Milan Mandarić: I am finally back in my Novi Sad, I want us to return Voša to the place where it belongs!

The new vice-president and member of the Management board of Vojvodina FC, Milan Mandarić, is proud to finally be back in his Novi Sad, and for becoming a member of the Club that has been his love since childhood days.

Today, by a unanimous decision of the Club’s assembly, Milan Mandarić was named as the new vice-president and member of the Management board of Vojvodina FC, and in his statement, he thanked the Club for their trust.

• Novi Sad has always been in my heart. Even when as a young man I used to go to Belgrade, at every sunset my wife and I drove back to Novi Sad, because we just couldn’t handle being away from it. The situation at that time forced me to follow the American dream, and the path took me to the Silicon Valley, where I spent 35 years of my working life, and achieved success with my businesses. I loved football from a young age, but my father didn’t want me to become a football player, because our first neighbour was Toza Veselinović, and there was a problem because he came to our house to ask for a loan each Monday, because he lost at cards over the weekend. I am joking, may he rest in peace, Toza was a fantastic man and a player. As a boy, I used to crash the games of Vojvodina FC, because I wanted to watch the players and the team that I loved. I hope that this time I will enter the stadium the regular way – Milan Mandarić said through laughter.

He then added that it was not difficult for him to accept the invitation from the president of the old lady, Mr. Dragoljub Zbiljić.

• I am happy and pleased to have met Mr. Dragoljub Zbiljić, and the people around him. We had some fantastic talks and it was not hard to say yes to him. The talk about my return to Novi Sad and Vojvodina existed even long before this, but the path always took me in a different direction, to France, the Netherlands, England. I am proud to finally be here, and honored to be a part of Vojvodina. I will do everything in my power, to use my experience and desire to help return Vojvodina to the place where it belongs, and that is the top of the scoreboard, and to help Vojvodina become a real European club. Today, as I was entering this Football Center and watched these pitches, I could not believe the conditions this club has to offer. There aren’t many such centers in England. It is my great wish to develop the Youth Academy, which was always my first assignment in each club where I worked. Also, it is important for me to make a dialog with the fans, to bring them back to the stands, because they are one of the main segments of our partnership. All of us here are partners, and we all have the same goal, and that is to be the best at what we do, and to return Vojvodina to the place where it belongs, to fight for trophies, and be recognized in Europe. It will be my great pleasure to help with that, thank you for your trust, and I hope I will not disappoint you – Milan Mandarić said.