Ivica Ivušić, the Croatian national team goalkeeper, has returned to the Croatian Football League and become a new member of Hajduk. After spending two and a half years with Cypriot side Pafos, he has now signed a contract with the Split-based club until the summer of 2029.

Hajduk reportedly paid around €400,000 for his transfer, and Ivušić will wear the number 1 jersey. During his presentation at Poljud, sporting director Goran Vučević emphasized that Ivušić showed strong desire to join Hajduk, even giving up a portion of his own salary to make the transfer possible. Ivušić has had a notable career, coming through the youth academies of Rijeka and Inter Milan and then playing for Istra 1961 and Osijek in Croatia, where he established himself as a key player with more than 120 appearances.

With Pafos, he won the league and the Cypriot Cup, while as a member of Croatia’s national team, he participated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and earned a bronze medal. Upon joining Hajduk, Ivušić stated that his focus is on winning trophies with the Split club rather than on the national team, while the sporting director highlighted his commitment and willingness to make sacrifices for this move.

Ivušić’s return to the HNL is seen as a significant boost for Hajduk and an important step in the club’s ambitions to win the title.

Nevertheless, Ivušić declared:

My focus is not the national team, but Hajduk. I hope to win the title with Hajduk