After a week of workshops and Fair Play Football, Doboj (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was crowned European Street Football champion at Foča 09.

Doboj was not the only team to raise a trophy: in a vote by all 24 teams from across Europe and the Balkans, Zenica from Bosnia and Herzegovina went home with the Fair Play prize.

First stop, Sutjeska National Park
Two hundred young people, their coaches and delegation leaders from a total of 15 different countries gathered in the green mountains of Sutjeska National Park to celebrate the power of football during a week of fair play, football and friendship.

Delegations were made up of young people from organisations that use the power of football to promote sustainable social development in their communities.

“The festival in Foča is an extraordinary opportunity to meet other organisations, share best practice and promote football as a tool for social development,” explained streetfootballworld’s Network and Research Director, Vladimir Borković.

Fair Play
The week began with workshops on emotions and respect from Education 4 Peace and Fair Play Football sessions from PLAY!YA, where players learned the rules of the game: five-a-side, with two girls and two boys on the pitch at all times. Before a match, both teams meet with a teamer to agree on how they would play: would both genders have to score in order for goals to count? Would they throw in or kick in when the ball went out?

In Fair Play Football there is no referee to call fouls—instead, players themselves raise their hand if they’ve been fouled. Problems on the pitch are solved through dialogue, with the help of a teamer.

Points are awarded to the team that plays with the most respect, with a combination of goals and Fair Play Points deciding the winner.

Connecting cultures
Foča 09 brought a wide range of young people together, some of whom had left home for the first time to participate in the festival.

Nevertheless, they quickly overcame language barriers and embraced the spirit of the festival, befriending the teams they would face on the football pitch in just a few days.

“People here are warm and welcoming,” noted a player from streetfootballworld network member Sport dans la Ville.  “Everyone gets along.”

The tournament
After a live tournament draw, the delegations were more than ready to get on the pitch and play Fair Play Football.

Over three days, players cheered on new friends, waving each others’ flags and joining teams on the sidelines. In between matches, they learned the finer points of beatboxing, DJing, breakdancing and freestyle football from Streets United and showed off their own football and dancing skills.

All eyes were on the main pitch for the semi-finals, which were dominated by four teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Zenica, Doboj, Gorazde and Trebinje. Doboj and Goradze progressed, with Doboj claiming the overall title.

A farewell to Foča 09
It was clear from the tears at the airport that the young participants had done more than play great matches.

“I loved Foča because I met so many new people,” explained Carl, a member of the Sport Against Racism Ireland delegation. It was these connections that made Foča 09 a perfect celebration of Development through Football—the bonds formed there will help young participants and their organisations bring a very special experience back to their own communities.