In Makarska City Hall, a ceremony was held on Friday. Namely, Hajduk and Zmaj, represented by their Presidents Ivan Kos and Damir Matijasevic, in the presence of the mayor of Makarska Tonci Bilic, head of Hajduk's football Academy Kresimir Gojun, Head of Zmaj's Youth school Rade Pavlic and Hajduk's chronicler Jurica Gizdic signed an Agreement on business - sports cooperation.
"I am happy and proud to be here. We turn to the future, we turn to act what we have planned from the starts. Hajduk approaches the region and starts cooperation with clubs from Dalmatia. We have already started to work and these cooperations have intention of the exchange of experience and organization of tournaments to raise and develop football at a higher level. The aim is to attract children to the club and to provide them with a systematic development. We open the doors to all clubs in the region, we visited over 30 of them and discussed future cooperation. I hope that the cooperation between Hajduk and Zmaj will be even more strengthened in the future" said Ivan Kos, adding:
"I must point out our players that have been raised here in Makarska, primarily Gajo Raffanelli, Alen Boksic, our current player Zoran Nizic and my friend Mario Carevic. We believe that in the future we will have just as good, even better players than they were".
"It is a great pleasure that Hajduk recognized work of Zmaj. It is a great thing for the 220 children who train in our club to get additional motivation and show what they can do, and I'm especially pleased that the coaches of both clubs will cooperate in the future. The hardest goal would be to turn everything into practice. We must be patient and correct errors as they appear, Mr Gojun and Pavlic will do it in the best way. This cooperation is a great thing for all of us" said the president of RNK Zmaj, Damir Matijasevic.
"This is the first such agreement signed between Hajduk and Zmaj, the question is whether such a document was ever signed. I support the new winds that blow in Hajduk and I'm glad that they turn to Dalmatian clubs. This is a move that will help Zmaj and the players in the further affirmation, but it will also help Hajduk so that they won't have to search foreign players, they will be able to choose from the surrounding area. Thanks to Hajduk and Zmaj, their cooperation will certainly contribute Makarska. I believe that we as a city will thus get a stable second division club. I congratulate the Presidents for signing the contract and I hope that cooperation will be much broader" told the mayor of Makarska Tonci Bilic.
After the press conference, the delegation of both clubs went to lay a wreath at the tomb of Gajo Raffanelli, former player of Hajduk and Zmaj. Raffanelli came to Hajduk in May 1938 and inr four years, he played 118 games, winning the title of the Banovina of Croatia in 1940./1941.
