Croatian national team’s gesture of support for firefighters and special needs community in Osijek

(Photo: Hrvatski nogometni savez)

Coach of the Croatian national team, Zlatko Dalić, led a delegation from the team that visited the Public Fire Brigade of the city of Osijek on Friday.

Along with the coach, the players Domagoj Vida, Dominik Livaković, Borna Barišić, Ivica Ivušić, and Dion Drena Beljo were present, as well as the team manager Iva Olivari, spokesperson Tomislav Pacak, and the head of prevention, safety, and integrity Jurica Jurjević.

They were greeted by numerous members of the brigade upon their arrival at the fire station, where they had been extinguishing a large fire of plastic waste at the Drava International company in Osijek for several days.

(Photo: Hrvatski nogometni savez)

Accompanying the members of the fire brigade were their families, whose spirits were lifted by the arrival of the Croatian team after spending days worrying about the safety of their parents. Coach Dalić expressed gratitude to the firefighters for their bravery and dedication, while the members of the fire brigade wished the team luck in their upcoming match against Wales.

At the end of the brief gathering, the coach was presented with a special jersey from the Osijek Public Fire Brigade, and the players presented signed national team jerseys to the firefighters.

Later in the day they also visited the Ivan Štark Center for Education and Training in Osijek, where their arrival thrilled a hundred young fans who gave them an unforgettable welcome.

(Photo: Hrvatski nogometni savez)

The Ivan Štark Center for Education and Training is an educational institution for children and adults with mild, moderate, and severe intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities, catering to students from the wider area of the city of Osijek, as well as other settlements in the Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem counties.

The director, Maja Radoš-Bučma, extended a warm welcome to the team: “This is an unforgettable encounter that inspires us all not to give up on our dreams and goals. Here, you have an audience full of understanding, support, and unconditional acceptance that only someone who lives it day by day can give, and that is the students of our center. Thank you for being here today because your presence has brought a lot of positive feelings to these small, pure hearts. You have brightened their day, and I believe they have brightened yours too.”

Coach Dalić thanked everyone for the wonderful welcome, during which a hundred children were dressed in “checkered” outfits and applauded every step of the team: “I am sorry for yesterday’s defeat as much as you are, but defeats are a part of life as well as football. It’s important to never give up because there are far more victories than defeats. We are happy to be here with you today. We know that you face many challenges in life, as do your parents, and we are delighted to come here to support you, just as you support us. It’s great to see you all in our jerseys and shirts, all rooting for Croatia, and it brings me joy that we could brighten your day with our visit.”

(Photo: Hrvatski nogometni savez)

The school band, composed of students and teachers, prepared a suitable musical program with several fan songs, and the players were there to answer the students’ questions. Then the students had the chance to showcase their football skills and played a 4-on-4 match against the world bronze medalists, with spirited cheers for both teams. At the end of the gathering, the students presented the players with appropriate gifts, and the hundreds of autographs, photos, and hugs with the team will remain a memory for a lifetime.