In the shadow of some ugly scenes and incidents from the international mini-football tournament Champion of the Junior Cup in Sarajevo it almost remained a really great success and a beautiful sports story of the young Zagreb club. Namely, the 2013 team NK Savica CC from Zagreb won the gold medal in its category among 46 teams from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Turkey!
Foto: Jurica Galoic/PIXSELL
The winning epic consists of: Benjamin Budinski, Mihael Grdić, Daniel Grdić, Jakov Kukić, Andrej Ševarika, Šimun Lers, Franko Kosec, Marko Borozan, Filip Grgurić, Jakov Juraj Kozina and Nikola Kobasic, and their player Daniel Grdic he also won the cup for the best player of the tournament. At the tournament on 13.1. until 15.1. In 2023, around 250 teams in 9 years participated in Ilidža.
Golden tinsmiths, their parents and the coach Antonio Židanic they are overjoyed because of what they say is a great success for their children, Zagreb, Croatia and the club.
Zagreb: Children from NK Savica won first place at the tournament in Sarajevo
Foto: Jurica Galoic/PIXSELL
President of the club Dino Bartoluci he gave a brief overview of the tournament in Sarajevo, which is one of the strongest in this part of the Balkans.
– Over 260 teams participated, and for a club as young as ours, which has existed for eight years, I can only say that this is a great success, especially for our 2013 year, which came to the very end. We performed in eight categories and for the first time we passed the group in three categories. Let’s say that just passing the group is a success. This gold medal is the realization of our dream – said Bartoluci and used the opportunity to congratulate the entire team, their academy and the coach, whom he considers the creator of their historic success.
– Before the tournament itself, we said that it was important for us to present our academy, and in the end, that good game, the skills we develop in our academy, rewarded us with a big gold medal. This will surely remain in our little ones’ great memory and beautiful memory – Bartoluci added.
Zagreb: Children from NK Savica won first place at the tournament in Sarajevo
Foto: Jurica Galoic/PIXSELL
And the player of the tournament, Daniel Grdić, told us that he was very happy that they participated in that tournament and that he won the trophy for the best player. – This is the most beautiful thing in my life – says Daniel Grdić.
Unfortunately, at the children’s football tournament in Sarajevo, several incidents were recorded, stabbings, attacks by hooligans on parents, attacks by parents on referees and shouts of ‘Kill the Serb!’ during the match between the children’s clubs from Split and Belgrade. A sincere apology immediately arrived for the latter. None of these events is related to the Zagreb club or its success, and it is sad that instead of the successes, efforts and work of young athletes, more attention must be paid to various non-sporting events.