After a shocking elimination by Hapoel Beer Sheva in the Champions League qualifiers, Red Star Belgrade coach Dejan Stanković has left the club, and the board has called an emergency meeting. Fans are furious, while players and coach have avoided the press.
Red Star Belgrade football club has been thrown into complete chaos after suffering a heavy 2-0 defeat to Israel's Hapoel Beer Sheva on Tuesday evening at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, exiting the Champions League in the third qualifying round with a 3-0 aggregate score. Coach Dejan Stanković immediately tendered his resignation in the dressing room, and the club has scheduled an emergency board meeting for Wednesday at noon. According to unofficial reports, club officials are reportedly trying to persuade him to reconsider, but there is no official confirmation as of yet.
Tensions escalated in the 57th minute when Stanković, after already receiving a yellow card, continued to protest vehemently against the referee's decisions and earned a second yellow, resulting in his dismissal. As he left the bench, whistles and jeers rang out from the stands, and the legendary Serbian footballer responded with gestures toward a section of the crowd, which the media described as an open clash with his own fans. Stanković answered the whistles with provocative gestures toward the audience, as if challenging them to intensify their disapproval.
After his sending-off, the visitors scored two goals, completely extinguishing any hopes for the home side. At the final whistle, the furious Delije refused to acknowledge the players who approached them, instead sending them off to the dressing room with whistles and harsh criticism. Chants of "management out" echoed from the stands, making it clear that the responsibility for the European debacle was not seen solely with the players and the coach. In an unprecedented move, one fan descended onto the running track and pointed the way to the dressing room for captain Rade Krunić and the rest of the players, thereby rejecting any apology on behalf of the entire north stand.
According to unofficial reports from Serbia, Stanković entered the dressing room immediately after the defeat, bid farewell to the players, and informed them he was leaving. The club has yet to officially confirm his departure, and officials are reportedly trying to convince him to change his mind. Instead of the regular press conference, an emergency media briefing has been announced for noon.
An additional scandal was caused by the decision that no one from the club would face the journalists. The assembled media were informed of the cancellation of the usual press conference and mixed zone by a security staff member.
"I was told to tell you that Red Star players will not give statements and that there will be no regular mixed zone,"a source relayed his words. After that, about twenty journalists left the stadium without getting any answers.
This is not the first time Stanković has left the Red Star bench after a defeat to an Israeli representative. His first tenure lasted from 2019 to 2022, and he resigned on August 26, 2022, precisely after elimination by Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League qualifiers. He was then succeeded by Miloš Milojević.
He returned to Marakana at the end of last year with high expectations and a clear message to the players about professionalism and responsibility. Now, the question of responsibility has come back to him.
The outcome of the emergency board meeting on Wednesday at noon will determine the fate of Stanković's second tenure. If the resignation is accepted, the club will have to quickly find a new coach at a time when the season is just beginning. Red Star is left with the consolation prize of the Europa League, where they will face Viktoria Plzeň in the playoff round, a team that includes Bosnian international Amar Memić. Hapoel Beer Sheva, on the other hand, will seek entry into the Champions League against Azerbaijan's Sabah.
