goalkeeper   CRO 0
2005–06 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2006–07 Mirko Hrgović Midfielder   BIH 29
2007–08 Drago Gabrić Midfielder   CRO 5
2008–09 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded. [2]
2009–10 Senijad Ibričić Midfielder   BIH 43 [6]
2010–11 Tomislav Ivić Coach   CRO 0 [3]
2011–12 Youth academy [4]
2012–13 Goran Jozinović Defender   CRO 0 [7]
2013–14 Mario Pašalić Midfielder   CRO 40
2014–15 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2015–16 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2016–17 Ante Erceg Midfielder   CRO 0 [8]
2017–18 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2018–19 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2019–20 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2020–21 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.
2021–22 Marko Livaja Forward   CRO 13 [9]
2022–23 Youth academy [4]
2023–24 Heart of Hajduk was not awarded.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ilić, Igor (16 July 2009). "Hajduk Split to offer shares for sale". Reuters. Retrieved 17 January 2010.[dead link]
  2. ^ a b Pavlić, Antonija (13 August 2009). "Torcida odustala od Hajdučkog srca". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b Pavković, Božo (11 August 2011). "Još jedno priznanje: Tomislavu Iviću dodijeljeno Hajdučko srce!". dalmacijanews.com (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Pavković, Božo (7 August 2012). "Hajdučko srce omladinskoj školi Hajduka!". dalmacijanews.com (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  5. ^ Duplančić, Blaž (12 July 2004). "Ovacije Računici". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Senijad Ibričić Hajdučko srce". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). 4 August 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  7. ^ Dadić, Joško (9 August 2013). "Hajdučko srce Goranu Jozinoviću!". dalmacijanews.com (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  8. ^ Propadalo, Karlo (10 August 2017). "Ante Erceg dobitnik nagrade Hajdučko srce". nogometplus.net (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  9. ^ Lelas, Miroslav (2 August 2022). "Marko Livaja je dobio Hajdučko srce". index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 18 August 2022.
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