Šibenik demoted to 4th tier of Croatian football

Šibenik’s Šubićevac stadium (Photo: IvanOS/CC BY-SA 3.0)

ZAGREB, 2 June 2025 – The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has completed the 22nd Central Licensing Process for clubs participating in the 2025/26 season of UEFA club competitions, including UEFA women’s club tournaments, as well as domestic leagues – the HNL, Prva NL, and Druga NL.

The headline development from this year’s licensing process is the dramatic fall of Šibenik, who, after being relegated from the top tier last season, have now failed to secure a licence for any of the top three divisions, tportal reports.

As a result, the club will be demoted to the fourth tier – the 3. HNL Jug – for the upcoming season.

Šibenik’s licensing failure comes amid ongoing financial difficulties, which have plagued the club since their relegation.

The lack of financial and organisational criteria has now led to their exclusion from higher-tier competition.

Another club affected is Marsonia, who did not receive a licence for the Druga NL (Third Division), marking a significant setback in their ambitions.

On the other hand, there was good news for Vukovar, the champions of the Prva NL (Second Division), who have secured their licence.

However, they will have to play their matches in Vinkovci, as their home ground does not meet the necessary requirements for the SuperSport HNL.

The HNS has made the full list of licensing decisions available to the public, detailing which clubs have fulfilled the criteria across all competition levels.

The licensing process is an annual procedure to ensure clubs meet specific financial, infrastructural, sporting, legal and administrative standards required to participate in Croatian and UEFA competitions.

You can see the list here.