Spectacular 2nd European NOVOMATIC Tournament

Under the motto 'Teamwork makes the dream work', a total of 1,500 employees from 16 countries came together in mid-June for the 2nd European NOVOMATIC Tournament in Belgrade. This unique NOVOMATIC football tournament, which was held for the ninth time and took place for the second time as a European Futsal Championship, not only set a new record for the number of participants, but was also won by the team from Republika Srpska for the fourth time in a row.

24 teams from Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Republika Srpska, Macedonia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland/ Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands competed against each other on two match days in bright weather. They were each provided with a host who stayed by their side for the duration of the tournament and had answers to all their questions.

NOVOMATIC Executive Board Member Ryszard

Presch welcomed the 1,500 participants who had come to the football fields on the Ada Ciganlija, a spacious island in the Sava River in the middle of the capital of Serbia, and he also conveyed the best greetings and wishes of NOVOMATIC founder Prof. Johann F. Graf. He said: “Each and every one of you embodies the legendary spirit of the NOVOMATIC family: it is what distinguishes us and has made us a global player with an unprecedented success story and the clear number one in Europe in the 43rd year since the company was founded.” He also thanked the inventor and initiator of this tournament, Miloš Pejić and his team, who realise this prime example of international understanding within a global corporation every year.

For the fourth time in a row, the team from Republika Srpska won, beating the team from AdmiralBet Serbia in a high-class final. The third place was secured by the team from Montenegro. The personal award ceremony for the winning teams by the NOVOMATIC AG Executive Board took place in the course of a gala dinner in an exhibition hall in

Belgrade, where players and fans danced until the early morning hours and were entertained by various live acts and DJs. This spectacular event was managed by a team of only five employees in the very short preparation time of only six months. In addition, AdmiralBet Serbia made the impossible possible, creating an app especially designed for the tournament in just 24 days, where fans could not only view the match results in real time, but also find the tournament schedule, information about Belgrade and much more. All the catering was provided by the AdmiralBet Pub team. Overall, it was a team effort that was also mentioned in the speeches of the board members and Miloš Pejić.

Miloš Pejić, NOVOMATIC Regional Manager SEE, thanked his team, the numerous participants and the Executive Board for this great event: “True to the motto 'Teamwork makes the dream work', this event once again proved what it means to be part of the NOVOMATIC family. I thank everyone who made this tournament and this great atmosphere here possible!”

The accompanying fans were also offered a great supporting programme during the futsal tournament. For example, Montenegro won the rope pull against Bulgaria in the final, while the FAZI Serbia team won the 'Games Without Borders' - where more than ten teams competed in various disciplines such as basketball, archery and several others. And, for their tireless efforts in the stands, the ADMIRAL Serbia fans were awarded a trophy as 'Best Fans of the Tournament'.