The Centenary Of The Football Club Slaven Belupo Marked With A Ceremony Session

With a ceremony session last Saturday in Koprivnica, Football Club Slaven Belupo marked hundred years of existence. The Assembly of Slaven Belupo was attended by many honored guests and the delegation of the Goverment of Croatia.

The ceremony began with the national anthem which was sung by Ivana Ranilović Vrdoljak Vanna, the native of Koprivnica. After the introductory movie about the birthday club, there was a speech of the President of the Board of Belupo, Stanislav Biondić. He pointed out that the club, its former members and the Koprivnica community are proud of the results that the generations have been made throughout its hundred years and that the club has such a great history. Today we are identified with ‘Slaven”, we respect it and we live together.

During the ceremony session of ‘Slaven Belupo”, many celebrities from society, sports and public life have participated. On behalf of the Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, the Vice-president of the Government Damir Polančec has congratulated to the Koprivnica football centenarian. He has said that ‘Slaven Belupo” has achieved the greatest results in the celebrating year. A stable position in the first league and a charming entrance to the international arena, these are all achievements which look promising to the players in another century of its existence. The President of the Croatian Football Federation, Vlatko Marković has said that the good moments are guaranted to such fine footballers.

The Koprivnica Mayor Zvonimir Mršić has specially welcomed the young footballers who are the future of the club and he has also said that they are honoured to have been living with such a fine club. In such a festive atmosphere the prefect of the province of Koprivnica- Križevci, Darko Koren has said that he wishes ‘Slaven Belupo” to become the leader of the county football. At the session, we have appointed Nikola Felak a honorary member of the football club Slaven Belupo. He was one of the club presidents in 1994 when «Slaven Belupo» has been making its way to the top in Croatia and abroad when it has started being sponsored by Podravka and the pharmaceutical company Belupo. Both Chairmans of the board, Darko Marinac and Stanislav Biondić, received Slaven Belupo’s special recognition for long term sponsorship and cooperation with the club.

During the ceremony session, the medals have been given. The secretary Zorislav Srebrić gave the crystal ball to the President Stanislav Biondić on behalf of HNS /CFF and Josip Friščić was given a Golden Football Shoe on behalf of the County Football Union. The Club monography has also been presented at the gathering. The authors of this exceptional edition of 380 pages and with 1400 photos are Branko Pleše, the onetime coach and the club employee and journalist Goran Čičin Mašansker.

Zrinka Kovačević, the state sports secretary and Krešimir Friedrich, the descendant of the family that founded the club ‘Slaven Belupo”, have also been present at the ceremony session. At the end, the telegramme from the President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić has been read. He has wished the Club another hundred years.