Bruno Marić, former head of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) Referees Commission and match controller, resigned on July 28, 2025, following strong public reactions, especially from Hajduk Split, after his reappointment. Marić had previously been suspended for five months and fined by the HNS Disciplinary Committee due to a controversial post related to the association Naš Hajduk. After his suspension ended, he was reinstated to the list of elite match controllers, which sparked significant criticism.

Hajduk reacted particularly strongly, publicly stating that Marić was not welcome at Poljud stadium. They accused him of fabricating VAR footage, double standards, and public attacks on Hajduk’s co-owner. The club demanded his immediate removal, calling his presence a symbol of “immorality, greed, and hypocrisy,” and emphasized that Marić’s return to the elite controllers’ list was a greater problem than the initial incident.

Under this pressure, Marić decided to resign. In his statement, he said:

Dear all,
Some will rejoice, some will say I shouldn’t have left. But I have always advocated for football, and I have become a burden to Croatian football! Therefore, I have decided to step down from the position of match controller. Although my role is completely irrelevant for those who questioned it in advance to create an alibi for possible failure, my decision is the only reasonable one. I want to enable peace in Croatian refereeing and the HNS! Thanks to President Kustić and the HNS Executive Board, as well as everyone I have worked with!
P.S. I take this opportunity to announce a press conference, but I will inform the public about the time and place in due course! I am confident it will be very interesting!

The HNS immediately accepted his resignation and explained that Marić served his punishment, which was why they believed he had the right to return. However, due to the widespread dissatisfaction, it was decided he should withdraw in order to calm the situation within Croatian football.

Following this, due to serious communication issues and dissatisfaction within HNS, the Federation President Marijan Kustić requested statements from other members of the Referees Commission and announced the possibility of further sanctions and personnel changes connected to the entire case.