Friday, February 27, 2015

Birthday

Today is the 28th birthday of Milenko Tepić, KK Partizan’s combo guard, heart and soul.


SREĆAN ROĐENDAN!!!


Thursday, February 26, 2015

All in one (handball, volleyball, water polo, ice hockey)

I owe you a lot of results and news, I make them up now in this post.

On 20th the handball team played eternal derby against the red team in the 14th round of SuperLiga. We won over them with an exciting, spectacular game, to 36:30.
It wasn't easy though, in the first half Zvezda kept the lead for almost the whole time. We equalized around the 25th minute (14:14), Vanja Ilić tackled the Zvezda-player, ran up and smashed the ball into the net. The half time result was 16:14.
In the half time pause there was a small celebration. Sunday was Miša Tumbas’s birthday and the handball team greeted him and gave him a gift.


After this the boys ran back to the court for the second half and humiliated reds. They ground Zvezda’s otherwise rock hard defense line to pieces, took control into their hands and from then on they kept on leading. In the 56th minute the standing was 33:28, with the difference of 7 goals. The end result was settled by Radojković. The hero of the day was Igor Mršulja with 9 goals.
And now, cuteness overload: grim Grave Diggers vs. children.


The entire match is available on Youtube, the first half can be viewed here, the second half here.

Current championship standings:
1. Spartak Vojput 21 points
2. Jugović 20 points
3. Metaloplastika 19 points
4. Partizan 17 points
5. Železničar 16 points
6. CZ 15 points
7. Požarevac 12 points
8. Planinka 11 points
9. Rudar Kostolac 9 points
10. Kolubara 0 point

***

The volleyball team is still undefeated. On Saturday they clashed with Radnički and won easily over the Kragujevac-based team to 3:0. The Marko Nikolić-Milija Mrdak duo was again on top, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively. The first two sets was won by us, both to 25:20, then in the last one the guest team took the lead to 6:13. Partizan picked themselves together, made a 7:0 series and equalized to 18:18. From then on there was no return, we won the last game to 25:18.

(photo: zurnal.rs)


Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 45 points
2. CZ 40 points
3. Vojvodina 36 points
4. Novi Pazar 25 points
5. Ribnica 21 points
6. Spartak Ljig 19 points
7. Inđija 17 points
8. Radnički 15 points
9. Mladi Radnik 13 points
10. Đerdap 9 points

***

Miša Tumbas celebrated his 61st birthday on Sunday. It was something that had to be celebrated properly.
His house still needs a lot of restauration, but it is already much better than it used to be (a million thanks to those who donated!), but it didn’t keep back Grave Diggers and the members of Grupa JNA to gather there together to greet Miša. They brought all kinds of food and drinks, they baked a birthday cake and the pictures (and video) all talk about them having fun.

Baking the cake (the Cyrillic script says: Grave Diggers love you)

The birthday gift Miša got was an image of Duško Vujošević. The basketball team’s head coach is Miša’s well-wisher

Celebration, joy, emotions




With Grupa JNA


Miša Tumbas’s house still needs a lot of work. You can help by sending donation to this account number:


You can also help by purchasing this T-shirt. All money that comes in from this will be spent on helping Miša Tumbas. It costs 1000 din, at this moment you can order it only at the phone number under this image.


(photos: Facebook/Restoran stadiona Partizan, Гробари ЈУГ!!!)

***

On Wednesday the water polo team got defeated in Triglav League by Mornar. The Split-based team was on the lead to 6:7 in the half-time, and they made it to 6:10 for the end of the 3rd quarter. We scored 3 goals in the last period, but it wasn't enough. The end result was 9:11. Nikola Jakšić scored the most goals (3). With this loss we got down to the 7th place of our group. There is only one team behind us, Crvena Zvezda. Both us and them have 7 points.

***


The hockey team defeated Szegedi Tisza Volán to 6:5 with penalty shots. The end result was 5:5. We won the first part to 2:0 with the goals of Ogrizović (assist: Brkušanin) and Čuković (assist: Filipović). In the second period we were leading to 4:2. Our goals were scored by Raković (assist: Pajević) and Ristić. From Tisza Volán the two goal scorers were Ambrus and Fülöp. In the last period Szeged equalized. From our team only Raković scored (assist: Ristić), Tisza Volán players Strenk, Pápa and Salánki scored the equalizing shots.
Penalty shots were started by Komazec, he scored (1:0). Next was Egyed, our goalkeeper saved. Filipović scored (2:0), so did Strenk (2:1). Janković’s shot was saved by Szeged’s goalkeeper, while Pápa's one missed the goal line.


(photos: hockeyserbia.com)

***

The upheaval around the football club still doesn't want to calm down. On one hand some rumours say, Tumbaković’s position got uncertain after Ćirić left. Some say, president Zoran Popović talked to Nenad Bjeković, whom some see as the replacement for Tumbaković. Of course everyone is denying everything.
In the meantime the debts of FK Partizan got public and were officially confirmed as well. According to the news the entire debt is more than 14 million euros. The biggest amount the club owes is 4,7 million euros, that should be transferred to the Serbian tax office. The unpaid salaries the team owes for players and workers cost 3,314 million euros altogether. The different managements and player agencies demand 2.534.800 euros, other companies more than one and a half million euros. The team owes Partizan Travel (the company that is responsible for all kinds of trips and travels for the team to both inland and foreign places) 1,189 million euros. Other financial debts cost 1,03 million, while UEFA demands 585 600 euros in still unpaid fees.
That’s it, at the moment.
Meanwhile a group of Grave Diggers visited SC Teleoptik in Zemun, where the team had their usual training session, and as always, ALWAYS they flooded the boys with their love (and a few torches).

