TALKS OPENLY ABOUT ŠUKER, DINAMO, HAJDUK, RIJEKA, BIG NEW PROJECTS

We have some interesting topics to go over that we divided into 3 parts: HNS presidential elections (Your part in it), NK Osijek and the newest Italian assets.

 

All 3 topics are surely interesting and up-to-date and I remain eager to answer any and all questions.

HNS – elections?
The HNS elections seem controversial to some, but I would kindly disagree because landslide victories are scarcely a point of controversy. Of course, the possibility remains that things turned sour for some after all. Part of the media and the public is a bit disgruntled, with the Assembly going against usual procedures, meaning that civility and ordered fashion were not respected.
Part of the Assembly members felt a strong tension in the air, with some evident frustrations arising, but one thing remains set in stone – Davor Suker’s landslide victory. Personally, it was partially uncomfortable for me to see a high-profile guest and president of the German Football Association and vice-president of UEFA met with a portion of the assembly members being dissatisfied, with many a misplaced and disgraceful word being spoken on the podium - another proof of a deep divide in our society, sadly.

What exactly is the position of HNS presidential advisor and how do you see yourself in it?

The function of advisor, more precisely the notion of one in Croatia seems to have some negative connotations due to Tudjman’s advisor, all the way to Dinamo’s advisor, but I wouldn’t go that sequence of reasoning. I look at it as a novelty, a fully independent position, one that is out of the reach of the executive branch of the HNS, meaning that I am neither member of the execs, nor am I an employee, for this is a position of volunteering, one that was not as significant in terms of Davor and mine relationship up until now.
It is up to me to try to “fix” football’s image in Croatia and it’s chief organization. To contribute with my experience, contacts and general attitude of aiding the greater improvement of local and national football, I would remove focus from darker things, so to speak, which are sadly embodied in the public’s notion of the HNS right now.

Due to my being aware of my freedom, you can rest assured that my voice will be heard and my counsel acknowledged and in case of any lack of the latter, I’ll realize that I have misplaced my efforts here.

What does the position of advisor mean and in which areas can he help? I believe that by doing this much for NK Osijek, I objectively garnered a significant foreign “fan base” as I made the club run smoothly, paying back debt, investing in new projects. I have saved the club from nigh extinction, it propelling itself to the European level. All of these efforts would’ve been impossible if not for my partner Meszaros and all those who make their living at NK Osijek.

It’s a fact that Osijek wasn’t nearly as attractive a property as that of the HNS. Here I see an advantage because of my position next to Suker. I believe that by repeating a similar feat as that of Osijek, I can rightfully expect palpable improvements in a short time span.

 

It is up to me to try to contribute to the improvement of the image that football and Croatian FA creates.

 

 

It Is up to me to make an effort contributing to a better HNS Image.

To which areas do you think you can contribute the most?

By increasing the quality of integrating the Association into the social sphere, along with palpable infrastructural, PR and financial improvements.

So, Davor Suker as your Association President of choice?

Davor Suker was my choice from day 1, even with all the speculative selectees. I have the fortune to have multiple addresses around the globe to call my own and I can see what Davor Suker has been doing outside of Croatia and I don’t think that I’m the smartest and most skilled, with me the only one benefitting. Davor Suker is the key for Croatia to the gates of the World, period.

It is up to us to either shut the door (in which we are sadly the world champs), or to pass through them with a plan and vision of prosperity. To be frank, a big chunk of the sponsorship that NK Osijek enjoys today can be attributed to my incessant nagging of Davor Suker to “pull some strings”, albeit in a fully legal way.

