Rijeka Crowned New Croatian Champions in Dramatic Final Day Decider
In a thrilling conclusion to the 2024/25 SuperSport HNL season, HNK Rijeka have been crowned champions of Croatia’s top-flight league. According to a report by Croatia Week, Rijeka secured the title with a 2-0 home victory over Slaven Belupo on the final day of the season.
The decisive goals were scored by Niko Janković and Toni Fruk at the Rujevica stadium, ensuring Rijeka finished top of the table, ahead of Dinamo Zagreb on a head-to-head record. As noted by Croatia Week, this marks the second time in Rijeka’s history that they have lifted the Croatian top-flight trophy, having first won the league in 2017.
The title also brings an end to Dinamo’s recent dominance of Croatian football. Dinamo have claimed 18 of the last 19 championships, but Rijeka’s victory has broken their stranglehold on the league. As Croatia Week reports, Rijeka have consistently been among the top clubs in Croatia, finishing runners-up eight times in addition to their two league titles.
The final day of the season was marked by drama, with three clubs – Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, and Hajduk Split – all in contention for the title. Dinamo did their part, winning their final match 1-0 against Varaždin to finish level on points with Rijeka. However, Rijeka’s superior head-to-head record gave them the crucial edge in the title race. Hajduk Split, who beat Šibenik 1-0, finished third.
In assessing Rijeka’s achievement, Croatia Week notes that the club have a strong history in Croatian football. The report states, “While Dinamo have dominated Croatian football in recent decades, Rijeka have consistently been among the top clubs. In addition to their two titles, the club have finished runners-up eight times.”
Rijeka’s season could get even better, with the club still in contention for a historic league and cup double. They will face Slaven Belupo in the second leg of the Croatian Cup final on Thursday, with the first leg having finished 1-1.
The final standings for the SuperSport HNL are as follows:
SuperSport HNL table
Source: Croatia Week – Rijeka Crowned New Croatian Champions in Dramatic Final Day Decider.
Image: Rijeka crowned champions – Croatia Week
Image: Final day standings – Croatia Week