Video can be seen here, embed function on sportnetwork.rs is a nightmare.



Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Dragan Ćirić resigned

The news came yesterday, out of the blue. Dragan Ćirić, FK Partizan’s freshly elected sports director has resigned.
We aren’t really pampered with information overload... Ćirić had a brief press release where he explains, when Tumbaković had offered him the position of FK Partizan’s sports director, he started to work with faith and a desire for success, hoping that he could give back something to the club he belonged since the beginning. He adds, in today’s Serbian football faith and desire for success are not enough. When someone works at such a football giant like Partizan, they immediately become a part of Serbian football as well, of that Serbian football that is full of contradictions, personal interests, uncertainty and calculating. For this he does not want to assist. He is a former athlete, now businessman and thanks, but he prefers to stay like that. As closing words he added, he was, is and will be forever for Partizan.

Dear Mr. Ćirić,
As a human, I can absolutely understand you. That’s what I was blabbering about just a few days ago, though I’m sure you see it much more in depths and in details than me. Your press release confirmed my thoughts about Serbian football having that amateurism that has been left here since the 70’s (especially the management of Serbian football), when vassals could get positions instead of experts. You confirmed me that the only solution is to sweep the whole company out and to privatize the entire championship, from Partizan to the smallest teams in the countryside. Until then there will surely be people like you, whose committment is beyond question, but sooner or later the system (and corruption) win over them and they have to give it up, if not else, then for their own health. And they can only watch as corrupted rats let the team rot to the ground.

And to make the shitstorm even larger, Saša Ilić also spoke his mind. He made no secret about his disappointment on Ćirić’s resignation.
- Ćirić would deserve a lot more respect. He was a great player, he knows fans and most of all, he loves the club. I have no idea where it will head - he said, adding, it was not the first time a person with a known and great name leaves the club.
- I thought those times were over. I know Ćirić for years, we played together, he is one of the fairest people I have ever known. I’m sorry it all happened. Partizan is a great team and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to commit those mistakes again we made in the past.

Partizan’s official statement about Ćirić’s resignation can be found here.


KK Partizan - KK Crvena Zvezda 67:46 (Korać Cup, semifinal)

If the football shame against Voždovac wasn’t enough, then the basketball game the same night made the ultimate blow on Average Fan’s solar plexus. Especially that the entire red-white striped company brought their usual IQ 60 moron style, and needless to say, Blažić was their top gun.

Still before the match: national anthem
(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

At first we made it to 7:4, Pavlović turned the standing from 0:2, assisted by Milosavljević. Đumić added his own part, too, meanwhile he broke a record by getting 2 personal fouls within 2 minutes. But Zvezda switched the standing back to their side (7:8). Even from this point on until the very last end buzz they represented an enormous level of malice, carefully keeping still everything within the boundaries of orderliness. Or, better said, no regulations could prove they made fouls with their clearly hostile actions. Plus they had the amazingly fast Williams as well as Boban Marjanović, the Humane Mountain with his 2 metres and 22 centimetres of height and impossibly long arms. With those arms he could score practically from anywhere. He was also unable to get deactivated. If someone could still do it, that cost at least two personal fouls at once.

Yet it was a huge sight when dauntless Partizan-players still tried and clawed themselves on the larger-than-life Marjanović. The Zvezda-player fell to the floor with his size 52 feet up to the skies. If this match hadn’t been this tragic, I’d have died of laughing.

In the first quarter we kept the pace until 14:14. Until that point it was a very good, exciting match. Then red team rushed away, for the reasons mentioned above. We ended the quarter with 18:26.
In the second part there was wrestling, too, for the ball.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Even though Zvezda was still on the lead (20:28), referees thought it was time for them to join the game.
Not on our side, needless to say.
It's sad to say it out loud, but unfortunately Zvezda brutally kept the match under their control. They were aggressive, rough, violent, but still avoiding the look of violating regulations. Meanwhile the difference was 10 points (23:33), fouls happened on both sides. We couldn't reduce the difference (28:39), Mačvan got injured, his elbow had to be bound. (Afterwards he came back to the ground with bound elbow, to play for his team. A real hero.)
The atmosphere was on top, as always. Grave Diggers were holding torches in their hands, throwing the wittiest sparks of their beautiful mother tongue to Zvezda and their fans.


It was so heavy that some time during the match referees had to stop the game and Milosavljević had to ask them to cheer in a sportsmanlike attitude, without mentioning parents, family trees and sexual organs.
Captain, we love you, but still we have to achieve that this little worm should never ever do it again.
Or, if he still dares to do it, then he should get a punishment that makes him stammer for 2 weeks.

(photo: Twitter)

As you can see, Slovenia’s shame, Jaka Blažić made himself visible again not with his commitment, fair play or clear style, but having manifestations that would have made even the biggest, most notorius morons blush. And it was not the first time he made it. I’d really like to know, does he get any kind of punishment after such unsportsmanlike behaviour from his marvellous (NOT) team? Or uncle Čović just ruffles his hair, says something like "there there you naughty boy" and all is done? (Or, what is even more beautiful and the most probably, the whole team including Čović shed tears from laugh watching this and they even encourage this rat to do more.)
The half-time result was 34:43, after a spectacular teamwork was crowned by Saša Pavlović and his giant 3-pointer.