I’ll give you a cookie cutter example of Suker’s prowess. I had negotiated with a potential multi-million sponsor of Osijek’s for months. The corporation’s administration is gauging if it’s worth it, considering Croatian football’s miserable viewership, the HNL and all other drawbacks… It looks bleak, but one factor turns the tide – they (the corp) sees a picture of me online with Florentin Perez, the president of Real Madrid. They ask me how him and me ended up in a picture. A picture from the Champion’s League, where Davor Suker accompanied me, depicts him (Davor) introducing me to Real’s President, me being Osijek’s president, which was Suker’s first professional team to have played for. Real’s president is baffled at the sight of a young man (me), the president of Davor’s “alma mater” team and we step into contact because I had invited the aforementioned corp. administration due to the relations to Real Madrid to the upcoming match. I “place” them in the president’s lounge at Santiago Bernabeu and they stand mouths agape, without second-guessing their choice to not only be the sponsors of Osijek, but to raise the original sum.
In conclusion, if it weren’t for Suker, that wouldn’t have happened. Now, we aren’t gauging if it’s good or bad that millions of Euros will end up in the Football Academy at Pampas… I think that it’s something that we shouldn’t run away from, something that we can do and I invite others to follow my example. Not only is Suker influential, but also are our international men who are still imposing figures when mentioned around the globe.

We can say that the process of electing the HNL President left many questions unanswered, leading to dissatisfaction. Your Opinion?

Well, look. It’s a leftover “rite” of the old HNS that wasn’t invented or founded by Suker or me. In my opinion, there exists an inconsistency. The role of the top league clubs as the prime generators of expense should be more expressed. I believe that the choice should include not only people in the football world, but also people from the public sector. Football isn’t followed or financed solely by footballers, but also by a large chunk of the common folk, so to speak. The mere existence of such a strong frustration regarding the election process forces us to question and re-consider it. However, finally, I honestly believe that the victory of our current president shouldn’t be questioned in any other system.

Regarding the events that unfolded at the aforementioned Assembly, some individuals did leave the event. Your comments?

To be honest, when you boil it down, there are two ways to fight for one’s rights: the right one and the wrong one According to my opinion, revolutions and thatraticality in leaving the assembly, strikes – all are equally bad. I get it that I may be justifying some frustrating concepts, but in the long run, these types of protests are pointless. We know that, a priori, they lead to nowhere and in this particular case pertaining to the young and energetic Hajduk representatives and the Association of the Split-Dalmatian County, exactly that was not the case.  

You gave up the moment when you left your opponents in any category hanging. It would have been the same if that your whole team just called it quits after one referee’s decision that wasn’t right in your eyes. You send a message, but you don’t reach any goal or constructive dialogue, participating in any way possible in order to arrive at a solution, in case you see those things as proof that you’re wrong, and you do admit it is wrong, if you compete under these premises.
My opinion is that all things in Croatia, as is in all transitional economy, can’t be solved in revolutionary coups, because that time’s long past. Through evolution, self-realization and legitimate means, you can reach your goals. We live in a democratic society, as much as one might think that the circumstances are un-democratic, so if you don’t like the elections, then we change them, but by means of democracy. I’m all for changes, but I won’t try to summon them from the streets in unruly riots. I’ll bring change in a public space where those eligible to choose may do so through a vote. Those eligible are the individuals of the executive branch of the Association, to be precise.
So, you don’t justify the actions by Hajduk’s representatives, more precisely their County’s football association?
A part of me is really trying hard to understand them, but my mindset is simply different. If I were them, I would fight for my rights, interests and positions in a different fashion. I empathise with them, for they are young people, pretty obvious idealists, but now… the fight fought by idealists can often lead one in the wrong direction.
Personally, it was boring to listen to the phrase “I condemn you” by the late Sinisa Glavasevic in this sports setting. He invented it and used it in a far more dramatic moment where the stench of death was in the air. It was crude of him, considering the climate of that time, the crudeness having been forgiven and the forgiveness acknowledged, but this isn’t the fall of Vukovar, where thousands of people lost or will lose their lives. This was a misuse of these two words and a very inopportune moment to use it. “I condemn you” was directed at us, the assembly attendees obviously, since mr. Marasovic talked to us, despite the crudeness, where it was a reflection of weakness. A moment came here in which I realized that these youngsters are perhaps blinded by accumulated resentment, justified or not, arriving at a point where the course of their cause went to hell.
I don’t believe that they think that the best thing was achieved by not participating in the discussion. It was openly said to mr Marasovic that there’s a point in which he may express his views, but Hajduk’s delegation and the S-D County Association just willingly didn’t wait their turn. If I were them, I would’ve waited patiently, and then let loose, if was forced to. If they think that their way is more purposeful, that’s their decision.



