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Aleksander Čeferin visits Serbia

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin toured the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) national sports centre - built with the help of funding from UEFA's HatTrick programme - and pledged continued assistance to develop Serbia's football infrastructures.

Aleksander Čeferin was given a tour of the Serbian FA sports centre at Stara Pazova, near Belgrade.
Aleksander Čeferin was given a tour of the Serbian FA sports centre at Stara Pazova, near Belgrade. ©Marko Djurić

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has continued his fact-finding journeys to European national associations with a visit to Serbia.

Mr Čeferin held constructive talks in Belgrade on Friday with the president of the Football Association of Serbia (FSS), Slaviša Kokeza, and the honorary president Tomislav Karadžić.

Talks centered on ways to develop football infrastructures in Serbia, and Mr Čeferin assured the association that UEFA would maintain the help that it was providing through assistance schemes such as the HatTrick programme.

“Our relationship with the Serbian FA is a good one,” he said. “UEFA has already given considerable help to Serbia, and will continue to do so.”

Slaviša Kokeza and Aleksander Čeferin
Slaviša Kokeza and Aleksander Čeferin©Marko Djurić

“We discussed the many challenges that we face, of which infrastructure is the major one,” added Mr Kokeza. “Our views are understood, and things are moving in the right direction.”

During his stay in Serbia, Mr Čeferin also visited the Serbian national association’s sports centre in Stara Pazova, near Belgrade, part-funded by UEFA's HatTrick programme, and which opened in 2011.

With former Serbian captain Dejan Stanković having recently joined UEFA as a football development advisor, Mr Čeferin took the opportunity to reiterate that he welcomed former top footballers coming into the UEFA fold.

Aleksander Čeferin speaks to the media in Serbia
Aleksander Čeferin speaks to the media in Serbia©Marco Djurić

“He will especially be talking with young players,” the UEFA President said of Stanković. “He gains respect from young footballers as a role model, and that is why UEFA is bringing people like him into such positions.” 

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