Classic David and Goliath scene: Pavlović vs. Marjanović
(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

For the third quarter we sped up and made it to 41:45. A lot of chances were missed, as a result Zvezda increased the difference to 42:50. In the meantime Milosavljević was pushed down to the floor. Nothing happened, the referees didn’t whistle. But when Andrić just gave an angry look to one of the American players of Zvezda, the red team immediately got a free throw... At 44:56 Mačvan got fed up and he alone reduced the difference to 50:56 for the end of the quarter with an unbelievable performance.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

So did he in the last quarter. First he threw a basket (52:56), then after Đumić’s shot (54:58) he jumped in front of the fans, waving them to scream and cheer louder. Then Tepić was pushed down to the ground, and of course (?) Zvezda got a free throw... At 57:65 Pavlović was fouled out, after very selflessly blocking Marjanović with a bodycheck. We could earn points only from free throws, not because we are dumb, but because there were so many personal fouls. At 62:69 Milutinov was also fouled out, then at 62:70 Murić stole the ball from Blažić. Partizan’s Slovenian was pushed so heavily on the floor then (may we take it as a reaction for the steal?...), that he didn’t just fell, but couldn’t stand up. (The slow motion replay showed his left ankle making an irrational angle after a Zvezda-player pushed him.) Murić needed help even to walk off the floor (Pavlović and Milutinović were supporting him from both sides). Milosavljević pushed us to 65:70, then Zvezda made a 6-point series (65:76). The last basket was scored by Tepić, settling the final result (67:76).

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

After the match Grave Diggers greeted the players as always, as ALWAYS, as if they would have won the championship. You can see the audience is taking a leave, but they still chant and sing.
Giga respect.


At the post-match press conference Dragan Milosavljević gave an example of modesty and sportsmanlike behaviour.
- Congratulations to Zvezda for their victory and their great play. We didn't play well, we were out of ideas. I am responsible for this defeat, I didn't play well both in the defense and the attacking.
And now you stand up and salute for him.

Here, at the end, 13 minutes of massive ecstasy.



Monday, February 23, 2015

FK Partizan - FK Voždovac 3:3 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 16)

There are these occasions, when Average Fan gets a bit emotional, when e.g. the spring season of the current football championship starts and the boys run out to the field. How very much I missed the game, the broadcasts, cheering fans...
Marko Nikolić was watching the game from the tribune, he was substituted on the bench by Zvonko Varga.

(photo: blic.rs)

The first mentionable action happened in the 4th minute, when Lukač was wandering a bit far from his goalmouth and Voždovac’s attackers suddenly appeared at the penalty area. Our goalkeeper made a sliding tackle, kicking the ball out of the sideline. (Then he ran back quickly to the goal line.)
Not much later Ninković was rushing up on the left side, but his pass was caught by defenders. Then in the 14th minute Babović gave a pass ahead to Kojić, who was standing inside the penalty area. He headed it to Ninković, who was sneaking around there. Džigi thanked and walked in the net with the ball. 1:0
In the 17th minute it was again us in action. Živković passed the ball to Volkov, who gave it to Brašanac from the left side, but the chance was missed.
5 minutes later Voždovac was attacking. We could demilitarize them, but here came a period when it was mostly about how to kick Partizan-players on the ground. Živković spent more time laying on the grass than running, then in the 24th minute Kojić fell on the ground (you could hear the striker’s painful scream even through the stream).
Then came the 25th minute. Voždovac’s Nigerian player got the ball in the middle. He dribbled one here and one there and passed it to Karaklajić. The midfielder ran up to our penalty area and passed the ball into the middle. Lukač was watching shocked as Slovenian player Škerjanc appeared out of nowhere, behind his back and headed the ball to the net. 1:1
In the 30th minute Voždovac was attacking again. Odita sent a shot from 20 metres, thankfully it flew out of the field above the crossbar. We could instantly go for a counter-attack, but Ninković’s shot was too wide.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

Meanwhile fans of the southern tibune was chanting "Uprava napolje" loud (in English, approx: "Out with the management!").
In the 37th minute Ninković again missed a chance, then 3 minutes later it was Bandalovski sending a shot to Voždovac’s goal line. The shot ended as a corner, Volkov headed it to the goal line, but it was too wide.
In the 42nd minute the world was again watching Bandalovski, but not necessarily for the reason the defender originally wanted. A Voždovac player pushed him down to the ground, and after all these the referee gave the guests a free kick. Lukač saved. Two minutes later we were possessing the ball and we got a free kick. Drinčić sent it in from the left side, Volkov shot it to the goal line while falling on the ground, but Supić saved it.
It was already extra time, we again got a free kick, approx. 20 metres from the goal line. Drinčić was standing behind the ball, but his kick dropped down on the wall. Živković immediately grabbed the ball and made a 25-metre shot. The goalkeeper had to fly in the air to save it to corner.
The very last minute had a Voždovac-attack left, Odita shot from 15 metres, but it was too wide.

Bandalovski in action. The Bulgarian played very well
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

The second half started with Volkov getting kicked on the ground. In the 49th minute we got a corner. Drinčić kicked, Volkov got it, but the goalkeeper saved with leg, and the ball dropped right in front of Branko Ilić. Ilić headed, the ball fell into the net. 2:1
In the 53rd minute Voždovac attacked. The ball arrived in the middle from the right, being about 25 metres from the goal line. The shot was dropped from a Partizan defender, right in front of Zlatković, who immediately shot. Lukač jumped and saved. Corner. Finally Brašanac cleaned the area. Two minutes later the guests got a free kick, it was headed on corner by Kojić. In the 57th minute we headed for a counter-attack after a corner. Živković gave a great pass to Kojić from the left, the striker headed it over the crossbar.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

