“Look, there’s Babić! I brought my ball for him to sign,” exclaims an eight-year-old. “I have paper for Mitrović and Tadić’s autographs,” another adds. “My mom will make a poster after we take a photo,” chimes in a third. This group of excited boys eagerly waits to meet Serbian national player and Spartak Moscow defender Srđan Babić.
Babić has come to Banja Luka to meet young fans at SB Academy, a new sports center dedicated to training and competitions, which opened just over a month ago.
SB Academy is one of many football academies in the region where hundreds of boys of various ages train, inspired by professional players they look up to. In Banja Luka alone, there are approximately 20 football clubs, including notable teams like FK Borac, FK BSK, FK Naprijed, FK Željezničar, FK Vrbas, FK Krajina, and FK Krupa. According to the city’s sports registry, there are 30 football-focused organizations in total, alongside numerous sports schools, many of which offer football.
In these academies, boys practice dribbling like Ronaldo and Messi and dream of playing in big stadiums. But will any of them achieve these dreams? Babić, in an interview with Bloomberg Adria, replies, “You never know.”
“From my generation, two or three players came from this region. In previous generations, maybe none did, and in future ones, who knows—maybe five or six. It all depends on the generation, how they develop, and the training they receive,” Babić explains.
With a current market value of six million euros, according to Transfermarkt, Babić emphasizes that much depends on the children themselves. Persistence, passion, and a true love for the sport are crucial. “If there’s dedication and persistence, I don’t see why only one or two players should make it. Why not five, six, or ten? I hope as many of these kids continue training and succeed. That’s my goal,” he says.
The idea to start a football academy had long been on Babić’s mind, but all the pieces fell into place this year. In September, the academy welcomed its first group of boys, aged four to ten.
“I’m glad to see so many kids here with a love for football and sports. My main goal is to get them to love the sport and start engaging in it. I started playing football at four, which may have been too early,” Babić recalls.
Now, nearing 29 and with a lengthy career behind him, he understands the importance of early involvement in sports, alongside school, which he emphasizes should always be a priority for children.
“With training and support, kids from this region have a much greater chance of success. There has always been talent here, but the conditions for development haven’t been the best. I didn’t have the ideal setup when I started playing,” Babić reflects.
His lifelong wish, he remembers with a smile, was to play on a flat field, not on “molehills.”
Source: Atv