We know that you’re a friend of Dario Simic’s. How do you see his failing to land in the president’s chair?

I see it just as being badly prepared, based on the fact that his utopian attitudes just aren’t feasible. The secondary insisting on “his team” had proven poorly “defended”, so that we didn’t get the impression what the team members should’ve done, among which are Goran Vlaovic and Mario Stanic, both of whom I like (Except be Dario’s “sidekick”).
Dario Simic is, in my opinion, a great household name of Croatian football, absolved of all scandals and negative publicity, as a fighter for “world peace”. Thin and infeasible is the conversion which he sought. Nevertheless, he’s someone whom I will consider seriously as an asset for the functioning of the HNS.


The so-called “Opatija Initative” has been mentioned for the past few days. In it, mr Miskovic, your friend and colleague, said quite a bit…

 
Damir Mišković is my friend and a rare phenomenon in Croatian football, as I’ve already had said, with which one must proceed delicately. It’s especially important to do that considering the developments surroundin HNK Rijeka. Therefore, it is Mišković’s whim and will that Rijeka’s path depends on, one that hopefully won’t be akin to NK Osijek’s pre- Meszaros and mine’s appearing. 

Mišković is alone at this moment, without a benefactor as he holds responsibility for Rijeka. It would be downright malicious not to bolster him with a standing ovation. ˝The Opatija Initiative˝ is something to be applauded and lauded. Simultaneously, it is something that produces many a question. Firstly, it is a question whether the project is aligned with legality in Croatia and the feasibility of the different steps in its realization. Secondly, it is basically a project that is being run independently and simultaneously in relation to the HNS, which is led by its vice-prez. In my opinion, there must exist a kind of flywheel in that kind of project, a project that must be acknowledged as a statement of self-preservation by the HNS. In that vein, the executive and legislative branches of the government must be respected as the project is realized.
Honestly, no team has improved  in all aspects without their country, be it as a sport, its place in the social world, a mover for infrastructure construction, etc. I see no way of doing it any other way but to involve the country. I am skeptic of the project’s current acceptable level of resolution for it to be successfully done. My representatives, namely the sponsors and patrons of NK Osijek are actively participating in it. HNK Rijeka’s efforts are being run in a logical order, leading to self-preservation, while the rest of us are far from that mindset as we are in our comfort zones, ignorant of the amount of time one needs to realize such a daring project.

Why do you think the HNS is surrounded by such controversies here in Croatia?

It’s a societal crisis, generally speaking. It is abnormal that Janica Kostelić is looked down upon in some parts, while Ivanišević is worth a tenth of the worth he is outside the borders. Finally, it’s abnormal that there is such a discord in the perception of Šuker’s image in and out of Croatia. Additionally, it is abnormal that we have UEFA’s vice prez, the prez of the Bundesliga and others as witnesses to our disarray, differing opinions and a way of saying things quite crudely and sometimes wrongly. It’s bad that we give so much import to trivial matters here in Croatia, but there is evidently a reason for that. 99% of germans know the name of their Bundesliga president, Italians got to know theirs when they didn’t make it to the World Cup. It is customary to say that we have 4 million football managers when it comes to assemble a national team, with just as many voters for HNS’ president. That things seem dystopian here is no surprise and we absolutely need to solve the election method problem, for it’s a starting point for all other things.I will do what I can to assemble Hajduk, Rijeka Dinamo and the other’s representatives to see that all the questions which plague us be answered and addressed, questions that divide us. Believe me that if someone comes with 10 requests, there exists a chance that some of them will be realized, even though that may be a bit utopian now. Hkwever, if there is lack od discourse and politics are based on conflict, then progress will not happen, is non existent and isn’t the final and most noble goal.
To be stressed is that you are one of the truly unique people in Croatian football who is independent of anyone. We believe that your role in the Association will be more important than anything before.

Independent in the sense where I’m the co-owner and president of Osijek. It might sound crude, but no one can de-throne me, and many people have no prospect of moving up in Croatian football, so they cling to them as best they can.
I am also independent in the sense of speaking my mind, making the media powerless in bending the facts, since the sponsorship pool lies outside of Croatia. I am also independent in my not hiding my acquaintances and friendships with people in Croatian football.

