The Minister of Culture and Sports of the Sarajevo Canton, Kenan Magoda, held a meeting with representatives of Sarajevo football clubs to discuss the current situation in football in the Sarajevo Canton and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Minister expressed serious dissatisfaction with the current situation and the long-standing problems that burden the work of the Sarajevo Canton Football Association.
One of the key topics of the meeting was the long-standing ambiguity and irregularities in the process of selecting representatives of Sarajevo clubs in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has caused great dissatisfaction among clubs and sports workers, the Protocol and Press Service of the Sarajevo Canton announced.
The meeting represents a serious step towards resolving the crisis that has been shaking Sarajevo football for a long time. Problems in the functioning of the Sarajevo Canton Football Association have been causing concern and dissatisfaction among clubs for months, and the goal of today’s meeting was to bring together all key stakeholders in order to continue the process of institutionally resolving the situation.
In addition to the representatives of the clubs, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the Association of Referees and Instructors of the Sarajevo Canton. Among those present were representatives of all the clubs, including the largest Sarajevo clubs FK Sarajevo and FK Željezničar. During the meeting, issues of legal legitimacy and the actions of the current leadership of the Football Association of the Sarajevo Canton were discussed.
Minister Magoda emphasized that this is a turning point in the work of the Association, emphasizing that in the past period there was pressure and rigged processes, but that football workers in the Sarajevo Canton remained consistent in their demands for changes.
“What I have been warning about for a long time now, unfortunately, everyone sees much more clearly. When the system collapses due to private interests, the consequences do not remain only within the federation. The consequences are felt by everyone, and these days our sports giants FK Željezničar and FK Sarajevo are also feeling them in their own way, as are numerous other clubs that deserve an orderly, fair and lawful sports environment. Sarajevo clubs must not be held hostage by people who perceive football as private property. Even less must they be exposed to threats, pressure and blackmail from those who act outside the interests of the Sarajevo Canton, and who have their pawns and executors here,” said Magoda.
The meeting concluded that the club representatives should appoint their delegated representatives who, together with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Sarajevo Canton, will hold a meeting with the Minister of Justice and Administration of the Sarajevo Canton. The aim of the meeting is to define further legal steps in accordance with the current statute of the Football Association of the Sarajevo Canton, as well as to prepare the Assembly of the Association with the amended statute, in accordance with the order of the Administrative Inspection of the Sarajevo Canton.
After that, it is planned to launch an electoral and reporting assembly of the Football Association of the Sarajevo Canton, which should elect legitimate representatives of the Executive Board of the Association, representatives for the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a representative for the Football Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was agreed to initiate a procedure within seven days so that the process of reforming the Association can begin without delay. The participants of the meeting emphasized that the priority is to protect the integrity, legality and rule of law in sports institutions, and restore trust in the work of the Football Association of the Sarajevo Canton and its associations.
The need for unity among all clubs and sports workers was emphasized in order to prevent a recurrence of situations that have negatively affected clubs such as FK Sarajevo and FK Željezničar in the past, but also the entire sports system in the Sarajevo Canton, it was announced.
