For many citizens of Serbia, the promised lands are found in Northern Europe. However, former footballer Đorđe Isailović traded the chilly Scandinavian landscapes of Norway for his warm and familiar Šumadija, exchanging the football field for a rural estate. He dedicated himself to pig farming and has never regretted his decision.
“The village is my second greatest love in life, and I must say that I had a goal and a plan to return to the countryside and spend the rest of my life here after my sports career,” Đorđe told RINA.
This Serbian footballer has earned the title of Best Young Farmer in Serbia by raising the indigenous Moravka pig breed on his grandfather’s land, a breed he has cherished since childhood.
“I remember these pigs from when my ancestors had them on the estate. Given the infrastructure and certain details we lacked, raising this breed of pigs was actually the first and best option. Moravkas don’t require much. I have known them since childhood, when I helped my family, so I feel familiar with them. I learned a few things about farming back then,” Đorđe shared.
Despite building an international career, Đorđe never neglected his ancestral estate. He was always going to return to his hometown, which he nostalgically carried in his heart for a long time.
“Every free moment I had when I came home from Norway, I would come straight here to the village. It was perhaps a good introduction to everything I’m involved in today. We can’t play football, or engage in sports, for our entire lives, so the moment came for a decision. When I stopped playing professionally, I chose to live and work in the countryside,” Đorđe Isailović explained.
Thus, Đorđe, Serbia’s Best Young Farmer, has returned to his ancestral estate at the foot of Mount Ješevac, breathing in the air of his childhood once again.
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Source: RINA
Photo: RINA