But, we all deal with similar issues and face them in a similar fashion, but I don’t think that anyone enjoys sovereignty as much as I do. With that, it’s easy being me in Croatian football.

NK Osijek is the brightest star east of Zagreb, especially on the interior!

How do you see the strength of the HNL today?

As someone who incessantly watches matches here and in Hungary, and in Italy, I won’t compare the strengths of the top 5 European Leagues and the Champion’s League, which I frequently tune in to, but I see improvements, big ones, to be exact. However, I simultaneously remain inquisitive regarding the countries surrounding Croatia.

For example, Serbia has 2 clubs that will stay on the bench in Europe. Croatia hasn’t suffered that fate in its history. Why it’s like that is due to lack of improvements and direction, with the League itself getting stronger with the entrance of foreign investors. Maybe, just maybe, the floodgates of more foreign investment ought to be opened, where I firmly stand by my opinion that every club should be privatized, thereby preventing the cutting of salaries in Istra and Cibalija, for example, which immediately brings into question the consistency of the competition. I would be the happiest if we had a league akin to the Italian Serie A or B, which is even more interesting, with every team being on par with one another, which puts the competitive pressure on all.

As much at it sounds cliché, the Big 4 are a big deal in and of themselves, but I wouldn’t fancy us four being estranged and subscribed to the first 4 spots for life. That opinion pertains only to the first 4, namely DInamo, Rijeka, Hajduk and Osijek and I went from east to south geographically. Also, I wouldn’t prefer to have a mentality that we are subscribed to accessing the European arena solely on the basis of our big budgets that are disproportionately bigger than those of other clubs. If other’s entered the fray, then things would be a lot more competitive. I am sorry to hear that the Istrian chapter ends badly and that it’s a bad day for the privatization of Croatian clubs. I believe, though, that all of us can change things for the better, that change being one of my goals in the HNS. As already stated, by saving Osijek, I proved my worth and hope that I will be able to do the same for other clubs.

So, a Big 4 has formed yet again…
I think that it was anticipated for a long time now. I look at it as something that peaks the interest of many who watch the HNL, as a kind of clover that is present in many similar systems with the similar issues that we have, all of them being dealt with in different ways. Finally, I see that the effects of the different approaches differ.

In an orderly fashion, start from Dinamo.

Dinamo has garnered attention on the HNL with their 10-year long domination. Just like Schumacher, who was undisputed in the F1, he made the admistration of the organization worried for the interest in the sport. In any case, the thought of something being wrong keeps nagging me that the higher-ups don’t take liking to one unit dominating the rest. On one side, dinamo is like a supernatural high-level player factory through superior transfers, on the other one they’re out of Europe’s summer season after having spent hundreds of millions of euros.
They may be the strongest export brand in Croatia at this point in time as the rake in titles in front of a handful of viewers. I don’t believe that this incredible imbalance is a cause of disdain towards one individual. Even Juventus got eliminated after the Calciopoli scandal, but people still loved the club despite Moggi. Bayern, too, hasn’t seen a drop in attendance after Hoeness’ downfall. I think that the main question here is the one of a societal crisis and the creation of a fan culture. Clubs will outlive us all due to their nature as ideas, symbols, and entities. I would be vey disappointed if people personified a club with the attributes of something bad. I don’t say this as the president’s advisor!

Now onto the south, to Hajduk.

If you ask me, I would definetly like to have a kind of love affair with Hajduk, so to speak. It’s incredible that so many non-Splitians love that particular club, blindly so, particularly from Zadar to Dubrovnik, so the southern part of Dalmatia. To all others, that is currently unattainable. On the other side of the coin, I thin that they are extremely inconsistent in many things. For instance, the fight for so-called national interests in the HNS could be better argued for with exhibits from our own club politics. Their roster consists of 75% foreign players, all the while the fans condemning their ex president Maleš, making  him a stain in the history of the club. Additionally, it is documented that a problem persists in the difficulty pertaining to certain positions and their functions in Hajduk, Splitians being quite full of aversion here. Out of the top 5 dogs leading their club, as far as I know, not a single one has their home address in Split. Quite telling. I talked to president Kos and I’m aware that his everyday life may be tough. He’s the head of an intricate system that requires their operators be diligent and persistent on a daily basis, but sometimes you don’t have the approval of the masses.
However, I like the fact that all of them are younger than usual, even though I’d like them setting their aims a bit lower so that they actually achieve ambitious goals. Another thing: Remembering the game between Hajduk and Ajask in the quarterfinals of the UEFA cup 20 years ago. Who wasn’t rooting for Hajduk back then? Now onto Dinamo again. Remember Dinamo-Partizan in 1997? Can anyone tell me they didn’t cheer for Dinamo? Therefore, if we aren’t malicious, full of hatred, then all of us are fans of Croatian clubs, even for a short time in some situations.

