The 2023–24 season was the 78th season in the existence of HNK Rijeka and the club's 33rd consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football. In addition to the domestic league, Rijeka participated in this season's editions of the Croatian Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Season overview
European campaign and change of coach
Rijeka opened their competitive season with a 4–0 home victory over Rudeš in the Croatian league. Their European campaign began in the second qualifying round of the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League, where they defeated Dukagjini 1–0 away and 6–1 at Rujevica. Forward Franjo Ivanović scored a hat-trick in the second leg as Rijeka progressed 7–1 on aggregate. They subsequently defeated B36 Tórshavn in both legs of the third qualifying round, winning 3–1 in the Faroe Islands and 2–0 at home.
On 21 August, head coach Sergej Jakirović left Rijeka to become manager of Dinamo Zagreb, replacing Igor Bišćan. His departure came three days before Rijeka's Conference League play-off against Lille. Rijeka appointed Željko Sopić, who had begun the season as head coach of Gorica, as Jakirović's replacement.
Rijeka lost the first leg against Lille 2–1 in France despite taking the lead through Marco Pašalić. In the return match at Rujevica, Ivan Smolčić scored in the 58th minute to level the tie on aggregate and force extra time. Jonathan David equalised for Lille in the 109th minute, giving the French club a 3–2 aggregate victory and ending Rijeka's European campaign.
League and cup challenges
Under Sopić, Rijeka established themselves among the leading teams in the league. A 1–0 victory over Hajduk Split in October took Rijeka to the top of the table, while draws against Dinamo Zagreb and Osijek helped keep them in contention before the winter break. Their only league defeat between August and the end of 2023 was a 4–2 home loss to Slaven Belupo.
Rijeka began 2024 with five consecutive league victories, including a 2–1 comeback win against Hajduk at Poljud and a 4–0 home victory over Lokomotiva Zagreb. The run ended with a 1–0 defeat against Dinamo at Maksimir on 25 February, but Rijeka responded with seven successive league wins. That sequence included victories over Osijek, Hajduk and Istra 1961 and culminated in a 3–0 win against Gorica on 21 April, which preserved Rijeka's two-point advantage over Dinamo at the top of the table.
Rijeka also advanced through the Croatian Cup by defeating Libertas 9–0, Cibalia 3–1 and Rudeš 1–0. In the semi-final, Smolčić's second-half header secured a 1–0 away victory over Lokomotiva and a place in the two-legged final against Dinamo.
Runners-up in league and cup
Rijeka's title challenge was damaged by a 3–1 defeat away to Lokomotiva on 28 April, which ended their seven-match league winning run. In the following round, Rijeka hosted Dinamo in a direct contest for first place. Marko Pjaca gave Rijeka the lead from a penalty, but goals from Bruno Petković and Arbër Hoxha, the latter in the 89th minute, gave Dinamo a 2–1 victory and a four-point advantage with three matches remaining.
A 3–1 defeat against Varaždin on 11 May was Rijeka's third successive league loss. Dinamo's victory over Osijek later that day gave them an unassailable seven-point lead and confirmed Rijeka as league runners-up. Rijeka eventually finished the league season with 74 points from 23 victories, five draws and eight defeats, scoring 69 goals and conceding 30.
The first leg of the Croatian Cup final at Maksimir ended 0–0. In the return at Rujevica on 22 May, first-half goals from Petar Sučić and Martin Baturina put Dinamo in control before Marko Bulat added a third goal. Toni Fruk scored a late consolation as Rijeka lost 3–1, ending the season as runners-up in both the league and cup.
Competitions Overall
SuperSport HNL
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Results by opponent TeamResultsPoints1234Dinamo Zagreb 1–2 2–2 0–1 1–2 1Gorica 3–2 1–0 2–0 3–0 12Hajduk Split 0–1 1–0 2–1 1–0 9Istra 1961 6–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 10Lokomotiva 2–1 1–1 4–0 1–3 7Osijek 2–1 0–0 3–0 0–2 7Rudeš 4–0 2–1 3–0 3–0 12Slaven Belupo 1–0 2–4 1–0 4–0 9Varaždin 2–2 2–0 2–0 1–3 7 Source: 2023–24 Croatian Football League article
Matches SuperSport HNL
Croatian Cup
UEFA Europa Conference League
Friendlies Pre-season
On-season (2023)
Mid-season
On-season (2024)
Player seasonal records Updated 27 May 2024. Competitive matches only.
