A Croat Who Played in Ukraine Is Funding Vacations in His Homeland for Wounded ATO Soldiers and Their Children

A Croat who played in Ukraine is funding vacations in his homeland for wounded ATO soldiers and their children.

Croatian midfielder Ivica Pirić played for Kyiv’s Arsenal from 2003 to 2007 year.

Now the former footballer is a FIFA agent, honorary consul of Ukraine in the Republic of Croatia, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia, and the founder of the humanitarian campaign “Ukraine-Croatia.”

Ivica Pirić with Ukrainian servicemen

Since 2015 he has been personally financing vacations in his home country for wounded Ukrainian servicemen, children of ATO fighters, and displaced children. The most common question Ivica hears from Ukrainians is: “Why is a Croatian footballer doing this?”

“Indeed, people ask me that in virtually every interview,” Pirić laughs. “Those who haven’t experienced war can’t fully understand why I do it.”

“I was 12 years old when the war started in Croatia. So I understand Ukrainian children very well and know how much they need help and support.”

“War is the greatest horror in the world. We slept in a basement. At night we couldn’t go anywhere. Parents thought about how to buy or where to get food. You constantly hear: a neighbor was killed, someone you know was shot.”

“Of course, we were still children — me, my younger brother, and older sister. For us it was like a game. Only later do you realize what was happening. Today I listen to the children and understand that the stories are the same.”

“A woman recently died in Croatia. Three of her sons and her husband died in the war. The president awarded her an order, but you understand what that is worth. She spent all her time at the cemetery, looking at their graves. Her three sons and her husband gave their lives for Croatia’s freedom.”

“You react very reservedly when people praise you or thank you for your work.”

“People constantly ask me how much it costs. It seems they think only about money. I don’t demand anything from anyone, so why do they ask me about such things?”

“Children are another matter. Their gratitude is sincere. I’m very satisfied when I see they’re happy. It’s impossible to describe my feelings in words.”

“I want children to understand that war will not last their whole lives. I tell them I had a goal — to play football — and I achieved it.”

What do you tell them?

“I want the children to understand that war won’t last forever. It will pass just like it did in Croatia. I tell them I had a goal — to play football — and I achieved it. They, too, can become whoever they want. War does no one any good, but it will end.”

“In Croatia I organize football tournaments for children, city sightseeing, seaside vacations, and so on. I want them not to think about the horrors of the war that took someone from them. There are children who lost both their mother and father.”

“On this trip they see how people live in Europe and what Ukraine could be like when it becomes a member of the European Union.”

“To date 1000 children and soldiers have visited Croatia. I plan to organize vacations for 500 more Ukrainians. My humanitarian campaign has rehabilitated more children and soldiers than all other countries combined.”

“Children from Donetsk and Luhansk were taught at home that they would be better off living in Russia than in Europe. In Croatia they see everything with their own eyes. I have more than 500 letters from campaign participants. Refugee children before the trip said they wanted to live in Russia. After 15 days in Croatia they say they want to live in a European Ukraine.”

“12-to-13-year-old boys and girls are no longer little children. They see and understand everything. Thanks to the internet information spreads very quickly. So this campaign is the best propaganda for Ukraine’s European choice.”

“The captain of the Croatian national team and Real Madrid star Luka Modrić said in one interview that war made Croatians stronger.”

“That’s true. I believe Ukrainians have become stronger too. Patriotism has risen sharply in the country. The bad thing is that many people die. Children have lost the most important people in their lives — their parents. That is the worst. But they understand that their father gave his life for Ukraine and they value that.”

“I am a very religious person. I have three children. My wife is pregnant with our fourth. I demand nothing for myself. May God only give health to my children. That’s all that matters. As for everything else — whatever God gives, will be.”

Ivica Pirić with his wife and children

Does your family resent your work?

“No. They fully support me. My friends, including two priests, help me a lot. I believe we are doing a very good deed for the Ukrainian people. Children and soldiers are completely different people before the trip to Croatia and after returning to Ukraine.”

“Is it true you were banned from entering Russia?”

“That’s what they told me. I don’t need to go there anyway. I never planned to. What’s wrong with helping people who suffered from war? I think I’m doing the right thing. They told me I help fascists and terrorists. Let them think whatever they want. Russia is doing bad things, just as it did when the war was in Croatia. The script of both wars is the same.”

“God exists and no one can hide from Him. Sooner or later everyone will receive what they deserve. If I do something bad, God will punish me.”

“Today Ukrainian national team players play in Russia, and former national team captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk became a coach at Zenit. What do you think about that?”

“If our captain had done that during the war, he would not have been able to return to Croatia. It’s Tymoshchuk’s personal matter, but I can’t understand it.”