In the 61st minute Ninković was maneuvering to be able to get a corner. It was cleaned by the defenders, but we still possessed the ball. Volkov tried with a heading, the goalkeeper pushed the ball in front of Kojić, the striker shot too wide. Two minutes later Voždovac started a counter-attack after a corner, but Bandalovski interrupted. In the 68th minute the Bulgarian player dribbled himself through the guest team’s half and passed the ball to Ninković, but his shot flew out of the field above the crossbar. A minute later the goalkeeper could barely save Drinčić’s corner, making another one for us. From that corner the guest team grabbed the ball and wanted to head for a counter-attack, but we got the ball back. Živković passed it to Babović from the right, but his heading was too wide.
In the 72nd minute, after a counter-attack there was an upheaval in front of Partizan's goalmouth. A shot came from the left, defenders saved it to corner. A minute later Bandalovski made an amazing sprint while a Voždovac-attacker was trying to find his way to our goal line. The Bulgarian defender won, the ball ran out through the sideline. Throw-in for Voždovac, then the attacker kicked the ball into our goalmouth. Odita was standing there between two defenders. The kick was awful, our defenders headed it down, but the ball dropped in front of the Nigerian, who shot and the ball was in the net. 2:2
In the 79th minute Lovrenčić made a too distant shot above the crossbar from 8 metres. After the goal kick the ball got back to Voždovac (a Partizan defender just simply lost the ball). They didn’t waste time, Džugurdić made a shot from 20 metres. The ball dropped into the net from Lukač’s hand. 2:3

There was about a handful of Voždovac-fans who made a happy dance on the tribune after this goal, while the entire southern tribune was shouting "Uprava napolje".

In the 85th minute after a row of amazing dribbles and passes Volkov headed the ball right into the goalkeeper’s hands. Almost immediately Ninković ran up on the right and passed to Šaponjić, who just joined the game as a substitute. Šaponjić ran up to the corner flag and passed the ball into the middle. A Partizan-player was waiting there for the ball, but a too eager Voždovac-defender was quicker - and the ball dropped into the net from him. Own goal. 3:3
In the 88th minute Marinković had a distant shot, but missed. Two minutes later Voždovac was again heading to our goal line and it looked to be rather dangerous. Our defense line cleaned the area, but it wasn’t a too easy task... For the 92nd minute there was a Partizan free kick left, the referee sent Drinčić backwards at least 4 times before allowing him to kick, because the midfielder was not at the very place where the foul previously happened... Finally Drinčić could kick the ball into the middle, but the chance was missed.
At the end of the game the bitter choir of Grave Diggers still chanted anti-management rhymes instead of the usual singing and greeting the players, while the few fans of Voždovac have probably never been happier than now, to be able to steal one point from Partizan. And the thing is, dear fellow fans, we can be grateful that they stole only one and not three points from us, and we didn’t start the season with a humiliating loss.

Update: some news resources say, the always tight-lipped, barely outspoken Saša Ilić didn't make a secret of being upset after the match, in the locker-room. The team captain put the entire team in their place, also a few players got a personal scolding from him.
And he was right.

Highlights:


Facts:

Location: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (assistants: Nemanja Petrović, Jovica Milin - 4th assistant: Milan Mihajlović - additional assistants:Nenad Đokić, Igor Stojilković)

FK Partizan: Lukač - Bandalovski, Ćirković, B. Ilić, Volkov - Brašanac (S. Ilić, 77.), Drinčić - Babović, Ninković, A. Živković (Marinković, 83.) - Kojić (Šaponjić, 77.)
Head coach: Marko Nikolić

FK Voždovac: Supić - Kitanovski (Stanimirović, 82.), Nikolić, Stojković, Zlatković - Jokić (Sinđić, 88.), Pavlović - Karakljajić, Lovrenčić, Škerjanc (Džugurdić, 76.) - Odita
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Goal scorers: Ninković (14.), Škerjanc (25.), B. Ilić (49.), Odita (73.), Džugurdić (78.), Stanimirović (85., own goal)
Yellow card: Zlatković (26.), Kitanovski (33.), Kojić (38.), Pavlović (87.), B. Ilić (90.)

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 39 points
2. Crvena Zvezda 33 points
3. Čukarički 31 points
4. Vojvodina 30 points
5. Jagodina 24 points
6. Novi Pazar 23 points
7. OFK Beograd 23 points
8. Rad 19 points
9. Mladost 19 points
10. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 18 points
11. FK Voždovac 17 points
12. Napredak 16 points
13. Borac 16 points
14. Donji Srem 16 points
15. Radnički Niš 13 points
16. Radnički 1923 10 points


Friday, February 20, 2015

KK Partizan - KK Vojvodina 81:54 (Korać Cup, 1/4 final)

It was smooth, though at first it seemed we won’t be too proud of this match.

Still before the start: Kouzeloglou warming up
(photo: Twitter)

In the beginning it was easy. 7:0, then Tepić placed the ball into the ring with such a sophisticated, noble movement as if he would have been wearing tuxedo instead of Partizan’s jersey (9:2). But Vojvodina equalized (9:9) after we missed a lot of chances. Vojvodina wanted to take not just the lead but the control over the match as well.
They couldn’t.
We picked our defense line together - Saša Pavlović demonstrated it. He made the Block of the Month, then, still possessing the ball he ran up, dribbled himself through the opponent and threw the ball into the basket (14:9). The top of it all was Boris Dallo. There are no words for this. Just watch.


