Super Lige Srbije
FK Crvena Zvezda v FK Radnicki KG
Stadion Rajko Mitic
Belgrade, Serbia
Day 3 and the second match on our grand tour of Serbian football took place at the most famous of all the Serbian clubs. The mighty Red Star Belgrade, or if you prefer Crvena Zvezda. were at home to FK Radnicki KG. Tickets were readily available for this match and as a marketing initiative the club threw in a ticket for Saturday's derby match in the Play Offs with Partisan. I took the ticket but later made the decision not to go to back out to Belgrade and I'll probably regret that for a very long time
The ticket office right next to the North Tribune. They even gave me a free ticket for the Belgrade derby for the play off match this Saturday, see below
Pano from the top of the West Tribune
The morning was spent exploring Kalemegdan park and the Belgrade fortress
The flag of belgrade flutters in the breeze
No ancient fortress is complete without
a modern missile defence system
The Crkva Ruzica (Rose Church of our Lady)
At midday we stop for lunch at the Kalemegdanska Teresa overlooking the Danube and the Zoo
The pre-match meal is top notch Serbian cuisine. Happy Days😎
The trams are few and far between so we get a taxi to
a pub outside of the 3km alcohol exclusion zone
Finally a beer
Walking to the stadium we hear the tannoy playing Serbian music and the sound of the crowd
Heading up from Bulevar Oslobodenja to the North Tribune
If you were ever in doubt "Serbia and Russia brothers forever" and underneath "Our strength is our faith - Belief in Spartak"
The tasteless T55 mascot, a relic from the Yugoslav war and affectionately named "Zvezdina Masina" (Red Star Machine)
The Делије (delije) gathering by the North Tribune
Riot Police are stood by
The Делије have their own superstore on the left
To the safety of the West Tribune
Inside the official club shop
Approaching the main entrance of the Stadion Rajko Mitic
A pano without fans shows the enormity of the stadium
For today's game we are in the West Tribune
The East Tribune is smaller than the West Tribune which advertises 'Gazprom' the Russian gas company across the seats, which is against UEFA's ruling following the Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The South Tribune mirrors the North
and is where the away fans are kept
This is the first glimpse of the players tunnel that the away team get, it is right under the North Tribune; home of the Delije
The noise is deafening even the graffiti is screaming at them
The infamous North tunnel
The tunnel emerges from the bowels of the North Tribune
The graffiti translates to 'Chetnik North'. The Chetniks were a movement that united Serb nationalist and royalist movements in occupied Yugoslavia during WW2, they also collaborated with Nazi led occupying forces and were accused of genocide against Croats and Muslims, they were banned in post war Yugoslavia and their leader Dragoljub 'Drama' Mihailovic was executed for high treason. The organisation re-emerged amid the rise of Serbian nationalism in Yugoslavia in 1990.
The flag on the right depicts a map of Kosovo
within the colours of the Serbian flag
Ground Hop number 2 and loving it
The 'Delije' finding their voices early doors
The ultras from Kragujevac who support FK Radnicki KG are known as the 'Crveni Davoli' in honour to MUFC
The drums are out and the beat continues for the whole match
I'm bloody freezing and decide to jog up the steps to the concourse to get some warm blood pumping into my frozen bones. I think I might buy a jumper.Oh and here comes the Mrs.
Simic opens the scoring for Red Star on 27 minutes
with a well taken goal, the HT score is1:0
The international from the Comoros Islands (El Fardou Ben) doubles the lead on 52 mins and the Delije are delighted
Atmosphere is building and four minutes later Red Star score their third with a strike from Ivan.
We change seats to posher, higher and more expensive seating but no-one bats an eye lid and we are just in time to see Motika score Red Star's winner on 78 minutes
The ultras go crazy, I can't wait to see a derby match here!
Its flare central and bangers are going too😎
No pyro, no party
Despite the visitors getting a consultation goal in the 87 minute the North Tribune is in fine form. Final score 4:1 to Red Star
The Serbian Police are everywhere
After grabbing a bus back to the city we alight at our local craft beer house, 'The Beer Shop'. After a very long day the IPA in this establishment tasted like nectar👅
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