Marinka Galić's touching farewell: "If I helped at least one child, it was all worth it".

Marinko Galić, a well-known figure in Slovenian youth football coaching, has announced his decision to temporarily halt operations of his football school after sixteen years of continuous work with young players. The announcement came through a heartfelt message posted on his Facebook page, where he expressed the difficulty of making such a choice and admitted there were no easy words to describe the moment. Galić founded the football school with a simple yet meaningful goal, to provide children with an environment where they would eagerly attend training sessions, learn discipline, respect, friendship, and love for sport. Galić emphasized that his focus was never solely on results. He believed the greatest victory was seeing a child leave the field with a smile and return the next day with enthusiasm. Over the years, many children have started their football journeys under his guidance, some later donning the jerseys of younger Slovenian national teams and continuing successful careers in club football. According to Galić, the greatest rewards were the stories of these children, their smiles, and personal growth. He also openly discussed the challenges of running a football school, which required daily organization of trainings, tournaments, securing financial resources, and ensuring optimal conditions for the development of children. In recent years, official duties and personal life circumstances began to accumulate, leading him to admit he felt exhausted. “Honestly, I am tired. I’ve lost the energy needed to lead such a demanding project. Children deserve a coach and leader who gives 100 percent of themselves. Right now, I simply can’t manage that anymore,” he wrote. Galić touched upon the lack of financial support and collaboration from the surrounding community and other clubs. He believed working with children should be a shared responsibility among all, but reality often told a different story. He honestly acknowledged his own mistakes, emphasizing that all decisions were made based on his conscience and thoughts about the children’s welfare, even if not everyone always agreed. If he had unintentionally hurt or disappointed anyone, he sincerely apologized. Despite this difficult decision, Galić left without bitterness. “I’m not leaving angry. I’m leaving primarily tired,” he wrote, adding that he will redirect his energy toward new challenges for a while. Whether the story of his football school will continue in the future remains uncertain. At the end of his message, he thanked all the children, parents, coaches, employees, friends, and supporters who, over sixteen years, helped create the story of his football school. His final words moved many: “If I have helped even one child become a better footballer, especially a better person, in these sixteen years, then it was all worth it. I believe good work always leaves a trace. And if someone in the years to come says: ‘I started with Marinko Galić,’ that will be my greatest recognition.” This marks the end of a significant chapter in one of the recognizable football stories that, over more than a decade and a half, shaped numerous young athletes and their families.