Football players Red stars were eliminated from the qualification for Champions League with a defeat against Hapoel Be'er Sheva with a total score of 3:0, and after last night's 2:0 on the home field of the Rajko Mitić stadium. Thus, the Belgrade club will play at best in the Europa League for the second time in a row.
The Serbian club, whose player value is estimated at almost 117 million euros, experienced a fiasco against the Israeli one, whose players are valued at around 20 million euros, according to the Transfermarkt portal.
Someone had to bear the responsibility for this failure, so coach Dejan Stanković, who was sent off during the game due to objections, after which he got into a conflict with the fans, resigned.
At the conference after the meeting of the Board of Directors, which was announced last night by Zvezdan Terzić, it was said that Red Star will announce the name of the new coach by Friday and announced that they will call for extraordinary club elections in December. In May, he was interviewed for Courier stated that Serbian clubs should be ashamed of being relegated in Europe.
Photo: Miloš Milivojević / TanjugZvezdan Terzić talked about shame
The Red Star fiasco on the field
Dejan Stanković's team was powerless for the entire 180 minutes against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. A week ago in Sombathelj, they did not take advantage of more than 30 minutes of advantage with one more player, while on Tuesday, in Belgrade, they were without a shot on goal until the 84th minute.
The reasons for the impotence of the red and whites were numerous. Stanković decided to play without a left wing in both matches. In the first match, Mirko Ivanić, who is a midfielder, played in that position, and in the second, Bruno Duarte, who has already shown that he is not capable of playing as a winger.
The management of Zvezda brought Stankovic three wing players this summer, of which the Bulgarian Kristijan Balov and Loizos Loiz were paid a total of 5.5 million euros, and Osman Bukari was loaned from the Polish Vidzev.
Stanković decided to only give Bukari a decent chance, while Loizu played only 17 minutes in the first match, and Balov didn't even set foot on the field.
Photo: Amir HamzagićNo minutes for expensive reinforcements
Questions arise for which period of the season are the footballers for whom 5,5 million euros were invested and why they were not on the field in the most important game of the season.
Stanković is not the only one to blame for the defeat of Crvena zvezda, the players played two games below each level.
Unworthy of the Champions League
Starting with the goalkeeper Mateus, who was the pillar of Zvezda last year, in the first match he was the main culprit for the conceded goal. Stopper Strahinja Eraković shows great insecurity from game to game, and on Tuesday he had several setbacks. Midfielder Rade Krunić, who with his experience and knowledge should have instilled security, but he was very often insecure and led his teammates into trouble, especially in the first match.
Ten Vasilija Kostov, Zvezda's new project, whose value is estimated at over 20 million euros, did not show much in 180 minutes of football. The future transfer of Kostov, i.e. his price, will be significantly affected by the weak games against Hapoel.
Striker and the highest paid player Marko Arnautović was not ready to play 180 minutes, he already got half time in both matches, and on Tuesday he ruined the best chance of Crvena zvezda.
photo: Amir Hamzagić / TanjugThe fans expressed their dissatisfaction
Even the Red Star fans were not satisfied with the performance of the club, who chanted against the club's management, the president of Serbia, players and coaches during the matches. It escalated after the game when one of the fans in front of the north stand sent the players to the dressing room.
Consequences for Red Star
In addition to the result and reputational failure, the relegation of Crvena Zvezda represents primarily a financial loss of 4,29 million euros, which is the result of placing in the play-off qualification for the Champions League. The 25 million euros won by clubs that find themselves in that competition will not be guaranteed either.
Considering the lack of earnings from UEFA, Red Star will be forced to sell players by the end of August.
The Serbian club will continue the competition in Europe in the playoffs of the Europa League, where they will meet the Czech Viktoria Plzeň.
Zvezda will enter the match against the Czechs with a new coach, and there are two names for that position - the Spaniard Albert Rijera and the coach of Železničar from Pancevo, Radomir Koković. Rijera achieved good results in the Slovenian Celje, and he was linked with the Belgrade club the previous summer, and now according to information Sports Club first option.
In order for Zvezda to consolidate for the next week and the match against Viktoria Plzen, the Serbian champions requested the postponement of the match with Železničar from Pančevo in the fifth round of the Serbian Super League.
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