It was Dallo’s night, the young French did a marvellous job. It was still Marinković time, who increased the difference for us with an easy and bold movement (21:13). Then came a period, when nothing wanted to work for both teams. Vojvodina missed out a lot of chances, even 3-pointers, while they made a lot of fouls - but we missed the free throws from these fouls. Nevertheless, after a great Tepić-Mačvan teamwork the difference increased to 10+ (26:15) and this was the point when things started to work for our favour, slowly but surely. At the half-time the result was 33:17.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Then we came back from the pause and Milosavljević grabbed the whole team, put them under his armpit, ploughed up the floor and scored 3 (three) 3-pointers, increasing the difference to 20 points (44:24). Dallo also brought his best (47:26). Vojvodina’s trainer continously asked for time-out, but he couldn‘t put his team back to shape. Pavlović flashed, the standing increased to 59:31. And the end of the match was still far away.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Vojvodina collapsed. As for us, it was gala, for the audience. Dallo and Đumić pleased the fans (65:36), and in the last quarter we could make  the 30 point difference with Murić’s free throw. (67:36) At this point Vojvodina was not an opponent anymore, still, Partizan didn’t slow down the pace. Bezbradica had his time, throwing baskets, blocking, then Kouzeloglou also got the chance for the last minutes to score against Vojvodina. Next match is coming on Saturday, tomorrow we’ll get to know who’ll be our opponent.

Đumić, Mačvan and Murić

(photos: Facebook/KK Partizan)

(photo: Twitter)

Some other basketball-related news is that Joffrey Lauvergne signed to NBA team Denver Nuggets. Lauvergne confirmed it on Twitter, but the best came afterwards: the French player thanked Partizan, Duško Vujošević and Grave Diggers in Serbian for their support.





Thursday, February 19, 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Privatisation - the only solution (analysis)

This post will be a non-usual one. It is not about matches, results or events, instead I try to see through all those the former and current management of the football team has made. I also try to come up with solutions, even if I'm not in the position to solve the team's problems (I can still come up with solutions, just nobody in charge will be interested). I still want to give an insight about how those teams do it that are financially more stabile and effective, in terms of league table results as well.
Don't expect deep analysis with diagrams and charts, nor exact terminology. It's still a subjective fan blog, if anyone needs precision and accuracy, then ask an economic expert, there are as many available as stars in the night sky.
The upheaval around selling Petar Škuletić is still stirring. The possibility of selling Ivan Šaponjić has been added, too. Team management members deny everything, nobody knows anything, while fans demand the beheading of the board members, letting their rage out at all social media sites.
Dear Mr. Popović and Tumbaković, it is your shame. You are the bosses, it is your DUTY to know about everything that happens in the team. What is more, you should know about things that happen outside the team. That’s what is called "being informed". It is also called "professionalism". Do you know this word? You know, it is when you follow the happenings of the outside world of sports, not just what’s going on in your street.
Of course, we all know, you and us that this "I don’t know what’s been going on" is a lie. You all know what’s going on and we all know you’re lying. Meanwhile the sky has fallen on the team. We got to know the team has a 14 million euro debit, we got to know that mortgage has been put to Teleoptik SC that is also the place of Partizan’s school of young footballers. We got to know, Russians still haven’t paid a cent for Škuletić. And after all these president Zoran Popović uses the dirtiest trick, blaming former president Dragan Đurić for the indebtedness of the club. Serbian press is echoing from Popović’s mud-throwing as the current president blames the former one for taking out loans from loan sharks and he is the one who pushed FK Partizan into this giant debt. He brought up no evidences, but the public that is always hungry for scandal is chewing on this now, while the fact that auditors marched in to the club to make a list about every single debit stays in silence.
There are many other things that stays in silence, as nobody talks about them.
Like the fact we have been waving to the European cup competitions only from distance instead of taking part in them. That Partizan-employees went on strike after not getting salary for months. That players play for their love for the club, as their salaries are also late for months. That the Serbian Football Association will kick hard into our asses for our debts. That foreign teams easily stepped over us during the preparational matches, and Average Fan couldn’t not think of Lukač’s sad words, when he said ’that’s it, our reality is the SuperLiga, we cannot reach any further from here’.
In the meantime one keeps watching former players as they find foreign clubs for themselves. And Average Fan watches in shock the professionalism of those teams, not mentioning their commitment. It doesn’t matter if we talk about Lokomotiv Moscow, Anderlecht, Borussia Dortmund or Liverpool. There is one common thing in them.
Professionalism.
They mean business. They don’t make a living from state donations or barely available sponsor money. Their leaders are all businessmen who take their job very seriously. They want profit, they want results, not just on the league table, but on the bank accounts, too. There isn’t a single politician around them. They might be found on the tribunes, after they legally bought their tickets while standing in a row, or even, buying it online.
But there is NONE of them in the management. And there are no mastodons either, those fossils who have been pushing themselves into the club’s leadership since the age of Miloš Obilić. These may be found in the club’s museum, if any. There are highly educated managers, PR-managers, experts, talent spotters and trainers at everywhere. Everyone is fully committed, their skills are not a matter of question. They are there, not because they are friends, former classmates or neighbours who put their licking tongues to the best place at the best time.
Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only solution for Partizan is the same as for all other clubs worldwide.
Privatisation.
There’s nothing diabolical in it, to put the club’s directing to the hands of businessmen. Who knows, maybe they’ll even make profit for the team at the end. Because, the thing is, dear readers and fans, as long as the management consists of politicians and fossils, nothing will change ever. SC Teleoptik be sold by auction together with the bench under our bottoms and we end up as beggars. Do we need it?
Absolutely not.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, it is high time to kick out everyone from the management. Every single idiot. None of them is allowed to stay even for a moment. Everyone must go, immediately, right now.
Businessmen must be allowed to the club together with investors. NOT friends/neighbours/whatever, but professional ones whose past is open and available. Every single candiate who wants anything from the club (buying, investing, etc.) must be clear about their entire past, the origin of their money, what and how they want to do with the team, even the posters they used to have on their wall as teenagers. If any of them has just one single grey spot on their past, they must go and mustn't return.
No compromises.
Fans must get full service. You know, they are still the basic resource for the club's survival. There must be a full-service webshop where people can purchase even from abroad. Live streaming of preparational matches on the team's own official Youtube-channel. Multi-language infos must be at everywhere. (You know, as long as everything's available only in Serbian, with minimal English here and there, nobody will take us seriously in Europe.) And youth schools, to go on with it, with lots more resources, and NOT with mortgages.
And brutal, hyper-modern infrastructure to the stadium. Not just to the VIP-section, but also to the locker-rooms and corridors. So modern that makes even Real Madrid and Barcelona cry. Plus such an entrance system to the stadium gates that beeps whenever an idiot tries to cross it.
Until it gets real, the club's budget MUST be transparent. As long as the team makes their living from state donations, using tax payers' money, then it must be their first and foremost duty to give account on every single dinar to the public. All the incomes, all the expenditures, all the resources, may it be state or sponsor-owned. And independent auditors must control it all regularly.
Until it doesn't change, nobody should expect results. Neither on, nor off the field.


