GNK Dinamo Zagreb presents Tomislav Butina as #Morethanfootball Ambassador
GNK Dinamo Zagreb presented former Croatian international goalkeeper and current YouthAcademy Manager Tomislav Butina as their #MoreThanFootball ambassador 2022. He is also the head of their goalkeeper’s academy. As a club legend (223 official caps in Dinamo jersey), he is a role model to many young goalies in Dinamo and Croatia). He is fully committed to his educational work in general and he is trying to show all our young players and goalkeepers (more than 400 in total) that football really is more than football, each and every day. His son is also a young talented goalkeeper.
Why is football for you #Morethanfootball?
I’ve played football for a very long time and I can really say that football is a lot more than just a sport. The emotion that football gives is amazing and totally inexplicably. When you see fans rejoicing in the victory, but also shed a tear after the defeat, you realize that it is a great love. Even today, after my career, I stayed to “work” in football because for me it is not a job but a love and a way of life.
Where did you see or experience that football is #Morethanfootball?
That moment when you get out on the pitch in front of the full stadium, all the fans loudly cheering for you and your teammates… Simply the fact that you can make people happy and you are able to bring them joy, to change their lives is really magnificent. Just imagine the situation when you play for a foreign club living in a foreign city and suddenly you notice the flag of your country on the stands. That is the moment when you realize that football is much more than just a game. A similar experience is when you play for your national team and you hear the anthem before the kick-off. All those emotions are really incredible.
What positive impact has football had on your and other people’s lives?
It is impressive when you raise a child to become a good football player and, above all, to become a good person and, down the road, you watch him grow to become a wonderful young man. Of course, it would be nice if he makes a good sports career, but that is not the main issue. The most important is to make him a good person. I cannot describe all the happiness when I see my son and his joy when he’s preparing for the game or when we watch our club or our national team together. Children cannot lie and they cannot hide their emotions. They are sincere and when you see all their joy and happiness you realize that football is really much more than just a game.