Goals Rank Name League Europe Cup Total 1 Niko Janković 11 2 1 14 2 Franjo Ivanović 5 3 4 12 3 Marco Pašalić 6 3 – 94 Jorge Obregón 7 – – 7 Marko Pjaca 7 – – 76 Veldin Hodža 5 – 1 6 Bruno Goda 4 2 – 68 Niko Galešić 4 – 1 5 Alen Grgić 2 1 2 510 Lindon Selahi 4 – – 4 Toni Fruk 3 – 1 412 Mirko Marić 3 – – 3 Bruno Bogojević 2 – 1 314 Matej Mitrović 2 – – 2 Naïs Djouahra 1 1 – 2 Ivan Smolčić – 1 1 2 Momo Yansané – – 2 218 Emmanuel Banda 1 – – 1 Stjepan Radeljić – 1 – 1 Danilo Veiga – – 1 1 Own goals 2 – – 2TOTALS65141594 Source: Competitive matches
Clean sheets Rank Name League Europe Cup Total 1 Nediljko Labrović 18 2 – 20 2 Martin Zlomislić 1 – 4 5TOTALS192425 Source: Competitive matches
Disciplinary record NumberPositionPlayerHNLEuropeCroatian CupTotal1GK Nediljko Labrović2001000003003DF Bruno Goda6001001008004MF Niko Janković5000000005005DF Niko Galešić3001001005006DF Matej Mitrović1001000002009FW Jorge Obregón30010000040012MF Emmanuel Banda30010000040012MF Ivan Lepinjica20000000020012DF Andrija Vukčević00010000010016MF Dejan Petrovič10000010020018MF Lindon Selahi800100200110020MF Marko Pjaca20000000020021MF Toni Fruk50010000060023MF Alen Grgić10000000010025MF Veldin Hodža60000000060026DF Stjepan Radeljić60000010070028DF Ivan Smolčić900100000100030MF Bruno Bogojević20000010030032DF Marijan Čabraja20000000020066DF Emir Dilaver30000000030077DF Danilo Veiga20010010040087MF Marco Pašalić40000000040089FW Franjo Ivanović20010000030099MF Naïs Djouahra100000000100TOTALS790012008009900 Source: nk-rijeka.hr
Appearances and goals NumberPositionPlayer Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsTotalHNLConference LeagueCroatian Cup1GK Nediljko Labrović410+00+00+002DF Lovro Kitin20+20+00+003DF Bruno Goda356+34+02+104MF Niko Janković4214+511+02+415DF Niko Galešić355+54+10+116DF Matej Mitrović312+72+20+007MF Steven Juncaj20+00+00+208MF Adrian Liber60+20+40+009FW Jorge Obregón377+237+20+2012MF Emmanuel Banda281+151+00+2012MF Ivan Lepinjica50+10+30+0012DF Andrija Vukčević40+10+10+0013GK Martin Zlomislić70+00+00+0015DF Roko Valinčić20+10+00+1016MF Dejan Petrovič240+160+00+2017FW Jakov Bilajac10+10+00+0018MF Lindon Selahi394+14+10+0019MF Matej Momčilovski10+00+00+1020MF Marko Pjaca317+47+00+1021MF Toni Fruk434+33+10+0122MF Noel Jakac10+10+00+0023MF Alen Grgić295+172+41+0224FW Mirko Marić193+73+00+2025MF Veldin Hodža446+105+10+1126DF Stjepan Radeljić361+90+01+1027DF Šimun Butić10+10+00+0027MF Silvio Ilinković120+50+50+0028DF Ivan Smolčić362+20+01+0130MF Bruno Bogojević193+62+10+1132DF Marijan Čabraja100+20+00+1066DF Emir Dilaver220+10+00+0077DF Danilo Veiga191+50+00+2187MF Marco Pašalić419+46+13+2089FW Franjo Ivanović4112+95+13+1499MF Naïs Djouahra82+41+31+0099FW Momo Yansané112+40+00+12 Source: nk-rijeka.hr
Suspensions Date Incurred Competition Player Games Missed Reason3 Sep 2023HNL Veldin Hodža1 29 Oct 2023HNL Lindon Selahi 12 Nov 2023HNL Marco Pašalić 25 Nov 2023HNL Bruno Goda 2 Dec 2023HNL Niko Janković Ivan Smolčić 25 Feb 2024HNL Toni Fruk 3 Mar 2024HNL Ivan Smolčić 16 Mar 2024HNL Jorge Obregón Stjepan Radeljić 14 Apr 2024HNL Lindon Selahi 5 May 2024HNL Bruno Goda Veldin Hodža Stjepan Radeljić 11 May 2024HNL Niko Galešić 19 May 2024HNL Emmanuel Banda Emir Dilaver Ivan Smolčić
Penalties For Date Competition Player Opposition Scored?22 Jul 2023HNL Niko JankovićRudeš10 Aug 2023UECL Niko JankovićB36 Tórshavn7 Oct 2023HNL Niko JankovićHajduk Split24 Jan 2023HNL Marko PjacaGorica Marko Pjaca4 Feb 2024HNL Niko JankovićIstra 196111 Feb 2024HNL Marko PjacaGorica Jorge Obregón Jorge Obregón5 May 2024HNL Marko PjacaDinamo Zagreb Against Date Competition Goalkeeper Opposition Scored?27 Aug 2023HNL Nediljko LabrovićDinamo Zagreb3 Sep 2023HNL Nediljko LabrovićVaraždin11 Feb 2024HNL Nediljko LabrovićGorica25 Feb 2024HNL Nediljko LabrovićDinamo Zagreb
