Istrian football within the sports offer

It's an interesting fact that the first football moves were registered around the year 200 in China, where a game similar to present-day football was played.   The Chinese called the game Tsu'Chu, and its goal was to dribble a leather ball past the opponent and throw it into a small diameter opening. Among these first games similar to football, there was also a game called Kemari in Japan and a game called Harpastum in Ancient Rome, where soldiers kept themselves occupied with exercise. 

The main place of development of football in its present form was England , where the rules of the game were created and in 1863 the first football association was founded.  After this, the first football clubs started to appear, and the first international match was played in 1872 between two national teams - England and Scotland.  The popularity of this sport hasn't avoided Croatia. In the following years, football spread outside of England, to Europe and beyond.

Football is a potential factor of sport tourism development
In accordance with the rising needs of tourists for recreation, active vacation, entertainment and innovation in tourism offer, football has become a major driving mechanism of tourism offer development. This is also evidenced by numerous football fields where a healthy sporting spirit is cultivated and where national as well as international champions meet.

Thanks to the mild Mediterranean climate, a richly developed football field network and excellent accommodation and organisation capacities, Istria is a top-class destination and a host to great European and national clubs.  Due to Istria’s quality infrastructure, its climate, and above all high-quality service as well asits sporting spirit, many football players decide to do their preparation training in Istria. 

Sport moves the society and it is also the strongest promotional asset.   In the world of tourism, football has been recognised as a promotional tool, and a very efficient and effective means of promotion of destinations and countries. Because of the passion that is present in this game, football unites and separates many people, but in the end it is an interwoven love on both sides, sometimes talked about for days.

Due to its popularity, football attracts a large number of people who participate in it actively (as athletes and competitors) or passively (as spectators). One thing is certain, though - football is an important element of content which motivates our visitors to come and stay in Istria.

Explore the long sport tradition of Istria and give in to the magical beauty of this picturesque Mediterranean peninsula.