Football team “Doboj” from Bosnia and Herzegovina won the Second European street football festival, held in Foča between 20th to 24th of May 2009.
The Festival was organised by the European Commission Directorate General for Enlargement, Streetfootballworld Association from Berlin and Football Friends foundation from Serbia.
Boris Iarochevitch, the First Councillor and Head of Operations of the EC Delegation to BiH, opened the Festival and commended the exceptional organisation this year, adding that the excellent organisation and success of the Streetfootball Festival Foca 2008 was the inspiration to support this sport festival for the second time.
“On behalf of the European Commission I wish to express our satisfaction that we supported the European Street Football Festival this year as well. It is not only important for the European Commission to facilitate local cooperation in a country, but also to establish regional cooperation between the states, and such an event is a true example of it. Today in the streets I came across a banner that read “Europe in Foča”, and I hope that soon I will see the sign that reads “Foča in Europe”,” told Iarochevitch in his address.
He conveyed regards of Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of the European Commission Delegation to BiH, and wished good luck to participants and a successful festival in Foča.
During the meeting between the organisers and media representatives from the whole of Europe, Zdravko Krsmanović expressed his satisfaction that Foča again hosted the European Street Football Festival.
“With these football events, over a short period of time, we succeeded to achieve major changes in our municipality: all indicted war criminals are now before the Hague Tribunal, relations between Serbs and Bosniaks in Foča are exemplary for the whole of BiH and Foča is once again on the map of Europe. Football is much more than a competition, more than a game. Football is about socialising, friendship and trust” told Krsmanović.
Vladimir Borkovic, Director of Streetfootbal Association from Berlin, said that the sports event that was organized in Foča was an excellent oportunity for the young people to meet, show their skills and promote football as an instrument for social development.
The meeting was also attended by Zoran Avramović, president of the Football Friends foundation, who replied to Boris Iarochevitch that this Festival was a proof that Foča is already in Europe. Representative of the English Premiership Academy Richard Money and Jimmy Nelson of Newcastle United underlined that the Festival was not only about football, but friendship as well.
Corina Eqqenberger, FIFA representative and Jimmy Nelson handed a symbolic gift to Zdravko Krsmanović stressing he wanted the gift to be his daily reminder of Newcastle United.
The finals of the Second European Street Football Festival Finale caught the interest of Stevan Stojanović, the former goalkeeper of the Serbian “Crvena zvezda” (“Red Star”) that won the European Cup in 1991. He offered useful advice about the game to the young football players.
24 teams from 16 countries, each with eight youngsters, amateur street football players participated in the tournament. The participants were boys and girls aged 14 to 18 from Serbia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, England, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Germany, Montenegro, Hungary, Macedonia, Turkey, France, Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The teams comprising of four boys and four girls played 5-on-5 10-minute games, following the rules of fair play. There were no referees in the games played, and breaks were called by players themselves by a simple raise of hand. At the start of each game, the players would set the rules of the game and at the end discussed whether the rules were followed.
Participants also attended workshops on fair play in football, and thus learnt about intercultural understanding and social development. All participants received medals and gifts.
