The directors of the football club Vojvodina today for the first time officially addressed the public after the last meeting of the club’s assembly, where members of the highest club body gave the mandate to new officials to manage the club in the future.

At the highly visited press conference held at the Sheraton Hotel, the media were addressed by FK Vojvodina’s President Vojislav Gajić and CEO Dušan Bajatović, who announced the result and financial consolidation of the club, as well as new infrastructure investments related to the reconstruction of FC Vujadin Boškov and the construction of the new stadium Karađorđe.

According to President Vojislav Gajić, the current situation in FK Vojvodina is not as bad as it can be taught based on results, but certainly it should be better.

– In the past period, there were a lot of crisis moments, but also some positive, which are primarily related to finances, because a significant portion of the debts from previous years is regulated. What still remained, I believe that we will solve in the next year or two, and since then Vojvodina could practically begin to achieve a surplus in its business. At this moment, I can only tell the creditors that nobody will be forgotten and that everyone will be properly regulated, but at the same time I ask for patience and understanding that the club’s consolidation is still in progress – says Gajić.

He pointed out that the club in the upcoming season has the ambition to qualify for the Europa League qualifications and that, if that goal is not achieved, at the end of the season, he will offer his resignation.

– It sounds a bit strange if I say that our goal is to reduce financial expenditures and improve the results, but this is possible and we have a clear plan for that. In particular, this means that the club’s annual expenses must not exceed 1.5 million euros, and that we have to be placed among the first four teams on the table. This would mean that we will play in Europe, and by that time we will have two more transfer windows to see if it is realistic to make a historic step in the Europa League. However, for now, it is our priority to go on the international stage and I believe that with this leadership we can do it – Gajić emphasized.

FK Vojvodina’s General Manager Dušan Bajatović said that in the past, the club paid off a significant part of the debt that has existed for many years.

– About seven million euros have been invested in the financial recovery of FK Vojvodina in the previous year and a half, which is money collected from sponsors, businessmen and partly from the sale of players, and this resulted in about 80 percent of the financial consolidation of the club. Unfortunately, a good part of these funds has been used to repay old debts, but this new administration will not be so burdened with this kind of problem. At the club we now have a new organization and very ambitious sporting goals – Bajatović points out.

The topic that has been much talked about lately is the construction of a new stadium in Novi Sad, since Karađorđe is currently not eligible even for the third round of qualifications for the Europa League.

– The important news for all is that we have solved the property and legal status of FC Vujadin Boškov, which we expect to, after a long time, will soon be filed to FC Vojvodina. In addition, with the support of the Republic of Serbia, in the same place where the current one is located, a new stadium Karađorđe will be built, and this is an investment that will cost 25 million euros. The owner of the stadium will be the City of Novi Sad, which will receive it as a gift from Srbijagas, since this company, as the general sponsor of FK Vojvodina, will be the main financier of the project. The capacity will be 16,800 seats and will fulfill all the highest international standards – said Bajatović.

You can see the complete stream of today’s press conference in the following appendix: