Australian Football News@AUSFUTNews
🚨EXCL INTERVIEW 🚨
🗣️ FK Beograd President Andrew Popovich, From Player to President 🇷🇸⚽️
“What inspired me to take on the role? Honestly, I was sort of roped into it!”
Popovich laughs as he recalls a lifetime with FK Beograd, from playing as a kid, coaching juniors, handling marketing and sponsorships, to eventually being ‘railroaded’ into becoming club president.
He’s now held the role for 15 years.
“I just wanted to get the younger guys involved, people who love football, because it was time for a new generation to take over.”
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On the state of football in Australia 👇
“Not enough people give back. Everyone wants to know what they can get out of it, money, contracts, but few want to coach, cook BBQs, or help the club.
Football is a grassroots game. If people stop helping, it won’t die, but it’ll never reach the heights it should.”
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💭 His vision for FK Beograd
Popovich’s focus has been on rebuilding the club’s foundations, literally.
“We’re renovating the old clubrooms, building new change rooms, improving lighting, and expanding to another venue for our juniors and women’s setup.”
He says FK Beograd are modernising behind the scenes too, from point-of-sale systems to proper coaching structures.
“We want to be self-sufficient, not rely on junior fees to fund seniors. We’d rather fill the stands, sell food, and get sponsors involved.”
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🏠 One of the club’s proudest stories is about Frank Mitchell, the man their ground is named after.
“Frank was a rugby guy who fell in love with our club. When he passed away, he left his house to us, worth $70k back then, now over $1.2 million.
We’re planning to build two homes on it and create the Frank Mitchell Foundation, our main sponsor forever.”
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On the club’s identity:
“We were founded in 1949, one of the oldest clubs in SA. We’ve had players represent Australia, and people like Todd Clarke still fly in from Sydney to watch us.”
While proud of their Serbian roots, Popovich stresses that FK Beograd is now one of the most multicultural clubs in the country.
“Only 10–15% of our supporters are Serbian, the rest are from all backgrounds. We’re proud of that.”
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On developing local talent:
“We’ve got Michael Jakobsen, ex-A-League and Denmark international, working with our coaches and players.”
The club has invested heavily in its pitches and facilities to give kids the best environment to develop.
“We promote 15–16-year-olds to train with the U18s and reserves.
Only 1% of players make it pro, so our goal is to make FK Beograd a family-friendly, community club.”
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On parents and player development in Australia:
“In Europe, parents aren’t allowed near training, and I think that’s the way to go.
Everyone here talks about being Tier 1 or Tier 2, but not enough focus on actual skills, crossing, heading, using both feet.”
He adds:
“Kids train more than ever but aren’t as technically strong. The old days had more flair, the game was more enjoyable to watch.”
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Young players to watch 👀
•Jordan Leane (17) – “Future A-League player.”
•Zak Cosic (17) – “Exceptional talent.”
•Alex Rusmir (17) – “Keeper already on Adelaide United’s radar — trained at FK Partizan in Serbia.”
•Driton Sali (16) – “A natural goalscorer, definitely one to watch.”
“We make sure our senior coaches blood 3–4 kids into the first team every year.”
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On the Australian Championship:
“We’re keen. If we make the cut-off, we’ll go for it.
In the next 2–3 years, I believe we’ll be a top-two team.”
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💬 A passionate football man through and through,
From player to president, Andrew Popovich embodies what community football is all about. ❤️⚽️
