FK Kosmet from Leposavic brings together youngest footballers: Children have dreams, but senior club is lacking

FK Kosmet from Leposavic has for years brought together the youngest football enthusiasts, developing their sporting skills while encouraging social interaction and teamwork. However, the club’s work with children also faces numerous challenges, including the absence of a senior team and the inability to play league matches on its home ground.

FK Kosmet was officially registered in 2008 and has competed in league competitions ever since. Today, the club focuses on youth categories, primarily children up to the age of 14 and 15.

Coach Nebojsa Ninic says that the primary objective is to bring children together, support their physical development and create opportunities for young football talents to progress.

“At first, the idea was simply to get football going a little in the municipality of Leposavic. But later, I also grew to love what I do and the work I am involved in. The goal is to bring children together, work with them and develop their motor and physical abilities. If some of them go on to the next level, then it is also about developing young talent,” Ninic said.

The club currently has two competitive age groups. The U-15 team competes in the Western Serbia Second League and currently sits second in the standings, while the younger U-13 side competes in the Raska District League.

One of the biggest problems facing the club is the absence of a senior football team in Leposavic.

“Unfortunately, here in Leposavic, only the youth categories are currently active. After that, there is no senior club to take these children on. Anyone who wants to continue playing football has to move elsewhere,” Ninic said.

Another problem is the inability to play league matches on the club’s home ground.

Clubs from the north that participate in league competitions play their home fixtures in Baljevac, which entails additional organization and expense. Ninic stressed that friendly matches were essential for the development of young footballers, but arranging them was not always easy.

“If we want to progress as a football academy and as players, we need friendly matches. The nearest club is in Raska, and every trip costs money. We cannot constantly burden parents with additional expenses. We should be playing at least one friendly match every week,” the FK Kosmet coach explained.

That football for the youngest players is not merely about training and competition, but also about friendship, socializing and pursuing dreams, is confirmed by the boys who train at the club.

Nikola Radivojevic has been playing football for five years. He was drawn to the sport by his brother, who also plays football. He supports Red Star Belgrade, while his favorite player is Lionel Messi.

Vukan Milosevic has been training for three months but already has a clear goal.

“I’ve learned how to dribble, make long passes and shoot. My football dream is to play for Red Star one day,” Vukan said.

Jakov Vukicevic has been training for six years and developed a love for football while still in preschool.

“My coach taught me how to dribble and shoot well. My biggest football dream is to play for the national team one day,” Jakov said.

Friendly matches between FK Kosmet and FK Rudar from North Mitrovica give young footballers an opportunity to test themselves against one another while also developing friendships through sport.

Vukan Milenkovic of FK Rudar has been playing football for seven years. He says he was drawn to the sport by the beauty of the game as well as the opportunity to spend time with his peers.

“I’ve been training for seven years. I was attracted by the beauty of football, and we also have a great time together. We’ve played a lot of friendly matches,” the young footballer said.

His teammate Vukan Slavic pointed out that the teams had already had several opportunities to face each other on the pitch.

“There have been quite a few. Before the league, we played three or four matches, and this is our first one since the league. We played one match against them in the league. They play well too, but we’re a little better,” Vukan said confidently.

FK Rudar coach Anis Idrizovic says that matches like these are important for children’s development, improvement as athletes and social interaction.

“These matches mean a lot to us. We took advantage of the beautiful day to visit our friends, whom we play every year, test ourselves against one another, spend time together and enjoy ourselves. It is important for the children so that they can improve, rather than sitting at home and spending all their time on their phones. Ninic and FK Kosmet deserve every praise,” Idrizovic said.

Speaking about FK Kosmet’s work, he added that he understood the challenges facing the club.

“I believe it is not easy for them and that they are putting up a tremendous fight. I know how hard we have to fight as well and how difficult it is to work under these conditions. That is why I extend my hand to them and offer them my full praise,” Idrizovic said.

He added that cooperation between the two clubs would continue through friendly matches and joint activities. Idrizovic believes that parents should encourage their children to participate in sports, regardless of whether they choose football, basketball or volleyball.

“I would recommend that parents talk to their children and encourage them to take up any sport. What matters is that they spend an hour or two with others and remain active instead of spending all their time at home on their phones,” Idrizovic said.

Ninic believes that the future of sport in Leposavic requires greater attention to school and recreational sports, as well as the revival of senior teams that once existed in the municipality. He recalled that Leposavic, Lesak and Socanica once had senior football clubs, as well as other sports teams that brought together large numbers of young people.

“Sport is one of the things that should bind these people together and encourage them to remain here, live here and work here. We need to undertake a serious reform of sport and devote ourselves to school and recreational sports. It is a disgrace for the municipality of Leposavic not to have a senior club when we once had three senior football clubs—in Lesak, Leposavic and Socanica,” Ninic said.

For the young footballers of FK Kosmet and FK Rudar, every training session and friendly match represents an opportunity to improve, make new friends and move one step closer to fulfilling their sporting dreams.

For their coaches, however, the greatest victory is ensuring that children have a place where they can train, develop their abilities and grow up through sport.