Congress starts Slovenia celebrations

The Football Association of Slovenia (NZS) marked its 90th anniversary by staging an extraordinary congress on 24 April.

The organisation can claim to be the legitimate successor to the Ljubljana Football Association which was established to coordinate and organise the activities of Slovenia's clubs, under the wider authority of the Yugoslav Football Association (FSJ).

Nine decades ago the Ljubljana Football Association assembled for the first time to elect Anton Jug as its president. Now the NZS presides over a footballing system which has achieved two FIFA World Cup qualifications, in 2002 and 2010, as well as a place at UEFA EURO 2000.

The scope of the NZS's operations extends far beyond any national-team success, however. Slovenian football has undergone major changes in order to keep up with the game's rapid growth in other countries.

Fresh ideas have accompanied the appointments of Ivan Simič as president, in 2009, and of Aleš Zavrl as general secretary as recently as this year.

The April congress that this pair oversaw kicked off the 90th anniversary celebrations, which will continue through Slovenia's World Cup summer before culminating in a big event for the entire football family in December.