In another heated “Adriatic Derby” at “Poljud” and Slaven Belupo at “Rujevica,” Rijeka and Radomir Đalović could secure the Croatian championship title if they win their final two matches.

The Montenegrin coach guided Rijeka to a crucial away victory against Šibenik, leaving them just a point ahead of second-place Dinamo, with a game still to play. They are also six points clear of Hajduk.

The decisive match at “Šubićevac” saw French international Nais Džouahra score, assisted by the exceptional Toni Fruk.

“This is a massive win for us; we deserved to celebrate. We played like champions and walked away with three points,” said Đalović.

Earlier today, in a conversation with “Tportal,” our coach reflected on when he was the only member of the Rijeka coaching staff who chose not to follow first coach Sergej Jakirović to Dinamo.

“Jakirović is my friend, and he achieved great success. We spent time together off the field, and he wanted everyone to join him, including Salatović, Ivančić, and Roguljić… But I felt like I would betray the people in Rijeka because I arrived at the club before him. They gave me an opportunity,” said Đalović.

He added that he wouldn’t have considered an offer from any other club at that moment.

“I never contemplated whether I would take something from it or not. It felt like a natural progression for me. Believe me, even if Manchester City had approached me, it wouldn’t have been an option,” he clarified.

This season, Rijeka and Đalović have the potential to achieve a double triumph, as they’re also set to compete in the Cup final against Slaven Belupo.

Since 2006, Rijeka stands as the only club to have disrupted Dinamo’s championship reign, which occurred eight years back.

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