Christmas days in Slovenia got a touching note thanks to the former Slovenian national team player Josip Ilicic and the first league NK Koper.
The mother of a nine-year-old boy from Koper issued a poignant appeal after her son was left without his beloved soccer ball at the station – and without his dignity. Older boys on bicycles first promised to return the ball to him, and then beat him “like hooligans” and ran away with the loot, she told local radio. The little boy got on the bus that took him home in tears, convinced that he had made a mistake in bringing the ball to school in the first place.
The story spread like wildfire through the airwaves, touching the hearts of the players and leaders of the first league team in Koper. The club contacted the boy’s family, invited him to the stadium and gave him a surprise: he was handed a new ball signed by the entire team, and the special magic of the moment was given by the meeting with Josip Ilicic.
The legendary attacker, known for his great career in Serie A, had a warm conversation with the boy, took a photo and gave him support to continue loving football despite the ugly experience. The gesture was welcomed by the Slovenian public as “one of the most beautiful Christmas stories” and a reminder that athletes can be much more than professionals on the field – they can be neighborhood heroes who restore faith in goodness.
