BiH Footballers' Union: New pitches for players or new armchairs for officials?

(Patria) - The Union of Professional Footballers in Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a statement commenting on the opening of the new building of the Football Association of BiH at the end of November.

"The total investment is estimated at around 10 million KM. The opening ceremony will be attended by numerous guests invited by the Football Association of BiH, and we read the pompous announcement of the event with astonishment. As the Association states, the decision to purchase a new administrative building is 'one in a series of successful business moves by the management of the FA BiH', and we ask ourselves what is actually the purpose of the Association as such?

Has the Association today become merely a means of employing suitable personnel who obviously need additional space, besides the administrative building in the center of Sarajevo and the Training Center in Zenica, or do the managers want to have a nicer environment when they welcome UEFA representatives in order to further build their personal careers?", the Union asks.

In the continuation of the statement, they question whether the investment of 10 million KM was necessary for a huge administrative center for employees and managers.

"In our opinion, the invested funds should have been spent on renovating pitches in Bosnia and Herzegovina! The pitches at Premier League stadiums in BiH are among the worst in the region and greatly affect the quality of the game, the health of players, and the overall impression of our football within the country and beyond. How much longer must we read regional media reports mocking our stadiums? Grbavica Stadium got a new pitch thanks to a project implemented by FK Željezničar, while NK Čelik has had one of the best pitches in the competition for several years.

The funds invested at Grbavica are certainly paying off, and the cost of the new pitch was approximately one million KM. We ask whether it would have been better to invest the 10 million KM in ten pitches instead of a building, and thus make a long-term contribution to improving BiH football, because freshly painted walls, new office supplies, and swivel chairs do not bring a better tomorrow for players, coaches, and fans of the BiH Premier League. With a desire for the progress of our football, we hope that the next 'successful business move by the management of the FA BiH' will be directly related to the Premier League competition, players, and sports infrastructure," the Union's statement reads.