The biggest celebration of Serbian football in the American diaspora – Serbiada – ended with the presentation of trophies to the best teams and individuals at the Indiana Elite Soccer Club fields in Portage!
After two days of excellent football despite the extreme heat and humidity, the title of champion was deservedly won by FC “Dinara,” who defeated two-time defending champion “Karađorđe” from Cleveland 1:0 in the final!
THEY CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST TITLE: “Dinara” footballers deservedly win the title in the Open category
Vukašin Bulatović’s goal in the final minute sparked excitement among the fans and the black-and-white players from Indiana, who won Dinara its first title in the club’s history.
FLARES AT THE END: Dinara fans put on a celebration to remember
Children from Kosovo the main stars of Serbiada
The winners were also joined in celebration by children from Kosovo and Metohija, members of FK “DIF” from Kosovska Mitrovica, who were special guests at this year’s Serbiada and also won the trophy in the under-13 category.
DELIGHTED BY THEIR WELCOME IN AMERICA: Young footballers from Kosovska Mitrovica
However, more than the victory, they will remember the warmth with which they were welcomed by Serbs from the diaspora, they will remember another world they saw here, they will remember the freedom to move wherever they want, without worry and risk – a freedom they do not have where they came from.
And that freedom then poured out of them in a deeply moving way on the final night of Serbiada, when, encouraged by the musicians and everyone else, they sang along to songs about Kosovo and waved Serbian flags.
When they return home, to Mitrovica, an occupied city, they will no longer be allowed to do this in a public place. And that is the saddest part of this story…
Nevertheless, they were not sad about returning; quite the opposite. They invited all the Serbs from America to be their guests:
INVITED EVERYONE TO VISIT KOSOVO AND METOHIJA: Nemanja Bulatović, OFK DIF
-Thank you to the organizers and everyone we met here for the wonderful welcome. We had heard from stories that there are many Serbs in Chicago and America, but we did not know how wonderful these people are or that they would welcome us as their closest relatives. I invite everyone to be our guests in our Kosovo, to come and let us host them, to show them the monasteries, Gračanica, Dečani, Banjska, Gazimestan…, said the emotional OFK DIF coach from Kosovska Mitrovica, Nemanja Bulatović.
It is also worth mentioning the other teams that marked this year’s tournament…
In the +30 competition, Morava was the best, defeating the strong “Dinara” team 1:0 in a tense final and knowing how to celebrate the victory in style, to the verses: “Down the Morava, the wind is blowing, the old fisherman keeps a secret…”
MORAVA IS MY SEA! Morava footballers knew how to celebrate
Victories in their respective categories were also achieved by “Gavrilo Princip” from Akron, “Karađorđe” from Cleveland, “United Serbs” from Chicago, “Republika Srpska” from Hamilton and Chicago, “United Serbian” from Milwaukee…
Serbian golden basketball player at Serbiada
The event was graced by the presence of Serbian basketball star Anđela Subotić, a European Championship gold medalist and last year’s NCAA champion with her UCLA college team.
THE CHAMPION CAME TO SUPPORT HER OWN: Anđela Dugalić with the Serbian Times editor and her parents
Anđela, who signed her first WNBA contract this year with the Washington Mystics, told us in a conversation that she is still getting used to her new surroundings and hopes to earn more playing time next season in the highly competitive league.
When the women’s NBA season ends soon, she will most likely sign with one of the European teams, but at this moment she did not know which one.
UNITED SERBS: Besides Serbs, there were also plenty of footballers and coaches of other nationalities and races at Serbiada. Everyone was welcome
Organizer passed the test by bringing children from Kosovo
The organizer of Serbiada 2026 was the Republika Srpska club, while the general sponsor was Cherry trader, an online marketplace for buying trucks, trailers and equipment.
The organizer did a very solid job. They deserve praise for the wonderful gesture of bringing the young footballers from Kosovo and Metohija, but it should also be pointed out that the concept in which music blasts under a tent while footballers sweat on the field has clearly become outdated, that time has passed it by and that it attracts fewer and fewer visitors.
The guests at Serbiada are mostly young people and they should be offered something in keeping with their age and modern times.
SHADE WAS IN HIGH DEMAND: Some sought it under the sponsor’s trailer
Referees who cannot run
There were also plenty of complaints about the refereeing, and most of the main referees, which was visible to the naked eye, were overweight, preventing them from staying close to the action on the field and making valid decisions.
AND GIRLS LOVE FOOTBALL TOO: And, of course, they love those who play it
There was plenty of good food at Serbiada, smoke was rising from all sides, after all, footballers need strength for great exertion, and the fans were not lagging behind either, because the intense sun was quickly draining their energy!
NO SHORTAGE OF CALORIES: First the barbecue, then something sweet
There were also anti-sporting, but amusing moments at Serbiada that were retold under the central tent, and so some teams did not even appear on the field on Sunday, in the knockout stage, because the night before, they had been knocked out by alcoholic drinks and were unable to take the field.
WHEN THE SUN BEATS DOWN, WATER IS SALVATION: Temperatures were extreme
All in all, the tradition dating back to 1993 and the first Serbiada has been preserved. This is still one of the biggest and most significant events of the Serbian diaspora in America and Canada, but for future editions, the concept of the event should be changed somewhat, modernized and brought closer to younger generations.
And the next one, Serbiada 2027, will be held in Canada, where, we hope, most of the teams from the USA and Canada that participated in this one, which has just ended, will gather.
Source: Antonije Kovačević
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