According to The Athletic, the "Eternal Derby," Serbia's most important football match, took place on Sunday, but the clash between Red Star Belgrade and Partizan sparked fierce controversy due to tributes paid to the late convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.

Red Star Belgrade is one of the most decorated clubs in the Balkans, having won the European Cup in 1991. Before the match, during a minute of silence in Mladić's honour, Red Star supporters unfurled a giant tifo behind the goal, showing Mladić pointing forward against a Serbian flag background.

Beneath the tifo was written "Towards Potočari." This message references the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. At that time, troops commanded by Mladić entered the Srebrenica region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims were killed, the vast majority of them men and boys. Many victims were subsequently buried in mass graves.

Mladić evaded capture for years before his arrest in 2011. In 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found him guilty of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Presiding Judge Alphons Orie described his actions at the time as "among the most heinous crimes known to mankind."

On 27 August, the 84-year-old Mladić died while serving his sentence in a UN detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, after suffering multiple strokes. His death further intensified tensions in the Balkans. Among certain Serbian nationalists, Mladić remains venerated, and this nationalist tendency has long existed among extremist supporter groups of some Serbian football clubs.

The supporter cultures of Red Star Belgrade and Partizan are closely tied to militaristic elements. Outside the Rajko Mitić stadium, Red Star's home ground, a tank has even been permanently displayed near the entrance used by the club's notorious ultranationalist supporter group, the "Delije."

During Sunday's derby, supporters from both teams even chanted Mladić's name together. Red Star ultimately won the home match 2-1. After the match, Red Star's official social media accounts posted a video of the pre-match minute of silence, accompanied by a salute emoji.

On Monday, during Mladić's funeral, Red Star's official account posted a photo of a mural depicting Mladić's military cap. That day, thousands of mourners appeared on the streets of Belgrade, including Serbian military personnel. Some regions of Serbia also provided free transport for those attending related events.

Following Mladić's death, the international community repeatedly called for him not to be glorified. American Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Grassley, and Representative Keith Self, had previously issued a joint statement calling on Serbia not to glorify Mladić, stating that burying him with state and military honours was "deeply troubling."

This was not the first time Red Star supporters had openly paid tribute to Mladić recently. On 27 August, the day of Mladić's death, Red Star Belgrade played away against Viktoria Plzeň in the second leg of the Europa League qualifying playoffs. During the match, Red Star supporters displayed a banner reading "General, eternal glory and thanks," while chanting Mladić's name. The club's official social media subsequently posted photos of the display.

Red Star Belgrade was sanctioned by UEFA for inappropriate banners displayed by supporters during the match.

UEFA subsequently opened an investigation and announced its disciplinary findings last Friday. Red Star Belgrade was found guilty of displaying "messages inappropriate for a sporting event" and was also involved in "racist and/or discriminatory conduct."

Red Star was consequently fined a total of €98,250 and banned from selling tickets to its supporters for its next away European match. Having lost to Viktoria Plzeň and failed to reach the Europa League group stage, the club will now compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League, and this sanction will be applied during its away match against Swiss side Lugano on 15 October.

However, Sunday's latest incident occurred in the Serbian domestic league, so UEFA has no direct disciplinary jurisdiction. It is up to the Serbian Football Federation to decide whether further action will be taken against Red Star Belgrade. The Athletic contacted the Serbian Football Federation for comment.

The Srebrenica Memorial Centre had previously strongly criticised the actions of Red Star supporters and the club, and called on UEFA to take action.

The Memorial Centre stated: "If a club consciously uses official communication channels to disseminate messages glorifying an individual legally convicted of genocide, such conduct can no longer be attributed solely to individual supporter actions."

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

Traduit par IA.

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