VIDEO Scandal in the Croatian league: The president of our first league shouted at the referee: 'Are you ashamed, tell me?!'
Following a goalless draw between Sesvete and Hraci in the Croatian first division, a video surfaced showing Hraci president Stipe Doljanin shouting at referee Zdenko Lovric during the match. The clip, originally published by the sports portal SportNews, captures Doljanin expressing frustration over officiating decisions but does not show him entering the referee's locker room. Sesvete coach Mario Rac accused Doljanin of verbally attacking the referee around the 40th minute and subsequently entering the locker room, claiming this incident caused a shift in refereeing standards later in the game. Rac specifically highlighted a 60th-minute incident where he believed a foul was missed against his team. Doljanin denied all allegations through an official club statement, asserting he did not enter restricted areas or pressure officials, and announced legal action against Rac for making false claims.
The president of NK Hrvace, Stipe Doljanin, has denied allegations that he intimidated a match official during a recent league fixture, despite the release of audio footage showing him shouting at the referee. The incident occurred after a goalless draw between Sesvete and Hrvace in the tenth round of the Croatian First Football League, known locally as the Prva NL. While the on-field result was a 0-0 stalemate, the aftermath saw severe accusations leveled against the visiting club’s leadership regarding interference with the match officials. Mario Rac, the head coach of the home side Sesvete, claimed that Doljanin directly influenced the refereeing decisions. According to Rac, the Hrvace president descended to the pitch area near the end of the first half, specifically around the 40th minute. Rac stated that Doljanin verbally attacked the main referee, Zdenko Lovric, using insults and profanity while questioning the quality of the officiating. Rac further alleged that following these remarks, Doljanin entered the referees' locker room. The Sesvete coach argued that this sequence of events caused Lovric to completely change his disciplinary criteria for the remainder of the game. Rac highlighted a specific moment in the 60th minute to illustrate his point. He described a situation where his forward, Akani, was left one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper. Rac believed the referee should have issued a red card to the Hrvace defender, yet instead called a foul against the attacking team. Rac expressed frustration that both the spectators and the bench were left in disbelief by the decision, describing it as part of their current football reality. He noted that his team had played well but suffered from a chronic inability to convert chances, with the ball hitting the goal frame repeatedly without finding the net. In response, Doljanin firmly rejected all claims made by Rac. In a statement released by Hrvace, Doljanin asserted that he did not enter the referees' locker room nor exert any pressure on the officials. He emphasized that he was not an accredited official for the match and therefore lacked permission to access the grass or the designated functional rooms. Doljanin challenged Rac to provide concrete evidence for his public accusations. The Hrvace club added that explaining match results through such allegations is unacceptable and supported a transparent review of all available recordings to establish the truth. A video recording captured from the stands corroborates Doljanin's vocal dissatisfaction with the officiating. On the clip, which was published by the sports portal SportNews, Doljanin can be heard yelling at Lovric. He shouts, "Lovric, don't do this, did you hear me? Lovric! Hello, we won't play anymore... Lovric, is this possible? Are you not ashamed, tell me!" After the outburst, the footage shows Doljanin using his mobile phone. While the audio confirms his heated complaints, the visual record does not show him entering the locker room, a key element of Rac's accusation. Doljanin has announced plans to pursue legal action against Rac, citing false statements. He requested a check of surveillance camera footage and other available proofs. Currently, there is no publicly confirmed evidence that Doljanin accessed the referees' quarters or influenced Lovric's performance. The Hrvace club, managed by Ivan Radeljic, secured a crucial point in their fight for survival in the second tier of Croatian football. Meanwhile, the draw extended Sesvete's winless streak to five matches. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over match integrity in the lower divisions, with both sides maintaining conflicting narratives about the conduct off the pitch.
3 reports
Net.hrIndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 90
A match between Sesvet and Hrac ended in a goalless draw, but attention shifted to allegations made by Sesvet coach Mario Rac against Hrac president Stipa Doljanin. Rac claimed that Doljanin verbally attacked referee Zdenko Lovric during halftime and subsequently entered the locker room, causing the referee to change his officiating criteria in the second half. The coach specifically cited a missed penalty call in the 60th minute as evidence of biased refereeing. Doljanin denied all accusations, stating he was not an authorized official at the match and had no access to the pitch or locker rooms. He challenged Rac to provide concrete proof of his claims. A video recording from the stands showing the president shouting at the referee has been released, though the club maintains that such incidents do not explain the on-field result.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a dispute within a lower-tier football league involving allegations of referee interference. While the conflict involves strong language and accusations, it remains a standard sports controversy rather than a politically charged issue regarding state policy or governance. The tone
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (90): The tone is relatively neutral, presenting the conflict as a dispute between two parties. It uses standard journalistic phrasing ('teške optužbe', 'navodno') and presents both the accusation and the denial without taking a clear side.
Index.hrIndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 80
A video surfaced showing Stipe Doljanin, president of NK Hrvace, shouting at referee Zdenko Lovric after a 0-0 draw against NK Sesvete in the Croatian Second Football League. The clip, originally published by SportNews, captures Doljanin expressing frustration over officiating decisions but does not show him entering the referee's locker room. Sesvete coach Mario Rac accused Doljanin of verbally abusing the referee and entering restricted areas during halftime, claiming this influenced subsequent calls. Doljanin denied these allegations through a club statement, asserting he had no access to official spaces and announcing legal action against Rac for defamation. No independent evidence has yet confirmed whether Doljanin entered the locker room or exerted pressure on the match official.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a dispute within professional football involving a club president and a coach. While there is conflict between parties, the subject matter is strictly related to sports administration and conduct rather than political ideology or public policy. The reporting presents claims from a
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (80): The headline is somewhat dramatic ('galami'), but the article body remains objective. It clearly separates the coach's allegations from the president's denials and mentions the planned legal action, providing a balanced view of the ongoing dispute.
Večernji listIndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 75
Following a goalless draw between Sesvete and Hraci in the Croatian first division, a video surfaced showing Hraci president Stipe Doljanin shouting at referee Zdenko Lovric during the match. The clip, originally published by the sports portal SportNews, captures Doljanin expressing frustration over officiating decisions but does not show him entering the referee's locker room. Sesvete coach Mario Rac accused Doljanin of verbally attacking the referee around the 40th minute and subsequently entering the locker room, claiming this incident caused a shift in refereeing standards later in the game. Rac specifically highlighted a 60th-minute incident where he believed a foul was missed against his team. Doljanin denied all allegations through an official club statement, asserting he did not enter restricted areas or pressure officials, and announced legal action against Rac for making false claims.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a dispute within professional football involving a club president and a coach regarding referee conduct. While the headline uses sensationalist language typical of tabloid sports journalism, the body text presents conflicting accounts from both parties neutrally. It cites specific
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (75): While the body text is fairly balanced, the headline uses sensationalist language ('Skandal', 'urla') which leans towards a tabloid style. However, the body maintains a reporting tone, noting that opinions are divided rather than declaring guilt.
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