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The famous Belupo fired the coach who led them to last year's World Cup semifinals.
Croatia⚽ SportsCenter8/31/2026

The famous Belupo fired the coach who led them to last year's World Cup semifinals.

Slaven Belupo, a top-tier football club from Kopřivnica, has dismissed their head coach, Mario Gregurina, after just five matches into the season. The decision was made by the club's board based on recommendations from the sports director and club management. Gregurina took over in June 2025, succeeding Maria Kovacevic, who had previously been his assistant. During his tenure, he led the team through 45 official matches, achieving 11 wins, 11 draws, and 19 losses. Last season, the team managed to stay in the middle of the league table (eighth place) and reached the semifinals of the Cup, where they were defeated by Rijeka. The club expressed gratitude for Gregurina's contributions, noting his background as both a former player and youth coach, and wished him success in future endeavors.

Slaven Belupo has parted ways with head coach Mario Gregurina after a disappointing start to the season. The decision was made by the club’s emergency board following a suggestion from the sports director and club director. According to official statements, the 38-year-old native of Koprivnica, who had been coaching the team since June 2025, will no longer hold the position. His departure marks the first coaching change in the Croatian Football League (HNL) this season. Gregurina took over from his predecessor, Marija Kovačević, in June 2025. During his tenure, he guided the team through 45 official matches, recording 11 wins, 11 draws, and 19 losses. In the Croatian Cup, he led the squad in four matches, securing three victories and one defeat. Despite these results, the team managed to accumulate 41 points, which secured them eighth place in the league table. They also reached the semifinals of the cup, where they were defeated by Rijeka. The club acknowledged Gregurina's contributions, highlighting his role as a local product, former player, youth coach, assistant trainer, and eventually head coach. The statement from Slaven Belupo expressed gratitude for his work and wished him continued success in his future endeavors. “As a native of Koprivnica, former player, youth coach, assistant trainer, and now head coach of the first team, Mario has left a lasting mark on our club. We sincerely thank him for his collaboration and wish him much success in his further sporting and life journey,” the club stated. The decision to replace Gregurina came after a relatively modest start to the season. The team collected just three points from five games, leading to the club’s decision to make a change. This move follows a pattern of cautious management, as the club sought stability while aiming for better performance. The new head coach will take over from Marija Kovačević, who previously served as the assistant under Gregurina. Gregurina’s time at the helm saw the team achieve notable milestones, including reaching the cup semifinals. However, the lack of consistency in league form raised concerns among the club’s leadership. The 11 wins and 11 draws contrasted with the 19 defeats, indicating challenges in maintaining momentum throughout the campaign. Despite these setbacks, the club recognized his efforts and the impact he had on the team’s structure and culture. The transition comes at a critical juncture for Slaven Belupo, as they look to build on past successes while addressing current shortcomings. With the new coach taking charge, the focus will shift towards improving performance and ensuring a more competitive standing in the upcoming matches. The club’s management has emphasized the importance of continuity and strategic planning moving forward. As the new era begins, fans and players alike will be watching closely to see how the team adapts and progresses under its new leadership.

How this report was made. Objective News wrote this report from 4 source articles, using AI-assisted synthesis under our methodology. It is our own text, not a copy of any single outlet. Read our methodology.

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4 reports

Net.hr logoNet.hrIndependentCenterFactual 95Objective 858/31/2026
The famous Belupo fired the coach who led them to last year's World Cup semifinals.

Slaven Belupo, a top-tier football club from Kopřivnica, has dismissed their head coach, Mario Gregurina, after just five matches into the season. The decision was made by the club's board based on recommendations from the sports director and club management. Gregurina took over in June 2025, succeeding Maria Kovacevic, who had previously been his assistant. During his tenure, he led the team through 45 official matches, achieving 11 wins, 11 draws, and 19 losses. Last season, the team managed to stay in the middle of the league table (eighth place) and reached the semifinals of the Cup, where they were defeated by Rijeka. The club expressed gratitude for Gregurina's contributions, noting his background as both a former player and youth coach, and wished him success in future endeavors.

Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports-related event, specifically, the dismissal of a football coach, which falls under the 'Sports' category. Since this is not a politically charged issue, there is no need to assess any potential bias. The content is purely informational and does not present any subjective

Why factuality (95): This article closely mirrors the official statement, including exact figures and dates. It quotes the full press release verbatim and provides accurate context about Gregurina’s career and achievements at the club.

