# Istra 1961–Rijeka rivalry

The Rijeka–Pula derby (Croatian: Derbi Rijeka – Pula), also called Derby della Učka (Derby della Monte Maggiore) is the name given to matches between Rijeka and Istra 1961. It is a regional derby between football clubs from Croatia's two largest northern coastal cities, Rijeka and Pula. The teams are supported by their fanbases called Rijeka's Armada and Pula's Demoni.

## History

The rivalry between Rijeka and Pula dates back to the days of Kingdom of Italy in the early 1920s, when numerous clubs from Fiume (Rijeka) and Pola (Pula) met at various levels of the Italian league system. The first official match between Rijeka and Pula took place on 25 June 1920, between Juventus Enea Fiume and US Polese. While numerous Rijeka/Fiume (Juventus Enea, CS Olympia, CS Gloria, CS Fiume, Veloce, Magazzini Generali) and Pula/Pola (Polese, Grion, Edera) regularly met during this period, the most notable rivalry existed between the leading club of each city, U.S. Fiumana (successor of Olympia and Gloria after 1926) and G.S.F. Giovanni Grion Pola. Between 1930 and 1943, these two clubs played 20 official matches, with Fiumana winning 11 and Grion 5 matches, alongside 4 draws.
Following the end of World War II, the two cities became part of the Yugoslavia. Like all clubs in Yugoslavia, U.S. Fiumana got restructured into the more proletarian-friendly brand S.C.F. Quarnero in July 1946. The new regime decided to invite a club from the occupied Julian March for the 1946–47 Yugoslav First League and Quarnero was admitted after beating the short-lived Pula-based club USO (Unione Sportiva Operaia) in a two-legged play-off in August 1946. In late 1947 USO merged with another local club to form NK Pula, which survives today as NK Istra. The Quarnero was renamed to NK Rijeka in June 1954. During this period Rijeka spent most seasons playing in the Yugoslav First League, while Pula clubs played in the lower tiers. Until the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991, Rijeka played 21 official fixtures against Istra and Uljanik, mainly during its stay in the lower divisions in the 1950s and early 1970s, and in the 1973 and 1978–79 Yugoslav Cup. Two other clubs from Rijeka, NK Orijent and NK Lučki Radnik met more frequently Istra and Uljanik in the lower tiers of Yugoslav football.
Since Croatian independence, Istra joined Croatia's top tier, and local derbies became a regular feature. Between 1992 and 2000, Rijeka and Istra met on 17 occasions, with Rijeka winning on eight and Istra on six occasions, while three matches finished in a draw. Pula did not have a top-tier club between 2000 and 2004. In 2004, NK Pula 1856, former Uljanik, was promoted to Prva HNL. In 2005, the club was renamed to NK Pula Staro Češko, in 2006 to NK Pula and, finally, in summer 2007 to NK Istra 1961. Since July 2004, Istra 1961 and Rijeka have played 66 regional derbies, with Rijeka winning 43 and Istra 1961 7 games, while 16 matches ended in a draw.

## Results

| Competition | Played | Rijeka wins | Draws | Istra wins | Rijeka goals | Istra goals |
| Rijeka v. Istra (1992–2000) |||||||
| Prva HNL | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 13 |
| Rijeka v. Istra 1961 (2004–present) |||||||
| Prva HNL | 63 | 41 | 16 | 6 | 119 | 43 |
| Croatian Cup | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Totals | 66 | 43 | 16 | 7 | 124 | 47 |
| All Time | 83 | 51 | 19 | 13 | 151 | 60 |
Last updated on 9 February 2025.

## List of matches
### Key

* Match ended in a draw
* Rijeka win
* Istra win
Note: Home team's score always shown first

### 1992–2000

| M | Date | Competition | Ground | Score | Rijeka scorers | Istra scorers | Attendance | Report |
| 1 | 7 Mar 1992 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–1 | Ban | Dadić | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 2 | 2 May 1992 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 3–0 | Ljubančić (3) | | 1,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 3 | 11 Oct 1992 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 2–1 | Šarić | Jurić, Knežević | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 4 | 25 Apr 1993 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 0–0 | | | 2,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 5 | 21 Aug 1993 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–0 | | Jozipović | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 6 | 27 Feb 1994 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–0 | Mladenović (2) | | 2,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 7 | 23 Oct 1994 | 1. HNL | Valkane | 1–0 | | Jurčić | 2,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 8 | 30 Apr 1995 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–2 | Hodžić (2) | Meštrović, Ugrčić | 2,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 9 | 13 Sep 1995 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 4–0 | Dželalija (2), Perković, Živković | | 1,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 10 | 26 Nov 1995 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Brkić | | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 11 | 14 Apr 1996 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–0 | | Fatorić | 8,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 12 | 22 May 1996 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 4–1 | Perković (3), Brkić | Scoria | 6,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 13 | 18 Aug 1996 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–0 | Perković, J. Samardžić | | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 14 | 2 Mar 1997 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–2 | Alempić (o.g.), Brkić | | 3,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 15 | 2 Oct 1999 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 4–1 | Hasančić, Milicic (2), Balaban | Bjelanović | 3,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 16 | 29 Feb 2000 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–0 | | Nosek | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 17 | 25 Mar 2000 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 2–1 | Čačić | Nosek, Župan | 4,500 | HRnogomet.com |

