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At the height of his professional soccer career, former USF Bull Neven Subotić found himself drawn to the question far away from the cheering crowds he played for across Europe: Why were so many people in East Africa living without clean drinking water and adequate sanitation that would help them be healthy and thrive?  

It was then that the former defender began redirecting his success toward a different goal. In 2012, while still playing at the top level of the sport, Subotić founded the international water and sanitation charity, the well:fair foundation — whose mission is to build, operate, and maintain access to water and sanitation facilities in East Africa. Since then, the foundation’s work has redefined Subotić’s life far beyond the pitch. 

“The last 14 years have been amazing and far beyond what I originally thought as a 22-year-old would be possible, when I founded the organization,” Subotić says. “Nearly 1,000 projects have been built, and with that, we’ve reached almost 500,000 people.” 
 Subotić developed the hard work, dedication, and passion that is required to build such an impactful foundation through his love of football. 

A native of Banja Luka, Yugoslavia—present day Bosnia and Herzegovina—Subotić came to the United States in 1999, already passionate about football. He spent time in the U.S. U-17 National Team residency program in Bradenton before coming to USF. Subotić played for the men’s soccer team at ����������ý in 2006 and went on to become one of the most well-known and reliable defenders of his time. 

“A moment at USF that really lives with me to this day is being in World History class with a great teacher,” Subotić says. “To this day, I appreciate and read history partly because of this experience, which shows what great teachers can achieve in their students.” Even though Subotić only spent a short time at USF, he notes that his time there left a lasting impact, on and off the field. “, because all of a sudden, I was playing with people that were more developed,” Subotić says. “Once I went pro, my teammates were older and more experienced, so the step at USF was a good intermediary.”  

After his time in South Florida, Subotić made his professional debut with 1. FSV Mainz 05, a German professional sports club, before moving to Borussia Dortmund. Throughout his impressive 15-year career, Subotić won two German championships (2011, 2012), the DFB-Pokal in 2012, and the DFL-Supercup in 2013. Subotić played a pivotal role in Dortmund’s defensive line during the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.

Internationally, he represented the Serbian national football team, including an appearance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Throughout his career, Subotić was known for his consistency, dedication, and a strong sense of character—both on and off the pitch.  
 
Subotić credits his parents for his strong work ethic. “It is such a foundational value, which was engrained in me before I ever signed a professional contract,” Subotić says. “Having the experience of working with some of the world’s best soccer plays and coaches has shown me that being the best is partly talent, but also a lot of character, dedication, and a certain mindset.”  
 
“I spent 15 years of my life with professional football at the core,” Subotić says. “The experiences of winning, forming a team, and celebrating have shaped me as a person. I’ve taken these as learnings into my professional life as the manager of a foundation and remain similarly motivated to be the best I can in that role.”  

Through football, Subotić has developed an ability to persevere and work towards big goals, even when those goals seem unreachable. That perseverance will allow his foundation to reach even more people in need. 

“Our focus is on the many more that remain without clean drinking water,” Subotić says about the future focus of the foundation. "We hope to become the best in not just realizing projects, but in making sure they work in the long-term,” he says. “We hope to reach a total of 1 million people in the upcoming five years.” 

For current USF students, Subotić offers helpful and actionable advice: “Chances don’t always come knocking at your door. Use your time at USF to educate yourself and learn the skills that will help you navigate life better,” Subotić says. “����������ý is a great place to build the groundwork for an impactful, happy, successful future.”