According to reports, the most important match in Serbian football, the "Eternal Derby," took place on Sunday local time, but the match between Red Star Belgrade and FK Partizan sparked major controversy due to tributes paid to deceased war criminal Ratko Mladić.

Red Star Belgrade is one of the most successful clubs in the Balkans, having won the European Cup in 1991. During a moment of silence for Mladić before the match, Red Star fans unfurled a giant tifo behind the goal displaying an image of Mladić pointing forward with the Serbian flag in the background.

Below the tifo was written "Towards Potočari," referring to the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. At that time, forces under Mladić's command entered the Srebrenica enclave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims were killed, mostly men and boys. Many victims were later buried in mass graves.

Mladić was a fugitive for years before being captured in 2011. In 2017, he was convicted of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and sentenced to life imprisonment. Presiding Judge Alphons Orie described his actions as "among the most heinous crimes known to mankind."

On August 27, the 84-year-old Mladić died while serving his sentence at a UN detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, after suffering multiple strokes. His death has reignited tensions in the Balkans. Mladić remains revered among some Serbian nationalists, and such nationalist tendencies have long existed within the hardcore fan groups of several Serbian football clubs.

The fan culture of Red Star Belgrade and FK Partizan is closely intertwined with military elements. A tank has even been permanently stationed outside Red Star's Rajko Mitić Stadium near the entrance used by the club's infamous ultra fan group, "Delije".

During Sunday's derby, some fans from both teams even chanted Mladić's name together. The match ended with a 2-1 home victory for Red Star. After the match, Red Star's official social media released a video of the pre-match silence of respect accompanied by respect emojis.

During Mladić's funeral on Monday, Red Star's official account also posted a photo of a mural depicting Mladić's military cap. That day, thousands of mourners took to the streets of Belgrade, including members of the Serbian military. Free transportation was provided in several parts of Serbia for people traveling to attend related events.

Since Mladić's death, the international community has repeatedly called for him not to be glorified. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Grassley, and Representative Keith Self, previously issued a joint statement calling on Serbia not to celebrate Mladić and stating that burying him with state and military honors was "deeply disturbing".

This is not the first time Red Star fans have openly paid tribute to Mladić recently. On August 27, the day of Mladić's death, Red Star Belgrade played away against Viktoria Plzeň in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League qualifying round. During the match, Red Star fans unfurled a banner reading "General, eternal glory and thank you" while chanting Mladić's name. The club's official social media subsequently posted relevant photos.

Red Star Belgrade was punished by UEFA after fans displayed inappropriate slogans during the match

UEFA subsequently launched an investigation and announced its penalty decision last Friday. Red Star Belgrade was found to have spread "messages inappropriate for sporting events" and engaged in "racist and/or discriminatory conduct".

As a result, Red Star was fined a total of €98,250 and banned from selling tickets to away supporters for their next European matches. Since the team lost to Viktoria Plzeň and failed to advance to the Europa League group stage, they will compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League, and the penalty will be enforced when they play away against Swiss club Lugano on October 15.

However, the latest incident on Sunday occurred in the Serbian domestic league, so UEFA has no direct disciplinary jurisdiction. Whether UEFA will take further action against Red Star Belgrade will be decided by the Serbian Football Association. The Athletic has contacted the Serbian Football Association for comment on this matter.

The Srebrenica Memorial Center has strongly criticized the actions of Red Star fans and the club, and called on UEFA to take action.

The Memorial Center stated: "If a club deliberately uses its official communication channels to release content glorifying someone legally convicted of genocide, such conduct can no longer be attributed solely to individual fan actions."

The Memorial Center further noted: "This is no longer merely a fan issue, but concerns how the club, as an institution, regards the fundamental values of European football promoted by UEFA."

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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