“Your fellow countryman and former coach of Lviv’s Karpaty, Igor Jovićević, learned the Ukrainian language and used it at press conferences, while most Ukrainian coaches speak Russian.”

“I started learning a little Ukrainian. When I joined Kyiv’s Arsenal, my contract stipulated that within 6 months I had to communicate in Russian. They gave us a Russian teacher, not a Ukrainian one.”

“Soldiers and their families are the true heroes of Ukraine. They should be honored with monuments. A person cannot give the country more than his life.”

“Fans and journalists who visited Zagreb for the Croatia-Ukraine match say that no one in Europe understands Ukrainians as well as Croats. How can that be explained?”

“We understand Ukrainians very well because Croatia went through the same situation. Our textbooks say Croats came from the Carpathians. My friends and I feel comfortable in Ukraine. The same can be said about Ukrainians who come to Croatia. You immediately notice that our peoples are close. It’s not something artificial or contrived. Most importantly, this affinity is felt by every social layer — an ordinary tourist, children and soldiers who came for rehabilitation, or a wealthy person. Everyone says the same thing.”

“The Ukrainian people did not expect war. We in Croatia also did not think about such a thing. But war came to our lands and many people died.”

“The war ended in 1995 and today Croatia is a rapidly developing country. Our economy is rising. The country has become attractive to tourists. We had a very good first president, Franjo Tuđman. He was in power for 9 years. Today the prime minister of Croatia is my friend Andrej Plenković. He is a great supporter of Ukraine.”

“I believe Ukraine will be fine too. You have a large and rich country, and people with soul and heart. God will not abandon the Ukrainian people. You just need to wait a little.”

“Many Ukrainian footballers take the position ‘sport is outside politics.’ Should they speak publicly about the war?”

“I believe athletes cannot stand aside. No one asks them to go to parliament and speak there. But support from such people, both in words and financially, can help children and soldiers. So footballers should be socially active. People on the front line defend the whole country so that residents of Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv can live in peace.”

“Soldiers and their families are the true heroes of Ukraine. They should be honored with monuments. A person cannot give the country more than his life. Families are left without their support at the time when a husband is most needed. 7-to-11-year-old children were left orphaned, and women with 2-to-3 children on their hands became widows. Such people need help.”

“We need to organize funds that will care for the disabled and the families of fallen soldiers. I think about this a lot. But many people who promised to help do not keep their word. Most politicians deceive. Marina Anatoliivna (the wife of Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko — Ed.) and the Ministry of Defense help.”

“Many politicians only take photos and tell some fairy tales. I don’t like that many use children and soldiers for PR. They promise help, and when you call with a small request, these big, advertised Facebook politicians don’t even answer. It makes me sick to watch their interviews. The time will come when I will tell everything. I want people to know how artificially they love their country.”

“Not a single dollar came from Ukraine for the accommodation of children and soldiers in Croatia. I can look everyone in the eye. Whether they can look me in the eye is another question.”

First Lady of Ukraine Marina Poroshenko meeting with Ivica Pirić

Did any footballers help you?

“Many said: ‘You’re great,’ ‘Pirić, we’re with you.’ I have been running this humanitarian campaign for three years and would like help that goes beyond words. Then we could send not 500 children and soldiers, but 5 thousand. It’s very expensive, and I can’t afford that. I don’t have those resources. But I don’t plan to stop while the war continues.”

“I don’t understand when former or current footballers visit soldiers in the hospital and give them their shirts, scarves, or boots. How are these things supposed to help the wounded? It’s just PR. It makes me feel disgusted. If you really want to be useful, collect some aid or buy the necessary things for soldiers’ children.”

“People who lost arms and legs in the war don’t need fairy tales. They became disabled for the freedom of their country and need concrete help.”

“That wouldn’t fly in Croatia. If footballers came to wounded soldiers with shirts and boots, they’d be thrown out the window. That’s the truth.”

“Soldiers should be provided with jobs so that after the war they feel important and needed. If I were in your parliament, I would fight there every day. And I would make sure servicemen had bread, meat, and could properly provide for their families.”

Ukrainian national team footballer Roman Zozulya has his own charity fund and actively helps the Ukrainian army.

“I know and am glad that he does a lot. Other footballers could join him. But you shouldn’t beg anyone. If he, as a Ukrainian, does not feel he must help his people, it’s better not to tell him.”

“Fans of Spain’s Rayo Vallecano demonized Zozulya for his activity. How did it happen that Roman was left without football for half a season?”

“I don’t consider Zozulya guilty in this situation. Nothing happens without reason. Someone benefited from this happening. If he hadn’t helped so much, he wouldn’t have bothered anyone. I won’t say everyone, but he bothers many.”

“Roman does a good deed. Everyone should say ‘thank you’ to him. Zozulya has nothing to apologize for.”

“Could he become a politician in the future?”

