Hajduk Split to play NK Vardarac at new Arena B in tiny Vardarac

Hajduk Split travel to one of Croatia's smallest venues on 8 September 2026, when the Dalmatian club faces fourth-tier NK Vardarac in the Croatian Cup at the recently completed Arena B in the village of Vardarac.

A modern complex in a village of barely 500 people

Arena B was officially opened in August 2025 and is the centrepiece of the local football project in Baranja. The facility was built with joint financing from the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of Hungary and the whole project is worth more than €7 million. The stadium was designed to meet high infrastructure standards and fulfils the requirements for a UEFA B licence.

One striking detail is the covered main stand with approximately 500 seats — a notable feature considering the settlement of Vardarac has only 504 inhabitants according to the 2021 census. The complex includes club rooms, a gym, changing rooms for children and adults, rooms for referees and media, a VAR room, a doping control room, parking and catering facilities.

Vardarac is a small village in the Baranja region, administratively part of the Bilje municipality in Osijek-Baranja County, located about ten kilometres from Osijek. On the pitch, NK Vardarac has progressed quickly: it won the Osijek-Baranja county cup in the 2022/23 season and finished that season fifth in the Međužupanijska liga Osijek-Vinkovci; one year later the club finished second in the championship.

The visit of Hajduk Split transforms the Cup tie into a high-profile occasion for local supporters and the surrounding area, bringing top-level opponents to a rural ground whose facilities far exceed the needs of a typical third-league side.

Photo: press material from the event