Why objectivity (85): The article maintains a balanced tone, focusing on the club’s decision and Gregurina’s contributions without introducing bias or emotional language.

Index.hr logoIndex.hrIndependentCenterFactual 90Objective 858/31/2026
Fallon's first coaching sack of the SHNL season.

Mario Gregurina, 38-godišnji trener kluba Slaven Belupo, je otkazan nakon petnaest mjeseci na poslu. Odluka o smjeni donesena je odboru za hitnost kluba na prijedlog sportskog direktora i direktora, jer je tim dobio samo tri boda u pet utakmica na početku sezone. Ovo je prvi trenerski otkaz u SuperSport HNL-u ove sezone. Gregurina je vodio momčad u 45 službenih utakmica tokom svoje vremena na klupi, s 11 pobjedama, 11 neriješenih rezultata i 19 poraza. Također je vodio klub u kupu četiri puta, s tri pobjede i jednim porazom. Pod njegovim vodstvom je klub osvojio 41 bod prošle sezone, što je dovelo do osme pozicije na ljestvici, te je stigao do polufinala Kupa. Klub je u priopćenju zahvalio Gregurinu na suradnji i želeo mu mnogo sreće u budućnosti.

Bias read (Center): The article reports on the firing of a football coach due to poor performance at the start of the season. While football management decisions can have political implications in some contexts, particularly if the club is associated with local politics or has significant community influence, this news

Why factuality (90): The article accurately reflects the official statement, providing precise statistics and timeline details. It correctly attributes the decision to the club’s board and includes relevant match results and standings.

Why objectivity (85): The tone remains objective, focusing on the facts of the situation without expressing personal opinion or emotional commentary.

Jutarnji list logoJutarnji listIndependentCenterFactual 85Objective 758/31/2026
The first HNL fired!

The football club Slaven Belupo has announced the dismissal of head coach Mario Gregurina after a poor start to the season. The team suffered four losses and only one win against a significantly weaker Gorica squad, leading to dissatisfaction with their performance. Gregurina, who had been coaching the first team since June 2025, was replaced by his assistant trainer Marija Kovačević. Under Gregurina’s leadership, the team played 45 official matches, securing 11 wins, 11 draws, and 19 losses. In the Croatian Football League (HNL), this marks the first resignation of a coach during the current season. The club expressed gratitude for Gregurina’s contributions and wished him success in his future endeavors.

Bias read (Center): The article presents the coaching change at a football club as a factual update, focusing on match results and administrative decisions. There is no overt ideological framing or emphasis on political agendas. The tone remains neutral, relying on official statements and objective reporting without sl

Why factuality (85): The article presents most of the factual information correctly but introduces some subjective phrasing like 'protiv ove sezone izrazito slabašne Gorice' which is not found in the primary source. This could imply a biased interpretation of the team’s performance.

Why objectivity (75): The tone leans slightly towards criticism of the team’s performance, suggesting a more negative perspective than purely factual reporting.

Novi list logoNovi listIndependentCenterFactual 75Objective 808/31/2026
The players of the famous Belup lost their coach, Gregurini decided to lose to Osijek.

Slaven Belupo has parted ways with their head coach, Mario Gregurina, after a challenging start to the season. The club announced that Gregurina, who took charge in June 2025, will no longer be the team’s manager following a poor performance record. Under his leadership, the team accumulated three points from five matches this season and finished eighth in the league last year, reaching the semifinals of the cup before being eliminated by Hajduk Rijeka. Gregurina, a native of Koprivnica and former player, had previously worked with the club in youth teams and as an assistant coach. The club expressed gratitude for his contributions and wished him success in future endeavors.

Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports-related event, specifically, a football club parting ways with its head coach. There is no political framing, controversy, or ideological emphasis present in the content. The focus is purely on the sports organization and its management decisions.

Why factuality (75): The article accurately reports the firing of Mario Gregurina based on the official statement from Slaven Belupo. It includes correct details such as his tenure, record, and the reason for his dismissal. However, it mentions 'Gregurini presudio poraz od Osijeka' which is not present in the primary so

Why objectivity (80): The tone remains neutral, presenting facts without emotional language. The article avoids taking sides and focuses on reporting the club’s decision and Gregurina’s performance.

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