NEW FOOTBALL
MANIFESTO OF BALKAN FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS
FOOTBALL BELONGS TO ALL OF US. WITHOUT SUPPORTERS — IT HAS NO SOUL.
A VOICE FROM THE STANDS
We are not a football association. We are not a club. We are not politics. We are supporters — people from the stands who believe football in the Balkans can be better.
This manifesto does not claim to speak for everyone and it does not offer final answers. It is an open invitation to supporters, clubs, football associations, media and institutions to build a fairer, safer and more accountable football culture together.
MANIFESTO CONTENTS
STADIUMS & INFRASTRUCTURE
A stadium is more than the place where a match is played. It is a space of belonging, meeting and shared identity. Safety, dignity and accessibility are not luxuries — they are basic requirements of any serious football competition.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Safe, clearly marked and functional entrances and exits.
- Clean sanitary facilities available to all visitors.
- Accessible stands and facilities for people with disabilities.
- Space for flags, banners and choreographies under clear safety rules.
- Public and transparent reporting on investments in stadium infrastructure.
Clubs, local communities and football associations should jointly plan stadium maintenance and development. Public funding must be accompanied by clear budgets, deadlines and accountability for every amount spent.
SUPPORTERS AS PARTNERS
Supporters are not an accessory to football. They give it atmosphere, continuity, identity and social meaning. Their voice should therefore be part of decisions that directly affect the stands and the matchday experience.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Regular dialogue between clubs, associations and legitimate supporter representatives.
- Supporter participation in discussions on ticket prices, away sectors and security procedures.
- The right to club and national-team symbols without discrimination or selective treatment.
- Membership and other models that allow supporters to participate in club life.
- Support for educational, humanitarian and socially useful supporter initiatives.
Partnership also means responsibility. Violence, discrimination, threats and hate speech cannot be defended as supporter tradition. At the same time, isolated incidents must not be used as an excuse to treat all supporters as a security problem.
CLUBS & FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS
Clubs and football associations govern institutions with sporting, cultural and public significance. Their work should therefore be based on expertise, transparency and accountability to the community.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Public annual budgets, revenues, expenditures and reports on the use of public funds.
- Regular independent financial audits.
- Leaders selected on the basis of knowledge, experience and integrity, with clear conflict-of-interest rules.
- Long-term development programmes for young male and female players.
- Clear licensing criteria and equal application of rules to all clubs.
Transparency is more than publishing documents the public can barely understand. Clubs and associations should clearly explain decisions, funding sources, objectives and results. Trust is earned through accountable governance.
SPORTS MEDIA
Sports media do more than report results. They shape how the public sees clubs, supporters, institutions and football itself. Their freedom should therefore be matched by professional responsibility.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Clear separation of news, commentary, promotion and paid content.
- Verification of information and transparent identification of sources.
- Investigative coverage of governance, financing and decisions made by clubs and associations.
- More space for supporter stories, local clubs, youth football and women’s football.
- Reporting on incidents without collectively labelling all supporters.
Speed must not become an excuse for inaccurate information, manipulative headlines or the escalation of conflict. Football needs media that ask difficult questions, verify facts and give space to people and stories that otherwise remain outside the mainstream.
LAWS & INSTITUTIONS
Stadium safety requires clear, predictable and consistently applied rules. The law must protect people and public order, but it should not treat every supporter as a threat in advance.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Equal application of regulations to all clubs and supporter groups.
- Professional and dignified conduct by police, security services and stewards.
- Individual responsibility instead of automatic collective punishment.
- Clear appeal procedures and independent oversight of possible abuses of authority.
- Regular dialogue between institutions, clubs and supporter representatives before high-risk matches.
- Expert consideration of legally regulated models for controlled pyrotechnics where safety conditions allow.
New Football does not advocate tolerating violence or removing accountability. But it also rejects indiscriminate repression, degrading treatment and bans without clear justification. Safety is built through prevention, trust, dialogue and consistent rules.
REGIONAL COOPERATION
Rivalry on the pitch gives football emotion, but it does not have to mean hostility beyond the stadium. Football communities across the Balkans face similar challenges and can learn from one another without giving up their own identity.
WHAT WE ASK FOR
- Exchange of knowledge on infrastructure, security, supporter liaison and youth development.
- Joint seminars for coaches, referees, football workers and supporter representatives.
- Youth, women’s and friendly tournaments connecting clubs from across the region.
- Regional projects dedicated to supporter culture, club history and football heritage.
- Cooperation on humanitarian campaigns and initiatives against violence and discrimination.
Regional cooperation should not conceal problems, relativise responsibility or impose artificial unity. It should be voluntary, practical and focused on concrete benefits for clubs, supporters and football development.
FOR A NEW FOOTBALL
Football is more than a result. It is culture, belonging, community, rivalry and the identity of the people who live it.
We want football in which clubs are accountable, associations transparent, stadiums safe, media professional, institutions fair, and supporters recognised as equal participants.
This manifesto is not a finished document and it does not belong to one organisation. It remains open to reasoned proposals, criticism and additions from everyone who wants better football in the Balkans.