Croatia’s men’s national team finished fourth at the final tournament of the 2025 World Cup in Podgorica. After a win against Montenegro, a loss to Spain, and a penalty shootout defeat to Hungary in the bronze medal match, the tournament ended with a serious injury to one of the team’s key players.
During the first quarter of the match against Hungary, Marko Žuvela, a standout performer for Jug Adriatic Osiguranje, sustained a double nasal fracture following an incident that did not result in any in-game sanctions.
Croatia’s head coach Ivica Tucak addressed the situation following the team’s return from Montenegro in an article to Sportske Novosti
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“Žuvela got elbowed in the head in the first quarter,” Tucak said. “I asked for a VAR review, which they didn’t want to show, meaning the game was ruled to just continue. In my opinion, the point of VAR is to show it on the big screen for everyone to see.”
Tucak also described the sequence of events:
“I asked for the exact moment when Butić was sent off, followed by a headbutt to him. Then not even a minute later, there was another elbow to the head—this time to Žuvela, who ended up with a broken nose in two places. A serious injury.”
The referees for the match were Vladimir Stanojević (Serbia) and Francisco Buch (Spain). No call was made for brutality, which under current rules would have resulted in a five-meter penalty and a four-minute exclusion.
“If we’re going in that direction, then give us clear instructions,” Tucak added. “We’ll adapt—we’ll bring in MMA coaches or judo coaches if needed. Just tell us.”
Žuvela is currently recovering, and it remains uncertain whether he will be available for Jug Adriatic Osiguranje’s upcoming playoff semi-final against Mladost on April 26. A return to play using a protective face mask is one possible option, though the club is expected to assess his condition over the coming days.
The content and quotes in this article are sourced from Dean Bauer’s original report published on Sportske Novosti