Hawk-Eye Innovations and the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) signed a five-year deal (2026/27–2030/31) to provide SMART Replay VAR technology and full VAR infrastructure across Croatia’s top domestic competitions, covering up to 188 matches per season at 10 stadiums. The agreement aims to standardize and modernize officiating across the SuperSport HNL, Croatian Supercup and latter stages of the Croatian Cup, securing long-term integrity and operational stability for Croatian football.
--> The Croatian Football Federation Chooses Hawk-Eye Innovations for a Landmark 5-year VAR Technology Deal 06 Jul 2026 Link copied! share.notcopied The multi-year partnership will bring Hawk-Eye’s proprietary SMART Replay technology and comprehensive VAR infrastructure to all major domestic competitions starting this season. Read the full announcement. Press Release Basingstoke, United Kingdom, and Zagreb, Croatia – July 7, 2026 – Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, and the Hrvatski nogometni savez (HNS) , the Croatian Football Federation, announce today that they’ve officially entered into a multi-year agreement to deliver state-of-the-art Video Assistant Referee (VAR) services across Croatia’s top-tier football competitions. This partnership builds upon Hawk-Eye’s proven track record of delivering elite VAR services across major FIFA and UEFA competitions, alongside its ongoing, long-term partnerships with prominent domestic leagues including the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Eredivisie, CBF, and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). The finalised agreement secures a five-year term, running from the 2026/27 season through the 2030/31 season, ensuring long-term sporting integrity for Croatian football. Hawk-Eye will deploy its industry-leading technology across Croatia's top tier of domestic football. This comprehensive rollout includes full-season coverage for all SuperSport Hrvatska nogometna liga (HNL) league matches, the annual Croatian Supercup curtain-raiser, and the crucial final stages of the Croatian Cup, beginning with the high-stakes quarter-finals. In total, Hawk-Eye will support up to 188 matches per season across 10 stadiums nationwide, ensuring elite technology integration at every major milestone of the domestic calendar. The season will kick off on Saturday 1st August, with the opening match day of the SuperSports HNL. Max Wright , Managing Director, Football at Hawk-Eye highlighted: “Our VAR technology and service continues to be the gold-standard in video officiating in football, and we are extremely proud that the Croatian Football Federation has chosen us as its partner for the next five years. We look forward to supporting the federation in ensuring the Croatian Football League has the highest level of officiating for many years to come.” "The implementation of the most advanced technological solutions is an important part of the continuous development of Croatian football. By entering into this five-year partnership with Hawk-Eye, we have secured the long-term stability of the VAR system and ensured the highest standards of its implementation across our competitions,” said Josip Tomaško , General Secretary of the Croatian Football Federation. “We are confident that Hawk-Eye's technology, expertise and experience will further enhance the quality of refereeing, the integrity of our competitions and the trust of everyone involved in Croatian football. HNS remains committed to investing in infrastructure, education and modern solutions that keep pace with the ongoing development of world football. We are delighted to be working with a global leader in officiating technology over the coming years, ensuring that our competitions continue to be delivered to the highest standards of organisation and match operations.” The collaboration extends beyond technology delivery. Ahead of the 2026/27 season kickoff, Hawk-Eye will deliver a comprehensive, hands-on VAR training program for select HNS match officials to ensure seamless operational readiness. Throughout the season, every match day will be backed by dedicated on-site technical support teams, guaranteeing elite-level system integration, reliability, and match-day integrity. This inaugural deployment marks the beginning of a long-term strategic collaboration, with both organisations committed to exploring deeper technology and innovation integrations in the seasons to come.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.hawkeyeinnovations.com
Hawk-Eye Innovations, Sony, Hrvatski nogometni savez, SuperSport Hrvatska nogometna liga, Croatian Supercup, Croatian Cup, Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie, Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Hawk-Eye Innovations: Hawk-Eye Innovations is a Sony group company that will deliver state-of-the-art Video Assistant Referee (VAR) services across Croatia's top-tier football competitions under a multi-year agreement.
Sony: Sony is the parent group company of Hawk-Eye Innovations.
Hrvatski nogometni savez: Hrvatski nogometni savez (HNS) is the Croatian Football Federation that entered a multi-year agreement with Hawk-Eye Innovations to deliver VAR services across Croatia's top-tier competitions.
SuperSport Hrvatska nogometna liga: SuperSport Hrvatska nogometna liga (HNL) is Croatia's top tier football league whose full-season matches will receive Hawk-Eye's VAR technology and infrastructure.
Croatian Supercup: Croatian Supercup is the annual curtain-raiser competition that will be covered by Hawk-Eye Innovations' VAR technology under the new partnership.
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