The love for this club I carry from my family, my father was passionate supporter, and my grandfather also. Love for this club is in my blood and I love it since I first know for myself. So I'm gonna tell you a story of my favorite team, the beginning, the rise and fall of the Football Club Red Star Belgrade.
The Beginning
The Red Star Belgrade football club was founded on March 4, 1945. Initially, a month earlier - in February of the same year, a new youth sports society was founded, which soon grew into a sports collective and got the name "Red Star".
The first game was played on the very day of the establishment and Red Star won 3:0.
The first trophy - the trophy of the Serbian Championship, was won in 1946. In the final competition in May and June of 1946, and only six teams participated in the championship.
In 1948, the first Cup was won, and in the final, with a convincing 3: 0, Partizan was defeated. Following is the period of constant winning of the award and after three cups in the biggest competition, in 1951, in the unseen finals of the championship, the biggest Serbian club arrives to the title of the best in the National Championship.
In the coming decades, the Red Star grew up in a world-class giant, with a recognizable fast and efficient game.
In 1957, Red Star's won their fifth championship title, and they have first major European success. Red Star played on the international European scene, semifinals in the European Champions Cup. Italian Fiorentina won 1: 0 in Belgrade, while the match in Italy ended with draw.
The Red Star dominated in the national competitions, and it was time to step out more. The first big opportunity was missed in 1971, when for the second time in its history, Red Star played the semifinals of the European Champions Cup. In Belgrade, Panathinaikos has been overrun by 4:1, but Red Star suffered 3: 0 loss in Greece.
The second big opportunity was missed in the back then Uefa Cup in 1979, when the Red Star was defeated by Borussia from Menhengladbah because refeere awarded a non-existent penalty that brought victory to Borussia.
For the next decade, Red Star were a regular Euro Cup participants, many football giants were defeated, and Red Star has become a symbol of East European football thanks to great games and top-ranked footballers. Three times, after playing the UEFA Cup finals, Red Star played quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup. Frst time in 1981, the opponent was Internazionale from Milan. The first match was played in Milan, the result was 1: 1. In the second match Inter was better team.
Five years later, in 1987, in the quarter-finals the rival was the famous Real from Madrid, which our team defeated before the full stadium in Belgrade 4: 2. In the second match that followed, our team was defeated 2-0 in Madrid, and because of the away goals scored, the Spanish champion was further promoted.
The Big Plan
The new management has already prepared a five-year plan with the idea that our club will win the title of European champions, but in the first three seasons Red Star ended their participation in early stages.
In the autumn of 1988, Stadium in Belgrade was greeted with a new super spectacle with an unexpected opponent.
In the second round of the Champions Cup, Red Star pulled out the European Dream Team of that time - AC Milan. Berlusconi's team, leaded by Gulit-Van Basten-Rajkard was an absolute favorite, but at San Siro, Red Star for the second time in the same decade they reached 1: 1. The hero of the day was Dragan Stojkovic, whose solo-goal is one of the most beautiful in club history.
The second game in Belgrade lasted for 24 hours. On November 9, Savicevic took advantage for Red Star, but match was interrupted cause of fog in 61 minutes. The next day, the match was repeated, van Basten and Stojkovic scored goals, and they were followed by the extras and penalties. Stojkovic and Prosinecki scored from the white spot, while Galli stops shots from Savicevic. For Milan, all performers were precise: Baresi, Van Basten, Evani and Rijkaard.
The Biggest Success
The award for years of successful work finally arrived in 1991 when the Golden Generation of the Serbian Club conquers Europe and the World. In the finals of the European Champions Cup, Olympique Marseille was defeated after the penalty shootout. Darko Pancev scored a winning goal for the Red Star. Just a few months later, in Tokyo, the cup dedicated to the world club champion also glittered in the trophy hall of the stadium "Rajko Mitic". This was and still remains the biggest success of Serbian club football.
The Fall
After winning the title in Bari, Red Star had to defend the trophy outside of the country because of the war in the former Yugoslavia. UEFA changed the format of competition that year and instead of the cup, started the Champions League, which was attended by the eight best on the continent.
Unfortunately, one generation of young and super-quality players due to the civil war in the former Yugoslavia did not manage to stay together. Sports sanctions followed our country and the ban on participation in international competitions. The Red Star came in a difficult period during which management and players often changed, the quality of football declined, but in such a situation, the club managed to win an enviable number of trophies in domestic competitions.
The Awaking
After two decades of struggling in financial debts, the Red Star finally starts to recover and getting the glow like the club of that size deserve. Last year after 25 years, club manage to get through group stages of some European competition. After second place in the group of Europa League, where were also Arsenal, Koln and Bate Borisov, in knock out phase CSKA Moscow is pulled out. In Belgrade was goalless draw, but in Moscow CSKA win with minimal result 1:0 and kick out Red Star from further competition. Right now, after winning title in the Serbian SuperLeague, Red Star successfully started campaign in the qualification for the Champions League.
I really hope that you enjoy reading about my favorite club and I really hope that brighter days are coming for Red Star.
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