Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović said that he has the "undeserved privilege" of being at the helm of the Capital City in a year when one of Podgorica's main symbols is celebrating a great jubilee - 100 years of existence.
FK Budućnost, the largest and most trophy-laden club, will celebrate its centenary in mid-June.
Mujović said that this is not just a story about football and the club, but about the pride, past and tradition of Podgorica. "It is a story about the coat of arms as the shield of the city and the fans who pass on their love for the club to the generations to come. Numerous generations have created the club, we have produced brilliant football players, great coaches and top sports workers," Mujović said at a press conference, emphasizing that the Capital "knows how to value and protect its pearl, its football club". "In the year when we celebrate the anniversary, we will do our best to celebrate it in a way that is appropriate. The Capital considers it its obligation and imperative to translate what the club's position and the fans' wishes are into action. We will decorate the city in blue and white, so that all the decorations remind us of the Future, the glorious past and the bright future of the club", said Mujović.
"It is a history that lasts and is preserved, that is talked about in the stands, that is passed on."
When asked who he thinks is the best player in the history of FK Buducnost, the mayor of Podgorica replied:
"For me, Dejan Savićević, at least from what I watched and what I remember, and I remember a lot of it."
In addition to historical topics, Mujović also spoke about current topics, some of which he is not proud of, at least when it comes to the Budućnost Football Club and football in the capital.
Two months before the celebration of the big date, FK Budućnost does not have a complete management team - it has no president, no board of directors, it does not even have a grass surface whose replacement is planned to begin at the end of this month, the stadium does not have a proper East Stand that has been talked about not for months or years, but for decades...
"The club's management will be completed by the day of the celebration. For such a big anniversary, we must have a president, a supervisory board formed, and all the supporting infrastructure," said Mijović, pointing out that the Capital City has allocated 300 thousand euros for the anniversary celebration.
Mujović said that the replacement of the grass at the stadium under Gorica will be completed by the beginning of June.
"I'm not happy that we consider the project to replace the grass surface at the stadium as some kind of cosmic leap, I would even say that it's devastating, but so much work had to be done to prepare everything. It was agreed that the replacement of the grass surface would begin on April 22nd, and it would take 45 working days to complete. According to all forecasts, everything should be finished by the end of May, when a showpiece match will be played to mark the anniversary. On the contrary, I don't see the point in playing anywhere else," said Mujović.
Tener pod Goricam will once again have a natural base, not a hybrid one, as was discussed in the past.
"It's a kind of compromise, because we're planning to build the East Stand. Because of that, the surface is likely to be damaged, and it's much easier and cheaper to replace a damaged part of the natural surface than to replace the entire hybrid grass. We don't have that much money to splurge on it."
Mujović said that the eastern stand of the City Stadium must be built and that it is not only a matter for the Budućnost Football Club, the national team and the Football Association, but also for the Capital City, which is getting an underground garage.
According to him, the project is before the judicial authorities and the process has been going on since 2001. "It is certain that the project is before the Capital Projects Directorate of the Government of Montenegro. We are looking for a modality for the Capital City and the Government to finance it. An important project for the entire country. We are doing our best to get it started and completed," said Mujović. Buducnost will eventually get a new sports director.
Club executive director Novak Novaković said that a two-year contract had already been agreed with Dejan Damjanović, and Mujović warned him in a way:
"Boske is a big football name, an exceptionally positive personality, but I appeal that no decisions be made official until the Supervisory Board is formed, in order to comply with the legal procedure."
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