What about Rijeka?

They managed not only a giant leap, but also set the course for Osijek indirectly and to me personally. All of us must stand with Rijeka, especially now after they had transformed in the hands of Mr. Mišković. In a specific way, we have a situation where Croatian clubs are held hostage by one man and his whim. All must inspire Mišković, Meszaros, me and others to keep our direction set. That way we send a message to all other future ˝saviors˝ to take charge of Croatian clubs and make a difference.

I, therefore, fully support Rijeka. Their way of conducting things compared to us is a bit more solid, so to speak, and more hardcore, their model being that of importing already matured players, while we are more set on building our playerbase from within our own Academy, but that doesn’t mean Rijeka’s way is worse. You know, if we were to replicate Rijeka’s successes in delivering results, but in our work conditions, sign me up!

Osijek is, of course, still dearest and nearest to us.
NK Osijek is the brightest spot east of Zagreb, especially on the inside! The people that work for the club, the people supporting the club and their combined love and positive vibes are the most important thing we have. We may be taking it too far by spoiling our players from time to time, but that is on me. I chose that approach, one of mellowness but one of full responsibility, all for creating a result-delivering machine which also sports a relatively laid-back atmosphere, and the results are arriving in droves. I think that our achievements compared to the  Old Osijek are impressive, but the movement which brought about Osijek’s transformation is all the more impressive. Let me demystify the notion that my negotiating with Converse or Nike is focused solely on the outcome. You know what’s important? It’s importan that Osijek is recognizable to the point that 20% of the city populace is part of the fan club! These are moments that motivate others to follow suit. Don’t forget, Osijek is financed fully by external investment, so we can’t really impress people from Amsterdam, Vienna or Budapest with our score results, at least not for now. But, we can, however, impress them with the movement in Osijek, the emotions, the purity that the club enjoys with its fans, and trust me, in Europe, too.

The goal of building New Gradski Vrt is purely to satisfy the citizens of Osijek.

Another big project is the building of the Pampas Camp of the Academy. Something about that?

Yes, it has begun, but the current phase is currently demolishing parts, levelling the terrain, with the demolishing part being the easiest. However, we started the project with the projected completion slated for 2019. The camp itself must be completed!

Everyone eagerly awaits a new stadum, on the location of the current one, perhaps?

 

The idea of a new stadium is currently put on the back burner. You know that we don’t talk about things if they’re not finished. We are projecting a new stadium, be it at the current one’s location, or on a new one altogether. We were in lieu of Gradski Vrt, but a new spot is intruding my head all the time. All that is left is to see when, but we won’t come out with a project until mid-spring, while the Pampas project is in full force.
I don’t take liking to start many things simultaneously and I may leave an impression on people of being unconvincing, in terms of speaking at least, but not in terms of acting. Therefore, we’re going in an orderly fashion and when our Camp is granted a base layout, we will announce the new stadium project, with a confirmed capacity of 10,000 seats.


The base criteria are, of course, better conditions for spectators and a better comfort level, both of which are in everyone’s interests, we hope?
The most important criterion is viewer comfort and to garner as much attendance as possible, even though that is quite challenging in today’s day and age. You know, comfort contrutes less than 20-25% on attendance. I’ll tell you why that is the case. When people compare the stats of today’s matches and those of the Yugoslavian league, in which there were even up to 20,000 attendees, but which alternatives did people enjoy back then, other than football? They had two or three national TV channel with boring content, no internet, but today, everything competes with football in terms of the attraction factor.
You got every possible European league packaged neatly in a cable television offer, all at the same time, watching from the comfort of your home couch/sofa, you got yourself on-demand films at the click of a button, therefore, everything became a competitor to football. We go on to primarily fight for competitive points and results, and then we work on comfort. The motive of building the new stadium is exclusively for the fan’s well-being, nothing else. The possibility is important of being able to watch a European-level match in a European-level stadium.