Photo of the day - the handball team visited Miša Tumbas

Since the happenings in early February Grave Diggers have been continuously trying to help Miša Tumbas to create humane conditions to live for Partizan’s forever and biggest fan. Today the handball team went to visit Miša and to support him.

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)



Monday, February 16, 2015

Metaloplastika - RK Partizan 29:31

Handball season started and what else could be a more styled opening than a victory. The team was playing for the whole time with high self-confidence. At first we made it to 3:6 with the help of Živković, then in the 24th minute it was 9:15 for us.
In the second half it started to look like a training match (13:20), the Šabac team mostly just assisted for our actions. Finally they picked themselves together for the last 10 minutes, stabilized their defense line and reduced the difference to 25:28. Ivan Popović was the one whose goals decided the end result in the last minutes.

A group of Grave Diggers travelled to Šabac to support the team. They even got police escort (probably as a Valentine’s Day present). They made a fantastic atmosphere. A big thank you to you, guys, for being there!


Thanks to sportuzivo.tv you can watch both halfs in full length.

1st half:


2nd half:



KK Cibona - KK Partizan 64:81 (Adriatic League)

"Derby match".
(So to speak.)
There were moments of this "derby match" when the difference was 30 points for our benefit.
But first things first, you get some warm-up photos.






We started slowly, in the beginning Cibona was ahead of us to 11:10. Murić, Milutinov and Milosavljević scored from our side, so we could switch the standing to 11:16. At the end of the first quarter Đumić debuted. Cibona tried their best, but however much they were trying, we won the period to 21:25.
Then came our secret weapon.
Nikola Milutinov.
Milutinov came, saw and the difference was 10 points (21:31). Then 24:34. Then...


...then Saša Pavlović happened.
And not just him.


The difference became 20 points and it was still only the 2nd quarter (26:46). We went to half-time with waving flags and a result of 28:50.

Boris Dallo, some time during the match

Nikola Milutinov, standing at the paint, ready for free throw

The next period was even more convincing. Pavlović and Tepić made a row of 3-pointers, pushing the difference up to almost 30 points (30:59), then after Tepić’s fantastic turnover it indeed became 30 points (30:61). Mačvan could be stopped only with bodycheck, the Serbian national team member "thanked" it with a genius troll-styled steal. Milutinov was knocked out in the meantime, the center came off the parquet jumping on one leg. The match ended for him at that point. (Later news told he suffered only a minor strain, nothing serious, thankfully.) Meanwhile Đumić presented the Living Wall trick:


Cibona picked themselves together and made a sometimes literally rough defence. The quarter’s result was 41:68.
The final part was opened by Mačvan (41:71), then Cibona made it to 50:74. For the last few minutes they could speed up and reduce the difference to be at least within the humiliating 20 points. (64:81) For us it didn’t matter, it was a smooth win.

"Haters gonna hate" - Marinković played it cool


(photos: Twitter)

Update: full match is available.


OK Partizan - OK Vojvodina 1:3 (Serbian Cup, final)

Damn it.
We were undefeated until now. In the Saturday semifinal we smoothly beat Radnički. And there it is, Vojvodina just had to wash up the floor with us, right in the final.
Both teams had a nervous start, with 2-2 serve fouls on both sides. The truth is, we made a lot of other mistakes in the first set, not just serve ones. Vojvodina won easily to 17:25.
We picked ourselves up from the floor for the second set. It still wasn’t easy, we sweated blood, but we could equalize. We made it to 25:22, but just a few minutes before the end Vojvodina pushe a brutal series down our throats, Average Fan got tic from nervousness, when we could finally make it from the 4th (!) set ball.
The third part looked like a dream at first. All seemed to work, we were on the lead, with a small but sure difference. Then came a strange judgement from the referee, Vojvodina equalized, then got on the lead. For the end of the set they made a humiliating parade. It was terrible to watch, seriously. They won it to 19:25.
The last part started like the previous, with us on the lead. Then Vojvodina equalized and there was no return from that point. That’s it. They won the set, the match and the Cup as well.
Boys, a huge CONGRATULATIONS for making it to the final. In the championship we are still undefeated, so cheers up.

OK Partizan: Lopar (8), Kostić (1), Mrdak (25), Majstorović (12), P. Nikolić (3), M. Nikolić (13), Rajković (libero), Jokanović, Buša, Ivković (1), Veličković, Popović
Head coach: Vladimir Vasović

OK Vojvodina: Simić (3), Č. Stanković (3), Katić (15), Jovanović (2), Luburić (30), M. Stanković (10), Peković (libero), Bojičić (1), Nadaždin, Petković, Kolarić, Mehić
Head coach: Strahinja Kozić

There will surely be video highlights, until then you get a photo with one of Mrdak’s killer attacks.

