Croatian FA appoint Hawk-Eye as VAR technology partner
The Croatian Football Federation has signed a five-year VAR technology agreement with Hawk-Eye Innovations, securing coverage across the country’s top club competitions until 2031.
The Croatian Football Federation has appointed Hawk-Eye Innovations as its VAR technology partner in a five-year agreement covering the country’s leading domestic club competitions.The Sony-owned technology company will provide video assistant referee services from the 2026/27 season until the end of the 2030/31 campaign.Hawk-Eye football director Max Wright said: “Our VAR technology and service represent the global standard in video support for refereeing, 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 working with HNS to ensure the highest level of refereeing standards for Croatian club football in the seasons ahead.”The agreement covers every SuperSport HNL match across the full season.Hawk-Eye will also support the SuperSport Croatian Football Super Cup and the closing stages of the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup from the quarter-finals onwards.The partnership will cover up to 188 matches per season across ten stadiums in Croatia.The new Croatian league season begins on August 1, with Hawk-Eye’s system to be operational from the opening round.HNS general secretary Josip Tomaško said: “The introduction of the most modern technological solutions is an important part of the continuous development of Croatian football.“By signing this five-year partnership with Hawk-Eye, we have secured long-term stability and the highest VAR system standards in our competitions.“We believe their technology, expertise and experience will further contribute to the quality of refereeing, the regularity of competitions and the trust of all participants in Croatian football.“The Croatian Football Federation continues to invest in infrastructure, education and modern solutions that follow the development of world football.“We are pleased that in the coming years we will cooperate with a partner that is a global leader in referee-assistance technology and thereby provide our competitions with the highest level of organisation and match delivery.”Hawk-Eye will also deliver a practical education programme for selected Croatian referees and video assistant referees before the start of the 2026/27 season.Specialist technical teams will be present at each match during the season to support system reliability and operational delivery.The agreement is the first partnership between HNS and Hawk-Eye and creates a long-term technology framework for VAR across Croatian club football.Hawk-Eye’s wider business spans officiating support, broadcast production and digital sports content, with its systems used across major global sports competitions.The Croatian FA will begin the Hawk-Eye rollout with SuperSport HNL fixtures on August 1, before extending coverage to the Super Cup and Croatian Cup quarter-finals later in the season.