Croatian Football Club Rijeka and PAR Business School signed a cooperation by which PAR became the educational PARtner of HNK Rijeka. It is about signing a cooperation agreement which enables athletes – students to acquire knowledge and skills for successful coping in the business world through study programs and professional training, most often after finishing their sports careers. The cooperation was signed by doc. dr. sc. Gordana Nikolić, Dean of the PAR Business School and Luka Ivančić, General Manager of the Croatian Football Club Rijeka. Namely, PAR, as part of the Business Management studies, offers the “Sports Academy” program, which is adapted to athletes and sports professionals. This means that attending classes, taking exams and solving student obligations is adapted to the athlete’s free time.
During the signing of the Cooperation Agreement, the dean of PAR, Gordana Nikolić, emphasized that the PAR Business School has been the initiator of the dual career of athletes in the Republic of Croatia since 2008. Numerous top athletes decided to study at PAR: water polo players Samir Barać, Anđelo Šetka, Sandro Sukno and Ivan Krapić, athlete and Olympian Sara Kolak, deputy sports director of HNK Rijeka Ivan Mance, tennis judge Anja Vreg, football players Luka Marić, Ivan Vargić and Diego Živulić, skiers Ana Jelušić and Matea Ferk and volleyball players Bernarda Brčić and Ivana Kalebić.
Ivan Mance pointed out the advantages of studying at PAR, the importance of educating professional athletes and developing their business careers after finishing sports: “PAR provides great opportunities for young athletes to start preparing for life after sports and a career that is not necessarily related to sports . At the same time, education opens up many vistas and opportunities, and I must point out that in college they are accommodating to the obligations of athletes and therefore I would recommend all athletes to think and invest in education and knowledge that offers them more options after their careers.
Luka Ivančić spoke about the importance of educating his players and that it is very possible to seriously train and study: “We are satisfied with the cooperation between the PAR Business School in terms of quality education of professional athletes and young players who are the future of the Club. PAR and HNK Rijeka are already indirectly cooperating on study programs. Namely, Deputy Sports Director Ivan Mance is nearing the end of his study program and he will be joined by our talented player Adrian Liber from this year. By signing this cooperation, HNK Rijeka emphasizes the importance of investing in the education of young football players, and we believe that other athletes will recognize PAR as a center of excellence in this area. We hope that this is just the beginning of a successful, long-term cooperation, because education comes first.
Gordana Nikolić explained the importance of a dual career of athletes: “This ensures easier adjustment of athletes to life after an active sports career or starting their own business, and the examples of our current students – athletes prove it,” said top athletes and top students. in the field and in the classroom.
