MILAN – (Football Data statistics) Hajduk Split and Inter will face each other for the first time ever in international competition, also taking into consideration the period in which the Croatian club was part of the federation of the then Yugoslavia. The Croatian club has played a total of 12 competitive matches against Italian teams (4 in the Mitropa Cup and 8 in the UEFA Cup) for a total of 4 wins, 5 draws and 3 defeats.
Since Hajduk have officially been part of the Croatian FA, however, they have never managed to win against an Italian club; their record is 3 draws and 3 defeats. Their home record is 3 victories, 2 draws and a single defeat, 0-1 against Sampdoria in the UEFA Cup on 16 August 2007. It was a Sampdoria side that boasted among their directors Umberto Marino, the Nerazzurri's current organizational director.
For the first time in Nerazzurri history Inter will face a team belonging to the Croatian federation, but before the dissolution of Yugoslavia Inter crossed paths with a Croatian club, Zagreb XI, against whom they played two encounters in the group stage of the 1955/58 Fairs Cup, winning both games (1-0 away, 4-0 at home).
This will be the first competitive meeting between Krsticevic and Stramaccioni. They have something in common, however: the Hajduk Split coach was also promoted to first team (summer 2011) directly from the Primavera team, where he won a league title.
Hajduk Split were founded on 13 February 1911 and they boast 34 major titles: 6 Croatian league championships, 5 Croatian Cups, 5 Croatian Super Cups, 9 Yugoslavian league championships and 9 Yugoslavian cups. As a representative of the Croatian Federation, Hajduk are participating for the 13th time in the current Europa League (ex-Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup), but they can also claim to have participated 6 times in the Champions League and once in the Cup Winners' Cup.
When considering both history as well as current events, this evening's match at the Stadion Poljud promises to be a special one, and even more so for Walter Samuel who, should he take to the pitch, would celebrate his 200th competitive match in an Inter shirt, having made his debut back on 20 August 2005 (Juventus 0-1 Inter in the Italian Super Cup).
