The HNK Rijeka Chronicle
Squad31 Aug 2026
Antonio Perica breaks a bone — 19 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 19 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Squad31 Aug 2026
Toni Fruk in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at HNK Rijeka this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad31 Aug 2026
Words at HNK Rijeka training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Chris Smalling is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The terraces31 Aug 2026
HNK Rijeka supporters have found a favourite in Samuele Vignato
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 22-year-old it feels ownership of. Samuele Vignato has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Squad31 Aug 2026
No hiding place for Ante Matej Jurić
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Ante Matej Jurić, and the manager let it.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
One of those days for Samuele Vignato
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.28, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
Toni Fruk runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 18. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market31 Aug 2026
HNK Rijeka buy the years ahead of Noa Mikić
He is 19, and the scouting reports agree on the only line that matters: the ceiling. Signings like this are lottery tickets written by professionals.
Market31 Aug 2026
Istra 1961 are about to pick up the phone
A conversation is coming this week. HNK Rijeka will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
In brief
- Match Samuele Vignato rescues a point for HNK Rijeka
- Player ratings A day to forget for Merveil Ndockyt
- Market HNK Rijeka borrow Matija Subotić