Red Star Belgrade vs Partizan, a derby not remembered for football, but for chaos in the stands and flames, for the fights in the streets before and after the match, yesterday was no different.
How was the derby day? Hours before the 17:00 kick-off, the streets around Belgrade were already boiling. Groups of Delije (Red Star ultras) and Grobari (Partizan ultras) clashed near local bars and streets, with dozens involved and several reported injuries from bottles and sticks.
Grobari later marched toward Marakana in a loud, flare-lit corteo escorted tightly by police, making their presence felt long before the match even started.
Atmosphere Inside Marakana
The stadium was rammed: west stand gone, most tickets sold out, and both Delije and Grobari roaring with full force. Chants, smoke bombs and pyro were already part of the match, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary derby.
Inside, Delije gave Grobari a taste of their own medicine with provocative banners and chants targeting their rivals’ identity. They snuck up a banner inside the stadium, above the Grobari that read: “Every Grobar celebrates Franjo Tudman”, for those who don’t know Tudman was the former president of Croatia during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia.
In the section where Partizan ultras were positioned, fire broke out not from a stray flare, but from deliberate ignition of seats and material in the stand. Flames shot up, thick smoke filled the air, and the referee had no choice but to pause the match as firefighters sprinted onto the pitch to put it out.
Even after the 90 minutes were done and the crowd began to leave, the fire flared again. Some Grobari lit another blaze on the south end while exiting the stadium.
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via: Unterwegs-in-Sachen-Fussball (facebook)