“That would be good for Ukraine. He is on the right path. Roman would fight for the rights of ordinary people.”

“I don’t understand when former or current footballers visit soldiers in the hospital and give them their shirts, scarves, or boots. How are these things supposed to help the wounded?”

“Two years ago a monument to Taras Shevchenko was unveiled in Zagreb. I read that you helped finance it.”

“That’s true. If you can, you help. If you don’t have the means, you still look for opportunities to help.”

“I have gone very far with this. I can’t say: ‘I’ve done a good deed and will do no more.’”

“I survived my war. When I read letters from children, I understand they need my help. I don’t claim to know the story of everyone who visited Croatia, but I know most of them. When someone is having a hard time, open those letters and read them. Then a person will understand they have no real problems.”

“Of course, it’s very hard to organize everything, but each time we manage. Children are happy, they jump and swim. It’s even scary to watch (he laughs). God forbid someone breaks an arm or a leg. Fortunately, everything goes well and the children return cheerful.”

“After returning they tell everyone that Ukraine needs to join the European Union. Through the children the spirit of Europe spreads throughout the country, especially to pro-Russian regions. That’s exactly what Ukraine needs. Maybe someone will disagree with me.”

How did you manage to secure premises in Split for the Ukrainian consulate in Russia’s presence?

“Recently I received a contract for it from the city mayor. I fought for those premises for 1 year and 7 months. It was a nightmare. When I said there would be a Ukrainian consulate there, a diplomatic war began. Thank God we won.”

“Now the blue-and-yellow flag will be next to the consulates of England, France, and Italy. Millions of tourists pass there every year. There is no better place in the world to advertise Ukraine as a state.”

“Getting that premises is like winning the Champions League. It’s a very strong step for Ukraine.”

“Many footballers after retiring cannot find themselves in life. How did you manage to realize yourself?”

“A person never knows what path God has prepared. I didn’t think I would become a consul and a Chamber of Commerce representative. I expected my whole life would be connected to football.”

“We have many athletes who play abroad. But in 25 years of Croatia’s independence, I am the only one who became consul of a country where he played.”

“I’ve already held three business forums attended by the prime ministers of Croatia (Andrej Plenković) and Ukraine (Volodymyr Groysman). I help many Ukrainian businessmen open doors in Croatia and implement their projects. I work with Croats the same way.”

Ivica Pirić with Andrej Plenković and Volodymyr Groysman

Does your football past help you in the work of a consul?

“Yes. But the sports and diplomatic spheres are two different worlds. Football is my first love. First I played myself, then I placed players in clubs. That was one stage of life. Today is another.”

Do you continue to manage players as an agent?

“Yes. I have young players in Dnipro, Shakhtar, and Dynamo. I plan to open a football academy in Croatia.”

“Some Ukrainian politicians offered me places in parties, but I’m far from that. It doesn’t interest me and I definitely don’t need it.”

“Former Dynamo and Milan player Kakhaber Kaladze became Georgia’s minister of energy and natural resources. Have you thought about a political career in your native Croatia?”

“No. I don’t want to get into that.”

How do you find time for everything?

“You’d better ask my wife that” (he laughs).

This year Ivica Pirić will organize vacations for 400 children of servicemen and displaced children from the ATO zone.

One newspaper found your interview on the day of the Croatia-Ukraine match. What did you tell Croatian journalists?

“That the Ukrainian team would play on the counterattacks and your team has high-class flank players. Of course Croatia is very strong, but you still have to keep the defense.”

“The match was interesting and in a friendly atmosphere. Before the game in Zagreb Croatian and Ukrainian fans drank beer and wine together. I’m very happy about that. Many wrote that Ukrainian fans are problematic and will create many troubles. That’s all the neighbor’s propaganda.”

Who were you rooting for?

“50 on 50” (he laughs).

Would the Ukrainian national team go to Russia for the World Cup-2018 if it qualifies?

“Of course. Why not? You should go and play for your country and your flag. I would play with pleasure.”

Do you talk with Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna about the war?

“Yes. Darijo loves Donetsk very much and wants to return there. We hope the war will end soon.”

What memories do you have of your time at Arsenal?

“Those were good 5 years. I got to know Kyiv, many coaches and players. I felt at home in Ukraine. Maybe in a past life I was really Ukrainian. I played in Germany for two years and felt like a guest there.”

“When I transferred to Arsenal from Hajduk, I asked: ‘Why Ukraine and not some other championship?’ See how things turned out. It was God’s will. If I hadn’t played here, I wouldn’t be so attached to Ukraine. I’m glad it turned out this way. As we say in Croatia, let’s go on.”

What is your dream?

“I was recently in Jerusalem. I always pray for the health of my family and friends and for an end to war. Not only in Ukraine, but in the whole world. Many people suffer and die. It’s terrible to watch what is happening in Syria.”