Scotland “A” Squad In Serbia

Scotland was part of Group A of the FIFA World Cup qualifications. Our team was responsible for organising their visit to Serbia as part of this qualification phase. When Stadium Karadjorje in Novi Sad was appointed as the match venue in Serbia, we decided to first visit the city of Novi Sad and to have as back-up the capital of Belgrade, located about 70 km away.

When travelling to compete in such European competitions, preparation is key for any team. However, it is also essential that all other club officials are equally well looked after during their stay on foreign soil. Therefore, after working in the past with the Scottish FA, they once again turned to AIM Bulgaria to handle the arrangements for the club’s trip to Serbia.

The Challenge

Although AIM Bulgaria is very experienced in managing the domestic travel and accommodation requirements of foreign clubs when they take on Bulgarian opposition, every RFP brief is different. The one consistent element is the requirements for quality and attention to detail. We return to everyone with a solution that meets their requirements. We do that by using our vast experience in handling these high pro8ile events and choosing the appropriate hotels, venues and suppliers to guarantee a smooth and successful operation.

Initially, AIM Bulgaria was asked to source two high caliber hotels; one for the team, management and VIPs along with any travelling sponsors and the other for Scottish journalists. Initially before the Site Inspection we recommend that the host city Novi Sad does not have suitable hotels for the needs of this groups and we should accommodate them in Belgrade about one hour and 15 min drive from stadium.
Given that the Scottish FA party would be staying in Belgrade only for day and half prior to the match, AIM Bulgaria was also asked to take care of some evening dining arrangements for every member of the party as well as providing a suitable social programme for all club of8icials and their guests.

The Solution

Day One

Thanks to the company’s good knowledge of Belgrade’s 8inest hotels, we moved swiftly to arrange suitable accommodation. The players, management and dignitaries were booked in the prestigious Hyatt Regency, while the journalist stayed in the newly opened Falkensteiner.

They were also a short drive away from one other as well as being within an acceptable distance of the city famous Old Town and the various venues used for the social programme.” One of Belgrade’s most outstanding English speaking guides was booked to assist the AIM from the minute the delegation arrived at Tesla Airport. From there, outstanding hired coaches brought the groups to the respective hotels.
In search of something quintessentially Serbian, club of8icials were taken to the “Dva Jelena” at Skadarlije for supper, where the private dining room was themed in Scottish blue.

Day Two and Departure

The match day began with all VIP and Sponsors embarking on a sightseeing tour of Belgrade. This started in front of the monumental Belgrade Fortress, where provision had been made for the party to avoid the queues and embark their exclusively hired capsules as soon as they arrived. Mr. Brannan (Travel Manager of Scottish FA) said afterwards: “Our Belgrade experience was magni8icent and the subsequent guided tour of old town was equally inspiring”.

Following a return trip to their respective hotels, everybody was transported to the Karadjorje Stadium.
The following early morning, at 1:00 am after midnight, the entire party was transferred back to Tesla Airport, from where they made the return trip to Glasgow. Mr. Brannan continues: “Thanks to the dedication and professionalism of the AIM team we experienced an outstanding stay in Serbia.“