(photo: zurnal.rs)

 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Ivan Šaponjić: sold out

Bravo, assholes. Well done. Sell out the whole team. Sell all strikers, midfielders, what is more, sell out the grass and the bench from under our bottoms. Sell the U6 players as well. Why not?...
The news was brought by blic.rs. After Lazović and Škuletić 17-year-old Ivan Šaponjić was also sold by Partizan. His new team is Anderlecht, the price was 1,2 million euros. Partizan had only one condition: the still underage player must play at least for 10 matches during the spring season wearing Partizan’s jersey before hitting the road to Belgium.
Congratulations. Nice job. You rotten, corrupted idiots, you are the perfect example of "haste makes waste". Chaos is at everywhere. Do you really want to win the title like this, that we have only one (1) striker, namely Kojić? Marko Nikolić makes no secret about being helpless, nobody asked his opinion from the team management. Yet the leadership will make a scapegoat of him, that’s no question. Nobody is willing to talk to the press, members of the management talk riddles only, that even the dirtiest politicians could learn from them. Do you know, you worms, what kind of an impact it will have on the players and team morals? I can already hear with my mind’s ears your hypocrite talk to the press as you claim, it is not the management’s job to score goals, it is the problem of the players and the trainer, right, dear Mr. Vučelić, may God strike a thunder into your head?!... And we all know, even a fish starts to rot from the head and who is behind it all. No, please, dear Mr. Tumbaković, don’t try to hide. You are the boss. You are responsible for it all, together with your ass-licker rats.
I wish you, all of you that all your dirt may come to surface, to the public. May you all get swept away once and for all by the rage of Partizan fans. And let’s have a new, professional team leadership with businessmen instead of noname idiots, vassals and liegemen. We MUST be a professional club, if we want to conquer Europe instead of waving all cup competitions from the distance.

Update: president Zoran Popović immediately denied the news to hotsport.rs. Yet it came to light that the club has so horrible debits that mortgage had to be put on the Teleoptik training field in Zemun as well as other debits towards the tax officers for 5 years (!!!) now. At least these were those the president mentioned and it is most probably only the top of the iceberg. Oh, and of course Popović is 100 % sure Partizan will win the title.

It's more than painful to say it, but after all these I don't want the team to win the title, because it would justify all the operations of this branch and they would continue destroying the remainings of the team. May they all end up in prison.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Photo of the day - Petar Škuletić’s first day at Lokomotiv

(photo: Twitter/fclm_official)

Here I'd like to pay respect to the professional attitude of FK Lokomotiv, sending my love to their PR/communications team. So far I have seen such colourful, informative releases including photos and video conference only from the best Western European teams. Starting with all, really ALL their social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) talking about Petar Škuletić as head news, but when the shocked fan found their jaws dropped on the floor, they already announced to have a live video conference with Škuletić, where our Montenegrin will introduce himself as well as answer fans’ questions. And of course, the entire conference will be streamed live on the team’s official Youtube-channel, everyone’s welcome.
Russian fans (as much as I could understand the comments, my Russian is weaker than my Serbian) had a warm welcome for Škuletić. Of course the entire video conference is available on the team’s Youtube-channel, what is more, not much later a written extract was uploaded to Lokomotiv’s website.
A message to all whom it concerns: instead of bleached blondes please, hire a professional PR-team and a similarly professional team management. Thanks.
Here’s the video conference, it starts at 10:00.


 

Birthday boys

Meanwhile there was drama and double-talk all day long about the Škuletić-case, the team celebrated Darko Brašanac and Gregor Balažić in the Turkey training camp, who both had their birthday on 12th. Brašanac celebrated his 23rd, Balažić his 27th birthday.

Birthday boys together

Gregor Balažić

Darko Brašanac
(I don’t know what’s going on there behind him and I don’t even want to know)

Volkov found the perfect pose for partying

Photos: partizan.rs


Thursday, February 12, 2015

Petar Škuletić: case closed

I try to resume this whole story. The waves of shitstorm are so high that they have been flowing over the dams and faeces are getting as high as our knees.

The situation is, as follows: Petar Škuletić signed to Lokomotiv Moscow. The price Russians paid for him is 4 million euros. The striker has already left the team in Turkey and came back to Belgrade. They had a short press conference, he had a few hours left to pack up and he left in the evening to Moscow.
A few weeks ago French team Lille wanted to sign him. Everything looked fine, Škuletić went to France, took part at medical examinations. He was loved around, everything looked to be perfect. The French team offered 2 and a half million euros for him. Yet Partizan’s newly elected management said in the last minute that the Montenegrin striker was not for sale. It caused numerous new grey hair for Škuletić’s manager, the striker just said resigned to a sports site, the world would not collapse if he couldn’t sign to a foreign team, just he had financial problems and his bottom would be soon out from his pants.
A Chinese offer showed up as well, but Škuletić refused saying he’d not want to go to the Far East.

I can absolutely understand him.

Things seemed to calm down. Škuleitć travelled with the team to Turkey for spring preparations, the average fan was already thinking of the upcoming season with Škuletić and co. shooting goals, our name can be engraved into the championship cup in advance, thanks.
Then came the news out of the blue: Petar Škuletić signs to Lokomotiv Moscow, 10 days before the start of the season. Marko Nikolić made no secret about how embarrassing it was all for him. He added, he had and would have no voice in it.
Team leadership immediately started to wash their hands.
All that Dragan Ćirić could say was the following to mondo.rs:
- Well, see, I have no decision-making power here.

