HNK Rijeka - Rivalries

Rivalries

Further information: Adriatic derby

Rijeka's greatest rivalry is with Hajduk Split. Adriatic derby is contested between the two most popular Croatian football clubs coming from Adriatic coast, Rijeka and Hajduk. Each new match between these two great rivals, means a great match on the field, but also in the stands between Rijeka's Armada and Split's Torcida.

Other rivalries exist with Dinamo Zagreb, and on regional level with Istra Pula. The origins of Rijeka-Pula rivalry date back to the clashes between U.S. Fiumana and G.S.F. Grion Pola since the late 1920s.

Further information: Rijeka city derby

There is also a city rivalry with NK Orijent. The rivalry dates back to the time when the western part of the city, Fiume, was part of Italy and the eastern part of the city, SuĊĦak, part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between 1932 and 1940 U.S. Fiumana and NK Orijent played 10 games, with Fiumana winning 9 and Orijent 1 game. Numerous Rijeka city derbies were contested after World War II, and particularly when both clubs were competing in the Yugoslav Second League between 1969 and 1973. Out of 14 league games, Rijeka won 11, Orijent won 1, with 2 games ending in a draw. The last city derby took place during the 1996-97 season of Prva HNL, the only season in which Orijent played in the same tier as Rijeka since 1972-73.

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