In last couple of articles about present state of Serbian football I tried to explain why a lot of football legends are thinking football in this country is rotted. We should ask ourselves why UEFA is tolerating this and why they didn't enforce any measures against Football Association of Serbia ? Top level football organization in Europe should have zero tolerance toward things like match fixing, referee robberies, changing of rules for season during it and of course political influence on sport. So why don't they do something then ? Answer is because either state of football in Serbia is "idyllic, never more honest and never with better referees in history" or UEFA might be drilled by personal coming form Balkan states ?
Some people in Serbia are believing in to big influence of people coming from Balkan countries to the highest football organization in Europe. "Balkan" peninsula is, as they taught us in school, all southern from rivers Sava and Danube. That means some countries which don't like to be connected with it like Slovenia or Croatia are mostly there just like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece. President of UEFA is Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Čeferin. Third man in power in organization is Serbian from above picture - Zoran Lakovic. Believe or not he is "director for national associations" in UEFA, organization which should as far as I know deal with regularity of national championships! It's not a joke!
He was established in UEFA in times of ex president of Serbian association (FSS) Tomislav Karadzic. Like he was obedient to him then he is obedient to present president, FC Brodarac legend and ex bodyguaard of president of Serbia, Slavisa Kokeza. He's very close friend to Red Star chairman Zvezdan Terzic, who was long time on runaway from law because of arrest warrant issued on him because conspiracy to steal money in transfer of some football players from his previous club OFK Belgrade. This trial is in some drawer as long as he is obedient and working what the highest politician in Serbia wants. People susceptible for blackmail are the best for functions in Serbia because they must do exactly what high power people want without much complains.
With those people it's possible that "never more honest and regular" football association push into UEFA man like Jovan Surbatovic. He's ex hooligan and leader of ultras group of Red Star involved in beating Partizan players and coaching stuff on pitch during derby in 2000. Here is his picture from those times.
Believe or not he was delegate of UEFA on Krasondar - Sevilla Champions League game! In FSS he is "general secretary". All who lived under communists knows what those words means. One with the most power.
Some journalists are talking that president Kokeza is also delegate or on some function in UEFA, but I didn't see proof for that so far. Danas Conference Center sport journalist and Partizan fan Zeljko Pantic said on his youtube channel that Mr. Lakovic is boasting off how they in UEFA has so big money that they don't know how to spend it and thus buying the most expensive airplane tickets and book hotels with 5 stars. He might not be the most reliable source, but I wouldn't rule out that's true.
If you wonder why players from Serbia are not calling secret phone number for reporting match fixing in UEFA that's because they know Mr. Lakovic will probably deal with it and they will be in big trouble in home country where they hardly get any money for playing football. Local police of banana state wouldn't do anything, but probably just inform hooligans about that and Serbian 3rd man in UEFA wouldn't do anything to process it. They would just bring misery on their back. So everyone are silenced and big idyll situation continues!
What kind of people they are and that system like that lasts for long time we can see on example of ex referee Zdravko Jokic, who commented on savage open sole crampon by Red Star player on head of Zlatibor's, and called it "dangerous play by Zlatibor player" ! However he didn't explain us how is poor Red Star player (blue one) after that ? Will he be able to continue his career after that Zlatibor savage went with his balded head on his non protected crampons? We deserve answer to that by this "monitor of referees"!
Dear UEFA FSS has plenty of such "referee observers" and "delegates" like Zdravko Jokic ready to give their services for UEFA competitions! Nominate him for delegate in Champions Legaue. Why is he any worse than Surbatovic ? He didn't beat anyone. :) LoL I've heard Zvezdan Terzic who put his son in his servant organization called FSS wants him now in UEFA too! Why not ?
Dear reader this is what you will see soon on Champions League or European League if this trend continues unless UEFA finds strength to free itself from personal from countries like Serbia or unless the biggest clubs in Europe stand up and finally decide to play closed big rich clubs only competition and abandon UEFA.
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