Speakers

Marijan Kustić (Croatia)

BIO

Marijan Kustić (born 10 February 1975 in Rijeka, Croatia) has been the President of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) since 29 July 2021. He was re-elected unanimously by the HNS Assembly on 3 February 2025, and on 3 April 2025 was elected to the UEFA Executive Committee at the 49th UEFA Congress in Belgrade — only the second Croatian, after Davor Šuker, to serve in that body.

His career in football began as a player and later general manager of NK Novalja, competing in Croatia’s second and third divisions. He developed his executive career on the regional level as president of the Lika-Senj County Football Federation and of the Inter-county Football Board of the Rijeka Football Centre, before joining the HNS Executive Committee in 2014 and later becoming the Federation’s vice-president. From January 2018 he served as HNS Director of Competitions and Infrastructure, leading the renovation of pitches at five top-flight stadiums, and from April 2019 as Executive Director of HNS.

Under his presidency the Croatian men’s senior team won bronze at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and silver at the UEFA Nations League 2023, while HNS signed a record broadcasting-rights contract and accelerated investment in the future national football centre in Velika Gorica. Kustić holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and Law from Effectus University College and an MBA (2022). He is a recipient of the Order of the Croatian Morning Star with the figure of Franjo Bučar and of the Charter of the Republic of Croatia (May 2024).

AFFILIATIONS

President, Croatian Football Federation (HNS), Zagreb, Croatia

Member, UEFA Executive Committee (since April 2025)

President, Lika-Senj County Football Federation

LECTURE TITLE

Croatian Football Federation Today — HNS Football Camp: The Foundation for Football Development and the Croatia National Team  (joint lecture with Zlatko Dalić)

The joint lecture presents the strategic priorities of HNS at the federation level and links them to the development of the Croatia national team. Particular focus is placed on the new HNS National Football Centre as the long-term backbone for player development, coach education and operational support to all Croatian national selections.

CONTACT

via Croatian Football Federation, Ulica grada Vukovara 269A, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia