After nearly eight months of forced pause because of an injury, the last season's top striker of HT First League, Marko Futacs finally played again. The whole stadium welcomed him back when he entered as a substitute in the 79th minute, more than 15,000 spectators at Poljud loudly applauded and welcomed him back with ovation from all the stands.
"Thanks to the supporters for ovations that accompanied me when I was entering the game, it was a very emotional moment for me. I was practically almost crying because it came on my mind all I went through in this difficult period for me. Their support messages throughout my recovery period meant a lot to me".
Marko was delighted after the match with Rijeka, where he played the first minutes for Hajduk after the injury he got in August last year.
"I'm glad that the coach has confidence in me. Of course, I'm not in the shape I was before the injury, but I will need much less time to get back to the level I was at before the injury. When I first got the ball, immediately after entering, I felt a huge dose of confidence and that was crucial to me" he couldn't hide enthusiasm.
Up to now, he collected a total of 33 appearances for Hajduk and scored 22 goals. Marko struggled, worked, didn't give up at any moment, his motivation and desire for return on the field were stronger than anything else.
The optimistic spirit pushed him forward, but he didn't want to rush, he worked hard and believed he would come back stronger than he was before the injury.
"I'm grateful to all the people in the Club who have supported me and helped me to successfully return on the field. The rehabilitation process was not easy, but doctors, physiotherapists and fitness coaches did everything to help me join my teammates agIn".
He commented the Adriatic derby where Hajduk was closer to winning, but Rijeka's goalkeeper Simon Sluga stopped all attempts to win the match. "I'm sorry we didn't win, I think we played a good match and we were closer to winning, but we will now turn to the next matches and we will do everything we can to cheer our fans already against Lokomotiva" he concluded.