### 2004–present

| M | Date | Competition | Ground | Score | Rijeka scorers | Istra 1961 scorers | Attendance | Report |
| 1 | 18 Sep 2004 | 1. HNL | Veruda | 0–0 | | | 3,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 2 | 26 Feb 2005 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 1–1 | D. Tadić | Jerneić | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 3 | 23 Jul 2005 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–2 | Zekić, Krpan | Jerneić, Pilipović | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 4 | 22 Oct 2005 | 1. HNL | Veruda | 3–0 | | Šehić (2), Jerneić | 3,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 5 | 14 Oct 2006 | 1. HNL | Veruda | 2–3 | Toñito (2), Bule | Raić-Sudar, Budicin | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 6 | 3 Mar 2007 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–0 | Ah. Sharbini, Ivanov | | 2,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 7 | 28 Apr 2007 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 1–1 | M. Brajković | Halilović | 800 | HRnogomet.com |
| 8 | 21 Nov 2009 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–0 | Štrok, Križman | | 1,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 9 | 13 May 2010 | 1. HNL | Veruda | 2–0 | | Anđelković, Šehić | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 10 | 16 Oct 2010 | 1. HNL | Veruda | 0–0 | | | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 11 | 23 Apr 2011 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–0 | Vukman, Čulina | | 1,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 12 | 24 Sep 2011 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 0–0 | | | 3,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 13 | 11 Apr 2012 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–0 | | | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 14 | 6 Oct 2012 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 2–1 | Cesarec, Datković | Bačelić-Grgić | 3,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 15 | 3 Mar 2013 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–1 | Kreilach | Bačelić-Grgić | 5,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 16 | 10 May 2013 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–0 | | Hadžić | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 17 | 20 Jul 2013 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 3–0 | Tomečak, Benko (2) | | 5,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 18 | 22 Sep 2013 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 2–3 | Benko, Kvržić, Krstanović | Franjić, Križman | 4,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 19 | 8 Dec 2013 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 3–3 | Kramarić (3) | Batarelo, Franjić, Babić | 5,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 20 | 19 Mar 2014 | Cup (SF) | Kantrida | 2–1 | Kramarić (2) | Radonjić | 7,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 21 | 26 Mar 2014 | Cup (SF) | Drosina | 0–1 | Krstanović | | 7,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 22 | 30 Mar 2014 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Krstanović | | 2,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 23 | 4 Aug 2014 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Krstanović | | 5,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 24 | 18 Oct 2014 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 3–1 | Jajalo, Kramarić, Zec | Tomić | 5,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 25 | 15 Feb 2015 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–0 | | | 3,000 | HRnogomet.com |
| 26 | 26 Apr 2015 | 1. HNL | Kantrida | 3–0 | Tomasov (2), Álex | | 3,500 | HRnogomet.com |
| 27 | 13 Sep 2015 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Bezjak | | 3,012 | prvahnl.hr |
| 28 | 28 Nov 2015 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 1–0 | Tomasov | | 4,180 | prvahnl.hr |
| 29 | 12 Mar 2016 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Tomasov | | 2,251 | prvahnl.hr |
| 30 | 14 May 2016 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–0 | Vešović, Brezovec | | 3,322 | prvahnl.hr |
| 31 | 22 Jul 2016 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 4–1 | Gavranović (2), Bezjak (2) | Roce | 3,954 | prvahnl.hr |
| 32 | 30 Sep 2016 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–2 | Črnic, Gorgon | | 3,984 | prvahnl.hr |
| 33 | 17 Dec 2016 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 1–0 | Andrijašević | | 4,471 | prvahnl.hr |
| 34 | 22 Apr 2017 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–1 | Gorgon | Gržan | 4,746 | prvahnl.hr |
| 35 | 29 Jul 2017 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–0 | Gorgon, Gojković (o.g.) | | 5,504 | prvahnl.hr |
| 36 | 14 Oct 2017 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–0 | | Puclin | 2,040 | prvahnl.hr |
| 37 | 10 Feb 2018 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 4–0 | Puljić, Čolak, Črnic, Zuta | | 4,151 | prvahnl.hr |
| 38 | 17 Apr 2018 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Kvržić | | 1,637 | prvahnl.hr |
| 39 | 26 Aug 2018 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 3–3 | Héber (3) | Mierez (2), Obeng | 4,517 | prvahnl.hr |
| 40 | 11 Nov 2018 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–2 | Čolak, Kvržić | Perić-Komšić | 1,953 | prvahnl.hr |
| 41 | 1 Mar 2019 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–0 | Gorgon, Murić | | 4,275 | prvahnl.hr |
| 42 | 4 May 2019 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–7 | Pavičić (2), Čolak (2), Acosty, Puljić, Capan | | 1,741 | prvahnl.hr |
| 43 | 22 Sep 2019 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–3 | Andrijašević, Lončar, Murić | | 2,797 | prvahnl.hr |
| 44 | 8 Dec 2019 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–0 | Gorgon, Murić | | 4,045 | prvahnl.hr |
| 45 | 7 Jun 2020 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–3 | Lončar, Čolak, Murić | Perić-Komšić | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 46 | 25 Jul 2020 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 4–2 | Čolak (4) | Guzina (2) | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 47 | 29 Aug 2020 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–1 | Andrijašević (2) | Guzina | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 48 | 27 Jan 2021 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–2 | Andrijašević (2) | Špoljarić | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 49 | 13 Feb 2021 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 1–1 | Murić | Gržan | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 50 | 7 Apr 2021 | Cup (SF) | Drosina | 3–2 | Drmić, Murić | Šutalo, Hara, Guzina | 0 | hns-cff.hr |
| 51 | 21 Apr 2021 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–2 | Murić, Kulenović | Galilea | 0 | prvahnl.hr |
| 52 | 25 Jul 2021 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–0 | Drmić (2) | | 2,015 | prvahnl.hr |
| 53 | 2 Oct 2021 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 3–6 | Krešić, Pavičić (2), Vučkić, Ampem, Bušnja | João Silva, Mahmoud, Lisica | 1,274 | prvahnl.hr |
| 54 | 18 Dec 2021 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 1–0 | Obregón | | 3,255 | prvahnl.hr |
| 55 | 2 Apr 2022 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–2 | Vučkić (2) | | 2,170 | prvahnl.hr |
| 56 | 21 Aug 2022 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–1 | Vučkić | Petković | 2,422 | hnl.hr |
| 57 | 29 Oct 2022 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 0–1 | | Erceg | 3,755 | hnl.hr |
| 58 | 3 Mar 2023 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–2 | Janković (2) | | 3,019 | hnl.hr |
| 59 | 6 May 2023 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 2–2 | Frigan, Ampem | Kadušić, Bakrar | 6,657 | hnl.hr |
| 60 | 6 Aug 2023 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 6–0 | Ivanović, Selahi, Pašalić, Goda, Majstorović (o.g.), Grgić | | 4,856 | hnl.hr |
| 61 | 22 Oct 2023 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 1–1 | Janković | Mlinar | 3,665 | hnl.hr |
| 62 | 4 Feb 2024 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 3–0 | Hodža, Janković, Marić | | 7,588 | hnl.hr |
| 63 | 14 Apr 2024 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–2 | Fruk, Goda | | 5,228 | hnl.hr |
| 64 | 17 Aug 2024 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 4–0 | Rukavina, Pašalić, Ivanović (2) | | 4,159 | hnl.hr |
| 65 | 3 Nov 2024 | 1. HNL | Drosina | 0–1 | Fruk | | 3,569 | hnl.hr |
| 66 | 8 Feb 2025 | 1. HNL | Rujevica | 0–1 | | Gagua | 4,893 | hnl.hr |
| 67 | 2 Apr 2025 | Cup (SF) | Rujevica | | | | | |
| 68 | 19 Apr 2025 | 1. HNL | Drosina | | | | | |