How do your Hungarian buddies see the things you’ve been doing?
They take a liking to it, especially because I am delivering on my promises and at breackneck speed as well. The love, passion and drive that they show for Croatia, Osijek, and even me, guarantee their financial support for the foreseeable future, having secured our means for the Pampas Camp and rising the budget for next year. In any case, thank you all for the support!

What peaks the interest of Osijek fans is surely Hungarian Prime minister Orban’s view on NK Osijek as their open sympathizer.

 
Due to his exclusive achievement for the Camp, the Hungarian government helped greatly through him, along with the fact that one of the bigger industry moguls helped too, Meszaros and  a big sponsor pool being from that country, too. Maybe, through his love for Osijek and our resuscitating a nigh-dead club, we garnered his favor. However, the more important thing is that we who live for the club are satisfied.

We got info tht you talked to Mr Plenković, Croatian Prime Minister, about Croatian football on more than one occasion.

That much is true, but only to the point in which we talked during some sports events and when he visited Osijek on the occasion of the city’s day celebration. We touched on some topics, yes, and it’s certain that the PM can’t stay equanimous to the fact that football has a huge impact on the citizenship. UEFA and FIFA strictly prohibit politics’ interference in football, so that he keeps his distance as he is a professional and decent man, but I appealed to them on several things, them being our and the Hungarian PM. Without the states’ help, by financial or political means, hardly any project in Croatia or any other transitional economy could go well.

So to answer the question, yes, I did talk to our PM, specifically about the national stadium and its slating of the process to realize it. It pains me to say that Croatia has had a new airport built this year as one of the only transitional economies, but still possesses no national stadium, regardless of its apparent triviality, etc. We are selling our souls for tourism, true, but imagine the impression people got from landing on the old Zagreb airport. Imagine the impressions of many fans from around the world arriving to our stadiums. That’s a huge issue, personally and as a Croat, also it’s a shameful thing.

If you had a magic wand to conjure up an instant change, what would you change in NK Osijek?
I would change the fact that I’m still dissatisfied with the attendance numbers for the games. I would love to see a stadium filled to the brim with roaring Osijek fans, except for the part reserved for the guest team’s fans and I’d love to see Kohorta’s numbers increase. The club can’t be without fans and we see how saddened Dinamo looked in parts of its history. I would love that Osijek be cheered for no matter the playing conditions.
Additionally, I would love that the relationship between the players and the coach(es) be more stable and not that we have heroes only for a day. I would love that children were cognisent of NK Osijek from an early age and that our jersey were more sought after than the ones of Messi and Ronaldo. These are truly things that only a wand would conjure up. Alas, we have no such item, but NK Osijek’s employees have magically industrious hands and heads that do work in a similar fashion!

 

2017 seems to be the best year NK Osijek ever had, without any sugarcoating. 2018 must, therefore, live up.

Where do you see NK Osijek in 2017 and could you give us some sneak peek for the coming year since the fans really like things spoiled for them!

 
2017 seems to be the best year NK Osijek ever had, without any sugarcoating. Firstly, we had some big teams play on our pitch, garnering around 15-16,000 attendees, which is really hard to do. I think that if we looked only at Osijek citizen stadium-goers, the Rolling Stones would have a challenge to rake in so many people on a concert at 20:45 at Gradski Vrt. Secondly, we saw hordes of youngsters monkeying about the stadium since they can’t keep their attention for a whole 90 minute game, along with seing both young and old attending, where the children had fun as they were looked after by the parents. We saw mothers too, being testament that football as a sport doesn’t discriminate between its fans in terms of gender, which is only matched by music events. 2018 will have to be better because things need to stay fresh. So, ˝Pokrenimo Grad˝ as a slogan must be changed. We evidently did move the people to act for their team, but now we got to keep the speed we move at and accelerate, which is the team’s job, so those who run NK Osijek and me. I make a promise that we are setting our sights for large prey: bigger budget, reinforcements for the roster and a rise in league point count. Everything but a fight for the top spot is a defeat for me personally.

