Rijeka and Radomir Đalović are making waves in Croatian football. After their impressive victory over Dinamo in the championship, the team from Rujevica, guided by the Montenegrin coach, also knocked Hajduk out of the Cup.

The leaders of the Croatian championship showcased their seriousness this season at “Poljud,” securing a 3:1 victory and progressing to the semi-finals.

While Rijeka enjoys their triumph, the Croatian public is buzzing about Dario Melnjak, a player from Hajduk, and how he managed to deceive the referees during the match.

The defender for the home team executed a throw-in using one hand, yet neither the referee nor his assistant, positioned just a meter and a half away, noticed the infraction.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” commented the renowned Slovenian referee Damir Skomina during his analysis for Max TV.

Skomina remarked that the referees typically divide their roles among themselves.

“The assistant referee should have been observing the action while the main referee focused on the penalty area, anticipating any potential incidents… His assistant clearly should have picked up on that,” he added, noting his experience, including officiating in a Champions League final.

Reflecting on the unusual nature of the situation, he acknowledged that perhaps the assistant referee did not expect such an occurrence, based on a journalist’s inquiry.

“A referee must always be ready for the unexpected and prepared for anything,” Skomina concluded.

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