Football as a driver of positive social change

The conference was inaugurated by HNS President Marijan Kustić, joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Josip Pavić. Notable attendees included HNS Deputy Secretary General Vladimir Iveta, advisors Zorislav Srebrić and Stjepan Merkaš, U-21 national team coach Niko Kranjčar, women's U-19 and U-17 national team coaches Jure Srzić and Božidar Miletić, Head of Security and Integrity Jurica Jurjević, Head of Licensing Ivančica Sudac, as well as numerous HNS staff members, club representatives, and members of both domestic and international civil society organizations.

“Dear friends, thank you for coming and taking part in this conference. I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Davor Božinović, for honoring us with his presence, as well as State Secretary Josip Pavić – we truly have an excellent cooperation with our Ministry of Tourism and Sports, as well as with the Ministry of the Interior, which is a key partner in one of the main topics of this conference, and that is stadium security”, said president Kustić.

 

 

"The title of this conference speaks for itself – football can and should be a driver of positive social change. We place great emphasis on social responsibility and truly strive, as a Federation, to respond and help in all critical situations – such as floods, earthquakes or the pandemic – but also in everyday life situations.

We have the ‘Vatreno srce’ Foundation, together with our national team players, through which we primarily support young people. We are involved in numerous activities aimed at including different groups in football – from children with developmental difficulties to refugees and persons with disabilities.

We invest significantly in infrastructure and will continue to ensure that these investments are as ‘green’ as possible, starting with our new training camp in Velika Gorica. I’m proud that, as a Federation, we’ve shown that women absolutely belong in football – half of our employees at HNS are women, several of whom you will hear from on the panels today.

I’m also pleased that we will discuss the role of media in football, as we aim to foster an open and collaborative relationship with journalists, who can greatly contribute to all the topics we are addressing at this conference", added the HNS President.

"I would like to thank Mr. Filippo Veglio from UEFA for being here with us today – another clear sign of how much UEFA supports our efforts in the field of social responsibility. I am equally glad that Mr. Powar from FARE is also taking part in this conference – we want to be an approachable and open partner to the FARE network.

Thank you to all of you from clubs and various organizations who joined us. We have several excellent presentations ahead of us, and I am especially grateful to all our panelists – outstanding experts in their respective fields – for accepting our invitation to participate", Kustić concluded.

 

"Violence prevention must start long before entering the stadium – in the family, school and community. Let's not forget the power of football, but for it to have a positive impact on society, it must be accessible and safe for everyone", said Deputy Prime Minister Davor Božinović.

"I am glad that as a former water polo player I share the enormous passion for football and the special qualities that football provides. I agree that football is a driver of positive social change because only football can provide this passion to society. From personal experience, I know that all employees of the Croatian Football Association are always at our service, ready to help, and we truly have excellent cooperation. We can make huge strides in the entire society with seemingly small things. Football has shown this and I believe it will continue to show this in the future. I thank you for the invitation, and I wish all participants of this exceptional conference successful work", said Josip Pavić.

Additionally, four panel discussions were held, moderated by HNS spokesperson Tomislav Pacak, media officer Marko Cvijanović, and social responsibility project associate Ivona Hemen.

The panel "Football for All – Inclusion and Football for Persons with Disabilities" included Ana Sršen, Vice President of the Croatian Paralympic Committee; Anja Mihaljević, President of the Association for the Promotion of Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities "Mogu sve"; Melisa Babić from the Ivan Štark Education Center in Osijek; and Iva Radušić, Secretary of the "Sijede vrijede" association. Sršen emphasized that sport can be a solution to major social problems, stating, "A ticket to sport is a ticket to life." Babić shared emotional experiences from the Special Power League, highlighting the joy and unity it brings to participants.

The panel "Football as Support for Refugees and Vulnerable Groups" featured Nejra Kadić Meškić, Executive Director of the Center for Culture of Dialogue; Branimir Šloser, Youth Coordinator at Zagreb 041; Marijeta Rajković Iveta, Head of the Department for Migration and Minority Communities at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb; and Lucija Mulalić from the Center for Peace Studies. Kadić Meškić spoke about football's universal language and its power to foster understanding and inclusion.

In the panel "Women (Don't) Belong in Football," participants included Iva Olivari, Team Manager of the Croatian men's national team; Tihana Nemčić Bojić, Head Coach of the women's futsal national team; Lada Rojc, FIFA Refereeing Instructor; and Tamara Benković, Coach of ŽNK Split.

The "Sustainable Football – Building Greener Sports Communities" panel brought together Andrea Dokuš, Head of Infrastructure at HNS; architect Nikola Šimunić from Gradit; Professor Sanja Ćurković from the Faculty of Agriculture; and architect Boris Iharoš from Kubik plus d.o.o.

The conference continues on May 21, supporting the goals of UEFA's sustainability program aimed at strengthening social responsibility in European football.

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