December 22, 2020 – Yesterday, the City of Porec announced a tender for constructing the first phase of the football camp in Porec, one of the largest investments in sports in the past few years. The works are expected to open in mid-February 2021.
As reported from the City of Poreč, a football camp is being built to replace previous activities on the old football field in the city. The football camp will be used for training/school and preparatory activities of all ages of the Poreč Football Club “Jadran,” as well as other football clubs’ activities as needed and interested.
In accordance with FIFA / UEFA regulations
The football field area is 104×68 meters and five meters of a protective belt on each side, which makes 8,892 square meters. It will be located at Škagacer, near the turnoff for the Garbina settlement and not far from the Žatika sports hall.
The plan of the Football Camp in Poreč / Photo: the City of Poreč
“Our Football Club ‘Jadran’ is achieving excellent results this year, and certainly one of the greatest assets of each club is quality and dedicated work with youth facilities. In ‘Jadran,’ they are already doing great, but they deserve better infrastructure. ‘Old Adriatic,’ I think we can agree, does not offer the conditions that the largest youth drive in the city needs. Both children and their parents do not have parking spaces or places to pick up children safely.
This camp, and today we are talking about its first phase, which we are now starting to build, will also contain the necessary supporting facilities of the campus such as six modular facilities, parking, and other equipment. Poreč will thus develop additional potential as a city that has fields to host professional sports clubs, and perhaps national teams,” said Loris Peršurić, the Mayor of Poreč, at yesterday’s press conference.
The football camp is planned following the standards and norms prescribed by the current Rulebook on licensing clubs of the Croatian Football Association, following the relevant FIFA / UEFA regulations.
The plan of the Football Camp in Poreč / Photo: the City of Poreč
Poreč – the city of sports and healthy living
“Many cities like to call themselves a city of sports on paper, but that is what we are. Poreč has long recognized the importance of investing in sports. Today, we have six public sports halls, two private ones, 130 multipurpose and children’s playgrounds, and many sports facilities. Also, Poreč has developed infrastructure for many athletes along the coast, outdoor gyms, and projects specially adapted to people with disabilities.
We are happy that Poreč, given the number of inhabitants, has many registered athletes. Many recreationists have developed a culture of sports and healthy living as the city itself has developed. That is why we are embarking on this investment, as we promised,” concluded Mayor Peršurić.
Poreč is a home to many athletes / Photo: Poreč Tourist Board
The estimated value of the construction of the first phase is 10,500,000 kunas plus VAT. The City of Poreč-Parenzo has applied for co-financing this project to the Croatian Football Association and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. They hope that they will participate in developing this story.
Following the announcement of the tender, the works are expected to open in mid-February 2021. The location where the camp is planned to be built is on state-owned cadastral parcels.
‘Let the infrastructure follow everything that is done in the field’
Head of the Administrative Department for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection, Ph.D. Damir Hrvatin pointed out that this project is part of a larger story about sports in Poreč, which is being developed through spatial planning documentation from the ’70s, with the construction of the Sports and recreation center “Veli Jože.” Then, in the early 2000s, the zone “crossed” the main road with the construction of the Žatika sports hall.
Sports hall Žatika, built for the needs of the 2009 World Handball Championship held in Croatia / Photo: Sports community of the City of Poreč
“Today, when we think about Poreč in the 2030s and 2040s, we aspire to create a unique and central zone of sports, recreation, and greenery that stretches from the city center to the bypass. In this context, the Football Camp is one of the facilities, in which after the implementation of this first phase, it is planned to build several additional football fields, playgrounds for other sports, and additional facilities such as outdoor gyms and cross tracks,” said Hrvatin.
Marko Kepčija, junior coach and head of the football school at the FC “Jadran “pointed out that this project is significant for the football club and the entire city.
“We are a club with almost 300 children from 5 to 19 years old. We also have a team of veterans and seniors, and we are talking about a large number of athletes, for whom the football camp will be a gathering and training place. Sports infrastructure helps athletes tremendously. I think that is one of the most important things for the development of young athletes.
We currently use the pitches in Zelena Laguna, which were also made according to FIFA standards. We used the pitch on the old football field, which was appropriate due to its location, but these facilities are not for adequate development and so many children. Our priority is for children to be active and develop and gain sports experience, which can later help them through life in general,” said Kepčija.
Football club “Jadran” recently celebrated 70 years of existence, and many generations have gone through it.
“Our goals were to popularize football and to develop these children in sports through good work. We are on the way to make steps forward, both with the results and that the infrastructure follows everything that is done in the field,” concluded Kepčija.
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