Press Release 285/2011

The minister also expressed satisfaction with the past cooperation between the MFAEI and the Always Faithful in preparing and organizing the Croatian supporters’ trips abroad

Prompted by negative domestic and foreign press following the Croatian national team games, as well as steep fines paid by the CFF to UEFA for the hooliganism on part of some of the supporters, the Always Faithful fan club in cooperation with retired members of the Antiterrorist Unit Lučko proposed to the CFF that an awards fund be set up for fair and correct supporting, to be used for humanitarian purposes. For each incident-free national team’s game, the CFF will pay €20,000 into the fund that will finance schooling for children of the fallen Homeland War veterans and other projects by the Ministry of the Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity.

The initiative received support by Croatian President Ivo Josipović, the Ministry of the Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, which has already supported projects under the banner of “Each Fan Is a Croatian Ambassador”.

Minister Jandroković thanked the Always Faithful and the CFF for the initiative that would award responsible behaviour of the Croatian supporters. He also expressed satisfaction with the past cooperation between the MFAEI and the Always Faithful in preparing and organizing the Croatian supporters’ trips abroad. He pointed out that sports were one of Croatia’s trump cards abroad, emphasizing in that regard the importance of responsible behaviour on part of the supporters.

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