At the moment when Rijeka’s president Damir Miskovic publicly says that “Rijeka already has a replacement for Fruko ready”, it is clear that Rujevica is not speaking by heart. That sentence is not a marketing platitude, but part of the continuity of the club, which has repeatedly shown in recent years that it knows how to survive even the biggest departures.
But also, she does not mean that she will Toni Fruk be replaced, because Fruka, realistically, cannot be replaced by one player now and immediately. After all, even today Fruk is not what he was when he arrived in Rijeka: arguably the best player in Rijeka, SHNL and an almost certain Croatian representative at the World Cup “across the pond”. It can only be replaced by a different distribution of responsibilities, roles and focus.
And the winter hunt for Toni Fruko has already begun. Between Christmas and the New Year, as we unofficially learn, interest was expressed from several directions: the American MLS, England, Scotland, Greece and Turkey. The profile of a player like Fruk – technically superior, tactically mature, capable of playing between the lines and deciding matches – is extremely sought after. The president of the club from Kvarner keeps the price high, for a reason. Fruk is the best player of SuperSport HNL, the leader of Rijeka’s game and a player around whom the whole system can be built or sold. And as interest grows, so does the reality of his departure become more and more apparent. Every day there is less and less chance that they will see spring in Rujevica, although the transition period always leaves room for surprises. If you don’t believe it, remember that summer transfer window…
However, the key question is not where Fruk will go, but what Rijeka does when he leaves.
First of all, it should be clearly stated: Rijeka does not have a “new Fruko”. And that is not a weakness, but a fact. Fruk is the product of specific development, continuity of play and trust of several coaches, incl Sergej Jakirović during whose tenure, now with hindsight it can be clearly said, the best transition period in the club’s history took place. But Rijeka has players who will naturally come into focus after his departure, players whose roles will increase, and the spotlight will inevitably focus more strongly on them.
The first among them is Samuele Vignato. Not as a direct copy of Fruko, but as a player who is already showing the elements around which offensive creativity can be built. Vignato has quickness of thought, courage in one-on-one play and a sense of space between the lines. With Sánchez, he found a place in the system very quickly, and his development ceiling is not even close to being reached yet. If there’s a player who can take some of the creative burden and become the new “focal point” of the game, it’s Vignato. Not through the same moves as Fruk, but through his own style: more direct, vertical, sometimes unpredictable.
The second player that logically comes to the fore is Tiago Dantas. He is not a flash player, but he is a control player. In the post-Fruk scenario, Rijeka will inevitably have to change the way it reaches the end, and Dantas is a midfielder who can dictate the rhythm, bring calm and connect the lines. His value increases precisely in teams that lose a distinct individual, then stability, reading the game and intelligence are required. Dantas has it. His contribution may not be measurable through goals and assists to the same extent, but without him Rijeka will have a harder time looking like a structured team.
The third name that cannot and must not be bypassed is Niko Janković. Paradoxically, the player whose market value has fallen is exactly the one who can get a new, perhaps crucial, role in the post-Fruk period. Janković has already proven that he can be a decision player, a player in big games and a player who understands the weight of the jersey. His statistics this season – despite less minutes – show that he still has a concrete effect. If Fruk leaves, space opens up for the redistribution of responsibilities, and Janković is one of the few in the roster who has both the experience and the character to do so.
Sanchez the system remains the key. He is a coach who does not look for stars, but functional parts. In this sense, Mišković’s claim that “the replacement already exists” probably does not mean one name, but the whole plan. A plan where creativity is shared, pressure is distributed, and the team remains competitive regardless of individual departures.
And as far as Fruko is concerned, unofficially the options are clear. MLS offers financial security and the status of a project holder. England and Scotland offer development, pace and visibility. Greece and Turkey offer a combination of ambition, European fixtures and strong financial conditions. We are still waiting for a specific offer from Spain, a league that in many ways would be the best possible choice for Fruk to continue his career…
The question is not whether the offer will come, but what will be the one that will satisfy both the club and the player for whom Mišković “cashed out” four million euros this summer and took over his entire contract from Fiorentina, to whom Fruk would be worth his weight in gold today.
If “January is known by the holidays”, then it is a question of when someone will put an offer on the table. And Rijeka, like many times before, will not panic. Because maybe there is no new Fruko. But it has structure, it has players on the rise and it has a club that has learned to live with departures – without losing its identity. And that, ultimately, is Rijeka’s greatest strength.
