Reja takes up Hajduk challenge

HNK Hajduk Split have appointed Edoardo Reja as the new man in charge of first-team affairs, their third head coach this season.

Third coach
Reja follows Ante Miše, who resigned after just two league games, and his successor Ivica Kalinić, who has had to take a break from the game after falling ill during Hajduk's 1-0 UEFA Europa League loss to MŠK Žilina. The 63-year-old Italian arrives after almost five years at SSC Napoli, whom he guided to Serie A after consecutive promotions.

'Great honour'
Reja was dismissed in March following a 2-0 home defeat by S.S. Lazio and is now looking forward to a new challenge. "After 32 years of working in Italy this is a whole new world for me," the former Cagliari Calcio, Torino FC and Calcio Catania coach said. "It's a great honour to come to such a big club and we want to bring up Hajduk to where they were before." Although only four league games into their domestic campaign, Hajduk are already ten points behind arch-rivals NK Dinamo Zagreb and Reja was quick to manage expectations. "I know that the chairman and all the fans want a championship title, but it will be difficult to do that this season," he continued. "But we will try anyway. Don't expect miracles from me straight away."