Regional sports funding in Montenegro and Croatia

Local governments in Montenegro and Croatia are implementing various measures to increase financial support for regional sports and athletes.

In Montenegro, the municipality of Herceg Novi approved a record allocation of 1.15 million euros for local sports clubs for the 2021–2026 period. Following a four-hour parliamentary debate, the assembly approved four conclusions to improve budget planning and distribution. To ensure transparency, officials will develop a five-year sports development strategy and a detailed report on club financing within six months. The initiative also includes creating a fund to subsidize membership fees for children from low-income families.

In Croatia, the municipality of Viškovci has moved to fully finance mandatory medical examinations for approximately 90 local athletes, including youth and seniors in football and handball, to alleviate financial pressure on families and clubs like NK Radnički Viškovci and NK Jedinstvo Forkuševci.

Further funding developments in Croatia include Vukovarsko-Srijemska County securing €35,992.00 for equipment for 22 sports associations, specifically targeting handball clubs. In Istria County, local authorities provided contributions such as the purchase of eight vans for various sports associations. While Istria’s sports budget has risen to nearly €1.8 million, local discussions persist regarding the balance of funding between the sports and cultural sectors.

In Zadar County, the sports budget was increased by 302,670 euros, providing support for athlete medical examinations and youth categories for the Zadar Basketball Club. Prefect Josip Bilaver noted that 49 of the 100 planned playground reconstructions have been completed. Meanwhile, in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, officials from the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) and the County Football Association met to discuss domestic competitions, licensing, and the use of the COMET information system to track player and coach trends.