Sarajevo pays 70,000 KM in taxes to the Municipality monthly, councilors deny support to the 'Maroon' club

SARAJevo, (Patria) - At yesterday's session of the Centar Municipal Council, the initiative to return Football Club Sarajevo to the Centar Municipality budget was rejected. Namely, fifteen councilors supported the initiative, while eleven were those who did not raise their hands in support of FK Sarajevo.

FK Sarajevo issued a press release regarding the session of the Centar Municipal Council.

- It is an obligation and a general practice for the local community to support the development of sports and prominent sports clubs, in accordance with its capabilities. There are many examples. In Sarajevo Canton, the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo supports the Premier League club from the mentioned Municipality with a six-figure amount, recognizing the value and significance of investing in sports. The City of Zenica and its municipal council are the largest source of income for the local Premier League club, while the Municipality of Bijeljina participates between 40 and 50% in the budget of its largest football club. The same applies to Kakanj, Visoko, and many other communities where sports, in this case football, are the central gathering point.

And the Municipality of Centar? At yesterday's session, councilors rejected for the second year in a row to include Football Club Sarajevo in the municipal budget for the next year with a symbolic amount, which would further improve the conditions for using the pitches for the participants of our Football School at Koševo. FK Sarajevo had previously informed all councilors about the detailed needs and the proposal for cooperation between the Municipality and the club, and the club had approached all Municipalities in Sarajevo Canton, but above all, we expected support from the Municipality from which our club originates. Given that FK Sarajevo duly fulfills its obligations to the state, and respects and operates according to legal procedures, the question arises as to why the club does not have the support of the local authorities, while those who are multi-million debtors to the state enjoy significant support.

We want to re-inform the councilors who did not support the FK Sarajevo initiative, Senad Bosno, Hamdija Hasanović, Lejla Khattab, Edin Mirojević, Salko Pašović (SDA), Samir Fazlić, Anton Rajić, Amra Zulfikarpašić (NS), Ahmed Gerin (SP), Velija Katica, Sead Srna (SV), about the facts;

Football Club Sarajevo is the largest sports club in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the city of Sarajevo, and the Municipality of Centar, and thanks to its rich history and great players who wore the sacred jersey, it represents the pride of all citizens who hold the maroon color dear.

Football Club Sarajevo pays the highest direct taxes to the Municipal budget on a monthly basis (70,000 KM), and among other things, councilors' salaries are paid from the taxes that the club pays. Annually, our club pays 1,000,000 KM in taxes.

With the support of its fans, as well as significant support from the Municipality of Centar, FK Sarajevo managed to attract a foreign investor who recognized a quality project and the correct sporting values of our club. In a very short period, with the support of the owner, Sarajevo managed to pay approximately 2,000,000 KM in outstanding taxes to the state's account, thereby enabling numerous former employees to receive their pensions. When the agreement, which is historic and unique to date for BiH sports, was concluded, a firm promise was given by government representatives that they would continue to support FK Sarajevo, thus being shoulder to shoulder with the ownership structure on the path to a successful and European Sarajevo, which will be a worthy representative of the Municipality of Centar, the city of Sarajevo, and our homeland.

Football Club Sarajevo brought the last two team trophies in the top tier in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Municipality of Centar. These are the BiH Cup trophy in 2013/14 and the championship title in 2014/15. Our home match at the Olympic Stadium "Asim Ferhatović-Hase" against the German representative Borussia Mönchengladbach, with 30,000 spectators, is the most watched sporting event in the Municipality of Centar, the city, and the country in the last more than 10 years, and our club gathers more than 400 participants in its Youth Academy daily, directing boys and girls towards sports.

Our interest, and the interest of all friends of the Club, is to maintain sports, work on popularizing football in BiH, educate youth through sports activities, and promote the Municipality, the city, and our country in all competitions with honor and integrity, with great effort and dedication to achieving the greatest sporting results.

The Municipality of Centar has always been a supporter of the Club, both business and moral, and FK Sarajevo considers it a strategic partner on the path to success. Our club believes that at the upcoming session of the Municipal Council, the initiative related to FK Sarajevo will be approved, and that the councilors will change their stance and support the development of FK Sarajevo, so that the years-long cooperation between the Municipality and the club can continue - stated in the FK Sarajevo press release.