On 7th and 8th November Koprivnica will welcome national teams of Croatia, Spain and Kazahstan on first ever Nations Cup. The matches will be played in Koprivnica sport hall and especially for this event artificial grass will be installed. The programme will start on Friday evening when Croatia will face Kazahstan (this two teams play each other in miniEURO 2014.group stage). Before this official match spectators will see also two friendly matches. The main programme will be held on the next day and from 17 CET spectators will have rich programme and besides official matches, Spain – Kazahstan, Croatia – Spain, there will be many friendly matches and many events included.
Official press conference was held yesterday in Koprivnica City Hall with participation of Koprivnica vice Mayor Mišel Jakšić, Croatian minifootball federation president Bruno Alpeza, Koprivnica minifootball association president Tomislav Zalar and Sport association of Koprivnica president Jasmina Stričević.
Mass media showed a huge interest in the event so there was many media representatives on the press conference. Besides Croatian national TV – HRT and local TV station – SRCE TV, national sport tv – SPTV, there was over 10 other media representatives and already today there have been several published articles about the event and all TV stations have already broadcast a TV clip about the event in their daily news programmes.
Croatian Minifootball federation president Mr.Bruno Alpeza commented: ”Firstly I want to thank the media who came in such big numbers to this press conference and also to the mayor and deputy mayor who have strongly supporting minifootball in the last few years. This is one step further in our mutual cooperation and City will be largest sponsors of this event. It will be real pleasure to have this international event in sport city as Koprivnica and I do not doubt that sport hall will be full for the duration of the event. After not receiving miniEURO this year we decided to have this event and in this way to show our gratitude to the City officials, spectators and companies that supported us in efforts to win the miniEURO bid. Artificial grass will be installed especially for this event and people will have chance to see top national minifootball and this will be really great warm up for the teams before miniEURO. All official matches will be live broadcast on national sport tv, and via livestream many more will follow the event. Our plan is to have the event each year, of course with more teams in 2015. I use this opportunity to invite spectators to come in large number and to show how people here love sport and minifootball.”
This event will be also introduction to 6th season of Koprivnica minifootball championship which will start one week later in the same sports hall.
Koprivnica Vice Mayor Mr.Mišel Jakšić added: ”What the Koprivnica minifootball association has done so far is really great and it would been not normal that the City did not recognize this effort especially with so many spectators watching each minifootball round. I would like to thank to Mr.Alpeza with whom we have such a warm relationship and with our cooperation which we expect be even more in years to come. We are sad that Koprivnica hasn’t received miniEURO this year but this doesn’t mean that we will not try again since this city really deserves it. We will support minifootball even stronger and help in it’s promotion although minifootball is now really popular not just in Koprivnica but also in whole Croatia.i invite our citizens to come in large numbers, and with full sport hall this event will be even more important.”
Koprivnica minifootball association president Mr.Tomislav Zalar was also thrilled: ”After six years we can say that our competition (KC Liga) is growing year by year and I’m happy to have such a big introduction in a new season and to have three important national teams in Koprivnica. I want to emphasise that our local competition will have over 10 women teams this year and we’re really proud of this. In men’s competition there will be tough ”fight” for the trophy and again we will have interesting championship.”
More news about Nations Cup will be coming soon.
It has been seen today on the following websites:
http://www.hrsport.net/vijesti/478279/nogomet-futsal/koprivnica-domacin-kupa-nacija-u-mininogometu/
http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/koprivnica-domacin-kupa-nacija-u-mininogometu-nastupaju-hrvatska-kazahstan-i-spanjolska/781026.aspx?mobile=false – largest croatian news portal
http://www.vecernji.hr/sjeverozapadna-hrvatska/stizu-najbolji-hakleri-hrvatske-spanjolske-i-kazahstana-970414 – second largest croatian media