Red Star suffered a shocking Champions League elimination at the hands of an Israeli club, leading to Dejan Stanković's resignation and a massive financial loss. Special attention was drawn to a member of the visitors' coaching staff who waved a flag in front of furious fans.
Red Star Belgrade's footballers experienced a real shock at Marakana. In the return leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, they were defeated by an Israeli club 0:2, ending their European journey with an aggregate score of 0:3. This debacle marked the end of Dejan Stanković's era on the Belgrade club's bench, as he resigned immediately after the match.
The defeat was particularly painful for Stanković, who has been eliminated from European competition by an Israeli club before. Back in 2022, he left the Red Star bench after Maccabi Haifa proved superior in Champions League qualifying. This time, Hapoel Be'er Sheva was the culprit, although some sources also refer to the same club as Maccabi Beer Sheva.
The Champions League exit cost Red Star at least €14.1 million in club premiums, and they also missed out on the chance for an additional €18.62 million that a victory in the play-off round would have brought. Serbian media highlight that Red Star hasn't suffered such a convincing two-legged defeat in the Cup or Champions League in a full 66 years. The last time they fared this poorly was in the 1960/61 season against Hungary's Újpest, who eliminated them with an aggregate score of 5:1, winning first in Belgrade 2:1 and then in Budapest 3:0.
While fury reigned at Marakana, a scene after the match drew particular attention. A member of the visitors' coaching staff walked toward the tunnel and, in front of Red Star fans, unfurled a flag and waved it joyfully. The home fans perceived this as a provocation, greeting her with whistles and jeers. Reportedly, a few bottles were also thrown onto the pitch. Comments under the posted video are divided: some fans believe it was an act of gloating, while others see nothing wrong with waving one's own national flag.
Red Star now faces the task of securing a spot in the Europa League play-offs, where their opponent will be Czech side Viktoria Plzeň. On the other hand, Hapoel Be'er Sheva is one step away from a historic achievement. In the Champions League play-offs, they await Azerbaijani club Sabah, who eliminated Danish side AGF with an aggregate score of 5:2. The Israelis are celebrating deservedly, and as Dnevno.hr reports, Red Star fans have already begun discussing on social media the potential transfer of Abu Fani to Maccabi Haifa, especially if Yarin Levi is sold.