Transfers In DatePos.PlayerMoving fromTypeFeeRef.4 Jun 2023CM Dejan Petrovič Rapid WienTransferFree8 Jun 2023CM Silvio Ilinković Zrinjski MostarTransferFree14 Jun 2023LB Marijan Čabraja HibernianTransferFree15 Jun 2023CB Tino Agić GoricaReturn from loan15 Jun 2023CB Mateo Pavlović Saint-ÉtienneReturn from loan15 Jun 2023DM Marino Kukoč KustošijaReturn from loan15 Jun 2023DM Ivan Lepinjica Arminia BielefeldReturn from loan15 Jun 2023CM Mario Vrančić SarajevoReturn from loan15 Jun 2023LM Gabriel Lunetta SüdtirolReturn from loan15 Jun 2023LW Denis Bušnja BravoReturn from loan15 Jun 2023LW Bernard Karrica GoricaReturn from loan20 Jun 2023CF Franjo Ivanović Augsburg IITransferFree22 Jun 2023RW Marco Pašalić Borussia Dortmund IITransferFree26 Jun 2023AM Niko Janković Dinamo ZagrebTransferFree12 Jul 2023AM Toni Fruk FiorentinaTransferFree13 Jul 2023CB Stjepan Radeljić Sheriff TiraspolTransfer€200,00010 Aug 2023LM Steven Juncaj GoricaTransferFree1 Sep 2023LW Marko Pjaca JuventusTransferFree9 Sep 2023CF Momo Yansané Sheriff TiraspolTransferFree31 Dec 2023DM Damjan Pavlović Degerfors IFReturn from loan18 Jan 2024CB Tino Agić OrijentReturn from loan18 Jan 2024CB Mateo Pavlović RudešReturn from loan31 Jan 2024CF Mirko Marić MonzaLoan (until 30/6/2024) Source: Glasilo Hrvatskog nogometnog saveza
Out DatePos.PlayerMoving toTypeFeeRef.4 Jun 2023DM Mato Stanić Zrinjski MostarReleased (mutual consent)Free15 Jun 2023AM Niko Janković Dinamo ZagrebEnd of loan15 Jun 2023LW Antonio Marin Dinamo ZagrebEnd of loan15 Jun 2023CF Deni Jurić Dinamo ZagrebEnd of loan21 Jun 2023AM Pablo Álvarez Cherno MoreReleased (mutual consent)Free28 Jun 2023RB Filip Braut RogaškaReleased (mutual consent)Free29 Jun 2023DM Andro Babić PosušjeLoan (until 19/6/2024)1 Jul 2023LM Gabriel Lunetta SüdtirolTransfer (buying option)Undisclosed4 Jul 2023CM Mario Vrančić SarajevoReleased (mutual consent)Free4 Jul 2023LW Dominik Simčić OrijentDual registration6 Jul 2023CF Marco Djuricin Spartak TrnavaLoan (until 19/6/2024; option to buy)13 Jul 2023GK Mislav Zadro OrijentDual registration13 Jul 2023CF Niko Gajzler OrijentDual registration16 Jul 2023CB Duje Dujmović ŠibenikLoan (until 19/6/2024)19 Jul 2023CB Anton Krešić CFR ClujLoan (until 30/6/2024; option to buy)19 Jul 2023RW Prince Ampem EyüpsporTransfer€1,500,00024 Jul 2023CF Matija Frigan WesterloTransfer€5,500,0001 Aug 2023DM Marino Kukoč KustošijaReleased (mutual consent)Free4 Aug 2023LB Noel Bodetić OrijentDual registration4 Aug 2023DM Antonio Galešić GrobničanDual registration4 Aug 2023AM Karlo Valjan OrijentDual registration22 Aug 2023GK Mislav Zadro Aris LimassolTransferUndisclosed31 Aug 2023LW Naïs Djouahra LeganésLoan (until 19/6/2024; option to buy)5 Sep 2023LW Bernard Karrica BallkaniReleased (mutual consent)Free6 Sep 2023LB Mikhail MerkulovRetirement7 Sep 2023DM Ivan Lepinjica Slaven BelupoReleased (mutual consent)Free7 Sep 2023CM Adrian Liber Slaven BelupoReleased (mutual consent)Free8 Sep 2023CB Tino Agić OrijentLoan (until 18/1/2024)8 Sep 2023CB Mateo Pavlović RudešLoan (until 18/1/2024)8 Sep 2023LW Denis Bušnja Dinamo TbilisiReleased (mutual consent)Free14 Sep 2023LB Andrija Vukčević JuárezTransfer€1,000,00022 Jan 2024CB Mateo Pavlović RudešLoan (until 19/6/2024)2 Feb 2024CM Silvio Ilinković Zrinjski MostarLoan (until 18/6/2024)9 Feb 2024GK Aleksa Todorović OrijentDual registration9 Feb 2024CB Tino Agić OrijentDual registration9 Feb 2024DM Antonio Galešić OrijentDual registration15 Feb 2024CB Tino Agić CibaliaLoan (until 20/6/2024)19 Feb 2024CM Strahinja Tešović GrobničanDual registration28 Feb 2024CB Djibrilla Ibrahim TBCReleased (mutual consent)Free14 Mar 2024LM Steven Juncaj Michigan Stars FCLoan (until 30/6/2024) Source: Glasilo Hrvatskog nogometnog saveza