Construction site of the future Croatian Football Federation camp officially opened

The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković with a delegation from the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić, Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina, the Mayor of Velika Gorica Krešimir Ačkar and city representatives, Zagreb County Prefect Stjepan Kožić with the county delegation, and the President of the Croatian Football Federation Marijan Kustić, along with the Federation’s leadership and Executive Committee, HNS staff, coaches, sponsors, and media representatives.

“Croatian football has brought so much joy, emotion, satisfaction, happiness, success, and international recognition to Croatia over the past 35 years — more than almost anyone else. Thanks to all our footballers, coaches, and everyone involved in football who have helped position Croatia as a football powerhouse. Only Uruguay can compare with us in terms of success in the 1930s. This is a message to young people that many of them will have the opportunity to succeed. The camp is ideally located next to Franjo Tuđman Airport in this part of the city, where a home for the elderly will also be built — a sign of our care for this city”, highlighted Prime Minister Plenković.

"I’ve had the luck and privilege, as president of the Federation, to experience many unforgettable and historic moments of Croatian football, including winning the bronze medal at the World Cup in Qatar. But I must admit, this is a special and very emotional moment for me. We set the construction of this camp as a strategic priority of the current HNS leadership, and I am truly delighted that we have fulfilled all the prerequisites to finally begin building this much-desired camp today. The dream of an HNS camp has existed since we became an independent country, and today it is becoming reality. This is not just a construction site — it is the foundation of a vision, the most important investment in the future of Croatian football, and a symbol of our shared ambition to keep Croatia among the world's football elite. Croatia has won three World Cup medals since 1998. Apart from France and Germany, no one else has achieved as many medals as Croatia. For a country of four million people, this is an incredible success, the result of the talent of our players, our expertise, and the pride, unity, and passion with which we represent our nation. But to keep dreaming big, we must provide top-quality conditions for new generations, which is why this project is crucial for the further development of our football", said Marijan Kustić.

“Today we are witnessing a wonderful story, one that is important and long-awaited. Velika Gorica will become the home of Croatian football and earn its place on the football map not only of Croatia but of Europe and the world. I believe that many young people from across Croatia will achieve their dreams here and, thanks in part to this camp, represent Croatia wearing our famous checkered jersey, bringing us the kind of joy only the most important secondary thing in the world can bring", emphasized Krešimir Ačkar.

“What has long been in preparation has finally seen the light of day. This is not just about football and sport — thanks to this project, many other developments will follow. Such a major investment will surely inspire other counties as well. I am confident that this camp will help raise the profile of Croatian sport worldwide”, highlighted Stjepan Kožić.

“This is a great day for Croatian sport and Croatian football. The government has decided to co-finance this project with 15 million euros over the next three years. If we add the value of the land, estimated at 4.2 million euros, that’s almost 20 million euros of strong support. And we won’t stop there — we will continue building sports infrastructure, here and across Croatia. In addition, we’ve begun the construction of a new stadium in Maksimir and the reconstruction of the stadium in Poljud. These investments in sports infrastructure are truly unprecedented. Such progress, when it comes to the camp, would not be possible without the strong sporting collective that supports it all, and that is the Croatian Football Federation", noted Tonči Glavina.

Before the construction site was symbolically opened with the first ceremonial shovels by Prime Minister Plenković, Minister Glavina, Prefect Kožić, Mayor Ačkar, and President Kustić, it was blessed by Father Norbert Ivan Koprivec, dean of the Velika Gorica–Odra deanery. This was followed by a ceremonial cake-cutting and a toast to a new chapter of Croatian football, concluded with a group photo.

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