Croatian club football has achieved something that has not been done since 2017. Dinamo, Hajduk and Rijeka have qualified for the European playoffs, so Croatia will have at least three representatives in the final qualifying round before the league phase for the first time in nine years. From the four Croatian clubs that started in European qualifying, three have reached the playoffs. Varaždin ended its journey in the second round of the Conference League against Jablonec, while Dinamo, Hajduk and Rijeka continued to the final qualifying round. Dinamo convincingly eliminated Kauno Žalgiris in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. After 5:0 in Zagreb, the Croatian champion also won 2:1 in Lithuania and passed with a total of 7:1. In the Champions League playoffs, it awaits the Norwegian Viking. Hajduk reached the Conference League playoffs in an even more convincing way. The Split team won 5:2 against Žalgiris in Vilnius, and then won 4:0 on Poljud and passed with a total of 9:2. The last obstacle before the league phase will be the Polish Raków Częstochowa. Rijeka had a significantly more tense journey. After a 1:0 win against Ilves on Rujevici, it drew 1:1 in the return in Tampere and passed with a total of 2:1. The team from Rujevici will play against the Danish Midtjylland in the Conference League playoffs. ## First time since 2017. The last time Croatia had at least three clubs in European playoffs was in 2017, and the result was even more impressive - all four Croatian representatives reached the final qualifying round. Rijeka, as the Croatian champion, played the Champions League playoffs against Olympiacos. The Greek team won with a total of 3:1, but Rijeka did not finish the European season due to the then-existing system, but continued in the group stage of the Europa League. Hajduk drew Everton in the Europa League playoffs. The English team won 2:0 at Goodison Park, while the return on a full Poljud ended 1:1. Hajduk thus remained without a group in the Europa League. Dinamo faced Albanian Skënderbeu. The first match in Zagreb ended 1:1, and there were no goals in the return. Due to the then-existing rule of away goals, the Albanian team continued. ## Great opportunity for Croatian club football Nine years after, Croatia has three clubs in this phase again, but the current format brings an important difference. Dinamo has already secured its place in the league phase of one European competition by qualifying for the Champions League playoffs. If it eliminates Viking, it will play in the Champions League, and in the event of a defeat, it will continue in the league phase of the Europa League. Hajduk and Rijeka do not have such a safety net. Raków, or Midtjylland, are the last obstacles that must be overcome if they want to secure a place in the league phase of the Conference League. Croatia thus approaches the end of the qualifying rounds with the opportunity to continue the season with at least three clubs in the league phases of UEFA competitions. The arrival of Dinamo, Hajduk and Rijeka to the playoffs has already achieved a result that Croatian club football has not had in nine years - and the next two European weeks will show if this result can be surpassed by an even greater success.