Italians will say buon giorno when they meet Ivan Meštrović, for they are cheering as you’d bough the Serie C club we talked about. Osijek, however, wonder if the focus of the coming period will switch from their home city to the foreign one and if Osijek’s workers will stay a priority?
I will always prioritize Osijek! Osijek is a story that can’t be replicated. The fact that we made something out of nothing is a feat of great strength. This Italian endeavor is in Osijek’s favor. I haven’t bought that club just because, one in the Serie C, so I need to clear things up a bit. I recorded and carefully analyzed the business deals of cca. 10 Italian clubs of the B and C leagues. The intensity of football passion in Italy is many times that of Croatia’s. There is no public place where at least one match isn’t being broadcast, which proves my theory that Italy is the king in terms of football passion, beating South America. The state of affairs in Italy for football is complex, especially the financial landscape of the second and third league clubs, but the Association keeps everyone afloat. For instance, every second league club there gets a minimum of 6 mil. euros for TV and marketing deals! The C league, in which Santarcangelo plays, is awarded about 700,000 euros per club. Most of these clubs is thereby secured an unimpeded way to improve in every division.
Why Santarcangelo? Firstly, I looked for a club in regions that were hungry for football, but didn’t have a first or second leaguer. Secondly, I wanted something financially stable and clean, which is a rarity in Italy. Thirdly,  I wanted a region that is culturally so rich that it will make me enjoy my stay there, especially due to its being close to central Europe. In Emilia Romagna, which is the cradle of Italian cuisine, I found Rimini. It’s a town that hasn’t had a B leaguer in a long time, them having an amateur league club. Santarcangelo is a suburb of Rimini, some 10km away, which has a strong C leaguer for 12 years, which is pro level in Italy.

 

The fact that I was received well there speaks for itself, as do my deeds in Osijek. The budget is significantly lower than Osijek’s, but the ambition is the same. It’s a good outlet for Osijek players and our kids, to have one more venue where we can show ourselves to the world and to Europe. The Italian market is booming in terms of transfers, there’s no game in the C league that hasn’t got a scout looking for players and I think that we will send some of our own this winter over there.

I arranged a fusion with Rimini’s club, putting the whole region under one team. The conquest of the Serie B is imminent this season perhaps, because we’re only 6-7 pts. shy of the play-offs, but next season is more feasible. Serie B is quite serious (no pun intended), viewed live and on TV with tens of thousands of fans attending, big market deals and 20-25 mil euro budgets. Following that trend, I believe it’s a good thing to have a roster of talent that is given such exposure. We will use Santarcangelo, Rimini as a destination, as a place to show off our talent and to place our players from Pampas Camp on a launch pad, so to speak, to go for Europe.

There are talks of a Osijek-Milan cooperation.

We are finishing up some things set in motion with AC Milan and Santarcangelo, where Milan’s embassy would be at Pampas Camp, which would serve as their HQ for this part of Europe. What does that entail? Let’s presume they look at our boys’ performance during training.

For Santarcangelo, the relationship between the first league and third league teams is such that first league players get sent over to play for the third league teams, which pay the former to do so. The player gets paid and the club that lends is paid by the C leaguer for borrowing. Milan is a huge name, despite their being in dire straits as of now.

However, I believe that every child traning in Croatia’s facilities will be given a fair chance, but Osijek will have the benefit of AC Milan scouts being present at Pampas on a daily basis, but the thing isn’t clear-cut yet.

Finally, what do you wish to tell the fans and to Osijek for the new year 2018?

 

I hope for unity, positivity and happiness. I hope for people to tune in to Osijek’s games whoever they may play against, be it PSV or Istra. I hope for a respectful approach outside of the stadium, but pure mercilessness on the pitch. I hope that in the citizens’ hearts, pride will be present for everything the club is doing. I hope that they are proud to be Osijek fans, just as I am, no matter of my being president and co-owner