In the middle of an urban jungle of six million people, lies a small Croatian corner that passionately lives for the Croatia national team.
One of the 600 favelas of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil carries an interesting name – Vila Croacia, reports Gol.hr on July 14, 2018.
It all began in the 1960s when Croatian priest Damian Rodin opened two schools for poor children in Rio. One was named Brasil – Croacia, and in honor of it the name, Vila Croacia was born.
Nova TV reporter Saša Lugonjić visited the favela two years ago during the Olympic Games. The Croatian flag and boys in the famous checkered jerseys welcomed the reporter at the local playground. Vila Kennedy, where Eduardo da Silva grew up, is near Vila Croacia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=GgjZt1KMwVc
“Eduardo visited us after the World Cup. He kept an old promise that he would visit us. He brought us Croatian shirts, and the children and I were both delighted from his visit,” said the former president of the Vila Croacia project, Geraldo Sergio Raymundo.
Up to 120 children in four age categories play for the Vila Croacia football team. The project aims to get the children off the street and into happier childhoods.
Children from Vila Croacia cheered for Croatia in all previous major competitions and were particularly pleased with the current World Cup in Russia, where Croatia advanced to the final against France.
If Croatia becomes World Champions, there is no doubt that these children, whose lives were not dealt the best cards, will be celebrating.
