Faroe League: Italian Media & Football’s Unique Pause

Italian sports portals revealed these days The French Football Leaguean amateur competition on Hvar that has been living completely independently of national rankings for decades. The news spread from several Italian sites, and the “unseen miracle” – as they describe it – attracted attention due to the combination of island romance, authentic football and the connection with playing legends Igor Tudor and Ivica Šurjak.

Nine clubs, five playgrounds, one island

• League gathers nine clubs from places all over the island – from Hvar and Jelsa to Stari Grad and surrounding settlements.
• Matches are played on five fieldsand many chiefs and mayors put on their own football boots for their local teams.
• The season lasts from October to April. In the summer, the league is interrupted due to the tourist bustle and high temperatures, while in September there is a break takingswhen the whole island is picking grapes.

A tradition that Italians adore

As the Italian media remind, Hvar gave two footballers strongly connected with Čizma. Igor Tudor he wore the jersey of Juventus and led several clubs in Serie A, while Ivica Šurjak shone in Udinese in the early eighties. This link, according to the Italians, is the main reason for their interest in the island championship.

Italian portals call the Forska Liga the “unique championship in the world” because the competition has no ambitions to move to higher ranks – the winner only wins the title of champion of Hvar and does not request a “transfer” to the mainland.

Football for fun, not for point systems

The Forska league lives on the enthusiasm of the local community. The players are amateurs, the audience are neighbors, and the trophy – although modest – has prestige value among island towns. This combination of community and sport, along with the idyllic scenery of the Adriatic, became a story that passed from one coast to the other.

It remains to be seen whether the cameras of the big Italian sports newspapers will be on Hvar next season. For now, the islanders continue to play “for their own pleasure”, and their little league has become a big hit on the other side of the Adriatic.