THE FSS ORDINARY ASSEMBLY HELD IN A YEAR OF PRIDE, GREAT RESULTS AND RECOGNITIONS
A year of pride, impressive results and recognition: from qualification for 2024 EURO, through the trust of UEFA, the organization of the meeting of the UEFA HatTrick Committee in the FSS Sports Center and being appointed as the host of the UEFA Congress in 2025, to the realization of the dream and the foundation stone for the National Stadium.
For more than two decades, we have waited to tie the two biggest competitions, the World and European Championships, and by placing in the A division of the League of Nations, we entered the very cream of European representative football. The time of enjoyment and new big challenges has come.
The return to the map of the best European selections was also marked by an “infrastructural revolution”. Football Serbia does not remember that in one year, primarily thanks to state investments, it got and opened three new stadiums. “Kraljevica” in Zaječar, “Theater of Dreams” in Leskovac and “Lagator” in Loznica are just the beginning of a wonderful story. Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, but also Belgrade with the National Stadium, will completely change the image of football Serbia. At the same time, the Federation invested substantial amounts of money in the fields of play at the Super and First League stadiums, and the goal is to reach a standard that would close the story of the quality of the natural turf in the most elite rank of Serbian football.
The time between the two ordinary FSS Assembly meetings will remain in memory because of the event, which is only a confirmation of the fantastic relations between the Football Association of Serbia and the European House of Football (UEFA). For the first time, Serbia was the organizer of the UEFA HatTrick committee meeting! All the members of this important body, headed by the president Karl-Erik Nilsson, were delighted and full of positive impressions after visiting our Sports Center, which only proves that we absolutely justified UEFA’s trust and deserved to be the host of such an important meeting.
Frequent visits of our great friend, the first man of European football, Aleksander Čeferin, speaks volumes of the respect UEFA bestows upon Serbia and the Football Association. The last one in the series also had a special occasion. The head of UEFA, together with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, opened the stadium in Zaječar, and then attended the match between Serbia and Bulgaria in Leskovac, the last test of the Eagles on the way to the EURO in Germany.
Finally, or to begin with, by the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting held in Paris, the Serbian Football Association and the city of Belgrade will host the UEFA Congress in 2025. A great recognition for our Association, the arrival of football Europe in our capital is an act of profound respect for Serbian football, its past, present, but also our vision for the future.
The Third Ordinary FSS Assembly was held in the FSS Sports Center in Stara Pazova. President Dragan Džajić opened the meeting, and 63 delegates out of 81 were present. Before the beginning
of the session, UEFA representative Luca Nicola addressed the members of the Assembly, who conveyed the greetings of UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and UEFA General Secretary Theodoros Theodoridis.
“As always, it is a great pleasure for me to be in your wonderful country and represent UEFA at the assembly of the Football Association of Serbia.” This year we celebrate 70 years of UEFA, 70 years of history, tradition, unity, and collective success. Serbia has played and continues to play an exceptional role on this path and together we will add new, exciting chapters to this extraordinary story of European football. In less than three weeks, the eyes of Europe will be turned towards Germany, what will surely be unforgettable, and Serbia is participating for the first time since 2000. I congratulate everyone, especially Mr. Stojković and his team on their success. I must admit that I was relieved when I found out that Serbia and Switzerland, my homeland, were not drawn in the same group. Let us meet in the knockout stage this time. I will cheer for you and wish you all the best and every success,” said Luca Nicola, who also praised the success of the younger categories of FSS.
“Your boys in the U-17 category have already set the bar high at the U-17 EURO in Cyprus these days with a quarter-final game against Austria on Wednesday. Your women’s national U19 team will keep up with the boys, as one of the eight participants in the women’s EURO U19 this summer in Lithuania”.
Mr. Luca Nicola also spoke about the FSS Strategy…
“After the EURO, UEFA club competitions begin in an exciting new format, as well as new revenue distribution system based on even greater solidarity, from which Serbian clubs will also benefit. Solidarity, a key pillar of the European football pyramid, is also the heart of UEFA’s new six-year strategy, “United for Success”. We are delighted that the UEFA strategy inspired the new four-year strategy of the Serbian Football Federation. The strategy, which the assembly should adopt today, is a turning point for Serbian football and provides a clear vision for the ambitious goals for the next four years. One of the key priorities of your new strategy is improving football infrastructure, and rightly so. It is impressive to see the large investments in new stadia across your country, with the stunning project to build the national stadium in Belgrade. It will undoubtedly give Serbian football a huge boost. On top of that, the Association’s administration is to move into a fantastic new office building, which will undoubtedly be one of the best in Europe! Serbian football has come a long way in recent years. Important management reforms, which led to a new Statutes and regulations in accordance with UEFA and FIFA standards, as well as the election of a new management, provided much-needed stability to Serbian football for further flourishing,” said the UEFA representative and concluded…
“Progress has been made and continues in many other areas, including social dialogue between the FSS, the league, the clubs and the players’ union.” On behalf of UEFA, I would like to congratulate President Dragan Džajić and General Secretary Jovan Šurbatović, as well as their associates on these successes. We wish you every success as you continue with the reform and modernization of Serbian football in all areas of activities. You can count on UEFA. Indeed, it is a testimony of UEFA’s trust in the Football Association of Serbia, because the next UEFA Congress will be held in Belgrade on April 3, 2025. We are very much looking forward to our annual gathering in this wonderful city and we have no doubt that it will be a great success and an unforgettable experience for all participants.”
The delegates adopted the agenda of the meeting, and then the minutes of the meeting of the FSS Assembly from July 8, 2023. The Strategy for the Development of Football in Serbia for the period 2024 – 2028, entitled “We can do better” was adopted.
The delegates were presented with the Report on Work in written form as well as in the electronic form (https://fss.rs/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Izvestaj-o-radu-brosura.pdf ). After Secretary General Jovan Šurbatović described and explained in detail everything accomplished, the delegates adopted the Report.
The delegates were also thoroughly acquainted with the Financial Statement of the FSS for the previous period, which they then adopted. At the end or at the beginning, the magnificent new building of the FSS, the Administrative Center, which is located across the street from the Palace of Serbia and will be opened after renovation (the former building of OTP bank) attracted great attention of those present. After the construction of SC FSS in Stara Pazova, which was supported mostly by the then president Tomislav Karadžić and general secretary Zoran Laković, the Administrative Center of FSS will be the “life’s work” of the current management headed by president Dragan Džajić and general secretary Jovan Šurbatović.
