April 15 – The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) and the Croatian government have officially launched the construction of a modern national training centre in Velika Gorica.
The complex will include four football pitches, as well as a small stadium capable of hosting matches for youth and women’s national teams. The complex will also feature an office building that will house the new administrative headquarters of the HNS.
The construction will be carried out by the Kamgrad company, which in March this year was selected as the contractor for the large-scale project.
In 2023 the Croatian government and the HNS signed a land donation agreement for the construction of a national football camp in Velika Gorica, just south of Zagreb. The plot measures about 92,000 square meters in area and is worth €4.2million.
The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and HNS President Marijan Kustić as part of larger delegations.
“This is a great day for Croatian sport and Croatian football,” Tonči Glavina, Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sport, said.
“The government has decided to co-finance this project with €15million over the next three years. If we add the value of the land, estimated at €4.2million, that’s almost €20million of strong support. And we won’t stop there — we will continue building sports infrastructure, here and across Croatia.
“In addition, we’ve begun the construction of a new stadium in Maksimir and the reconstruction of the stadium in Poljud. These investments in sports infrastructure are truly unprecedented.
“Such progress, when it comes to the camp, would not be possible without the strong sporting collective that supports it all, and that is the Croatian Football Federation.”
The President of HNS Marijan Kustic added: “I’ve had the luck and privilege, as President of the Federation, to experience many unforgettable and historic moments of Croatian football, including winning the bronze medal at the World Cup in Qatar.
“But I must admit, this is a special and very emotional moment for me. We set the construction of this camp as a strategic priority of the current HNS leadership, and I am truly delighted that we have fulfilled all the prerequisites to finally begin building this much-desired camp today. The dream of an HNS camp has existed since we became an independent country, and today it is becoming reality.
“This is not just a construction site — it is the foundation of a vision, the most important investment in the future of Croatian football, and a symbol of our shared ambition to keep Croatia among the world’s football elite.”
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1744840696labto1744840696ofdlr1744840696owedi1744840696sni@o1744840696fni1744840696