STARA PAZOVA (Serbia), May 15: FIFA chief Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini on Saturday opened Serbia’s 15-million euro House of Football, a welcome bright spot for the violence-hit sport in the country.

“The future of Serbian football is here and football has a social mission, especially in times of crisis,” Platini said at the ceremony.

Blatter said the centre – consisting of six fields, a hotel, several gyms and other training grounds – should be “open for everyone”.

Platini noted that Serbia was “hit with a gangrene of violence” in stadiums.

“We are aware of the government’s efforts to root out this problem. We have thought of action plan together and we are carefully following its execution,” Platini said.

A rise of violence among hardcore football fans presented a serious challenge to Belgrade, harming its image and attempts to join the European Union.

In September 2009, a French football fan was brutally beaten here ahead of his team’s match with Partizan Belgrade. He later died of injuries, while the 12 hooligans received sentences for first degree murder of up to 35 years in prison in January.—AFP