## Players
### Top scorers

Updated up to the last derby played on 3 November 2024.

#### 9 goals

* Antonio Čolak (Rijeka)

#### 7 goals

* Robert Murić (Rijeka)

#### 6 goals

* Franko Andrijašević (Rijeka)
* Andrej Kramarić (Rijeka)

#### 5 goals

* Alexander Gorgon (Rijeka)
* Borimir Perković (Rijeka)

#### 4 goals

* Gedeon Guzina (Istra 1961)
* Niko Janković (Rijeka)
* Ivan Krstanović (Rijeka)
* Domagoj Pavičić (Rijeka)
* Marin Tomasov (Rijeka)
* Haris Vučkić (Rijeka)

#### 3 goals

* Leon Benko (Rijeka)
* Roman Bezjak (Rijeka)
* Senad Brkić (Rijeka)
* Josip Drmić (Rijeka)
* Héber (Rijeka)
* Franjo Ivanović (Rijeka)
* Josip Jerneić (Istra 1961)
* Zoran Kvržić (Rijeka)
* Dean Ljubančić (Rijeka)
* Asim Šehić (Istra 1961)

### Players who have scored in Rijeka–Pula derby for both clubs

* Sandi Križman (2 goals, 1 for Rijeka and 1 for Istra 1961)

### Players who have played for both clubs (senior career)
## Managers who have managed both clubs

* Milivoj Bračun
* Nenad Gračan
* Srećko Juričić
* Robert Rubčić
* Elvis Scoria
* Zoran Vulić
* Fausto Budicin

## Prva HNL results

The table lists the place each team took in each of the seasons.
| | 1992 | 92–93 | 93–94 | 94–95 | 95–96 | 96–97 | 99–00 |
| No. of teams | 12 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 12 |
| Rijeka | 6 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| Istra | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 11 |
| | 04–05 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 09–10 | 10–11 | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21-22 | 22-23 | 23-24 |
| No. of teams | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Rijeka | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Istra 1961 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 |