While the public international tender for investments and strategic partnerships for the ABA League basketball club closed without offers, Deputy Mayor Kuzmanić does not accept his defeat and wants to try again in spring.
September 17, 2022 - The City of Split announced on its facebook page yesterday: "Despite the unofficial announcements and expressed interest, no official offer was received after the deadline for the international public call for investment in K.K. Split and the selection of a strategic partner."
Mayor Puljak (left) and Deputy Mayor Kuzmanić presenting the tender in August (Photo: Grad Split)
Deputy Mayor Antonio Kuzmanić who claims there were talks with -according to rumors up to four- interested parties did not admit to having made any mistakes: "We are not discouraged by this outcome considering the circumstances of the short deadlines and the fact that the contract cannot be concluded or consummated until the beginning of this competition season. We will make additional efforts to attract potential partners and repeat the public call in the spring. We believe that when the objective circumstances are removed, the interested parties will formalize the offers and that we will get a quality solution for the club's future."
Mayor Ivica Puljak who co-presented the tender together with his deputy in August did not stop his colleague from executing the poorly prepared, heavily flawed and quite ridiculously naive publication. The tender did not only have no chance to attract investors but has also put a spotlight on the heavy lack of competence of Mayor Puljak and his team in the matter and has further damaged the image of the historic basketball club formerly known as Jugoplastika Split. So it is quite understandable that the mayor's name was neither mentioned in the press release nor has he commented on the matter publicly. Instead the city's press release points out that Deputy Mayor Antonio Kuzmanić is responsible for the implementation of this process in front of the city.
Until such a tender will have any chance of success in the future, a lot of work will need to be taken care of within the basketball club whose last trophy was won in 2004 and that since then has been amassing debts without being able to monetize on any player sales. To the club's history of mismanagement and problems in finding potent sponsors, the responsible politicians have now added the new category of failure to find investors and strategic partners.