WTF?...

- It is very embarrassing - he added.
You get what I mean. FK Partizan’s sports director have no power to make decisions. Ćirić swore by all that is holy he knew nothing about Škuletić’s transfer.
Vučelić tried to explain things to mozzartsport.com:
- The club is in a very difficult financial situation. We indeed refused Lille’s offer about 2,3 million euros. There had been offers from China and Germany, even Sporting Lisboa seemed to be interested, but none of them was serous enough. The first really serious offer came from Lokomotiv, they were even willing to pay the price at once.
Reports talk about the management immediately having a meeting in Belgrade to discuss the fate of Škuletić. Finally they decided (9 "yes" against 3 "no") to sell the striker. Ljubiša Tumbaković allegedly left the meeting like an angry stormwind (he was one of those 3 members voting with "no"). Beside him Dragan Bjelogrlić and dr. Nele Karaljić were against the transfer.

Earlier Tumbaković said, too, he had no knowledge about this entire story about Škuletić, as he was with the team in Turkey for the whole time. When he got to know about it, he immediately travelled back to Belgrade for an urgent meeting of the board.

After all this the question rose: who is responsible for this all? Whose interest is this, to make the team this weak, selling the two best players, Škuletić and Lazović this very quickly, one and a half weeks before the start of the spring season? (And let’s not forget about Fofana being on loan.) Pantić was also successfully thrown out of the team. Who will score goals?
Vučelić gave a very mysterious answer to the "who is responsible"-question.
- The management, of course. - Then he added: - And the trainer.
The journalist surely made a shocked facial expression, because Vučelić gave this explanation:
- It is not the management’s job to score goals. It is high time for the trainer and the players to stop using the management as an alibi. Everyone knows who are to play football - he said.

I hope it is only paranoia talking from me, but why, why do I have the impression the new management wants to make a scapegoat of Marko Nikolić, that finally the trainer himself will leave the team?... Do you still remember of the last days of 2014, when the newly elected leadership instantly wanted to fire Nikolić - only the rage of fans kept them back from making this step.

Škuletić seems to be tired, worn out, fed up and can’t wait to get over this fuss.

(photo: mozzartsport.com)

- It was an offer you get once in a lifetime - he said during the day. - I said earlier to the team that I want to sign to a foreign club. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't win championship with Partizan. But I do believe my friends will win again the title.
He added, he is very glad with the offer of Lokomotiv and feels satisfied.
- I got a phone call early in the morning with the offer. I couldn't even say goodbye properly to the team, only to those few fellow players who were awake at that time.
Some say, this farewell was not this easy, Škuletić had an emotional, tearful leave from Partizan.

(You shouldn’t have said this. Now I will cry, too.)

The best part is yet to come.
Milorad Vučelić said to mondo.rs: what Ljubiša Tumbaković said earlier, that he knew nothing about the striker’s transfer, is false.
- We got the offer from Lokomotiv on Tuesday evening. We immediately had a conference call, including all board members. Everyone knew about it.
Journalists tried to confront the management with their own statements from earlier, namely they wouldn’t sell anyone from the team (yet they sold out the two strikers and Pantić with turbo speed). Milomir Gligorijević explained it as follows:
- We must never, we should never lie to our fans. We could never do such a thing.

Don’t laugh yet, here’s the best part.

- We would leave this club rather than descending to lie. But everyone must understand, the circumstances have changed in the meantime.
This was Gligorijević’s Nobel-prize winner explanation.

And if you’re still not crying and/or raging and want to burn down the house together with every dirty, corrupted, coward liar pigs, then watch this early morning video, because SOS Kanal could catch a very sleepy, very worn-out Petar Škuletić before he left Turkey, with Vulićević, his roommate saying him goodbye at the exit.


Petar,
Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for your 21 goals, for being the most reliable member of the team. I hope you'll return to Belgrade one day. And thank you for being able to meet you.
Take care!


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Spandau - VK Partizan 8:6 (Champions League)


I'd like to express my gratitude to all TV channels that DID NOT broadcast this match. Would it have hurt?...

We started so good. We were on the lead to 0:2 with the goals of Subotić and Vico. What is more, thanks to Stojanović we made it to 1:3 in the second quarter. But then Germans took over control and we went to half-time break with 4:3.
After the pause we attacked the Berlin-based team so much that Stojanović and Tanasković could switch the standing to 4:5.
From that point on we couldn’t score even one thin goal for long and we had to pay the price. Germans made it to 8:5 (mostly by the goals of Croatian player Ćuk). Mandić could finally score one, 76 seconds before the end.
And no, it does not make me happy that this was the German team’s first victory in Champions League.




Team standing:
1. Szolnok 12 points
2. Primorje 12 points
3. Jug Dubrovnik 12 points
4. Partizan 3 points
5. Galatasaray 3 points
6. Spandau 3 points

Next round: 4th March


Mid-month sales

The news are fresh, still warm: Škuletić is said to leave FK Partizan, now for real. Sportskacentrala.com tells about Russian club Lokomotiv, mozzartsport.com even mentions the price: Russians offer 4 million euros for everyone’s favourite Montenegrin. Leaders of Lokomotiv didn’t confirm, nor denied the information. As for Partizan, everyone keeps silent.

May God break the sky on those who are responsible for this. On everyone, all those rotten, corrupted rats who push responsibility to the others. (I’m looking at you now, Mr. Ćirić...) "We won’t sell players." Yeah. Sure. Of course. "For the request of the head coach." Since then Fofana has been sent away ("on loan"), Lazović has left the team and Škuletić is about to leave. All these happens when there are only 10 days left until the start of the spring season. At this moment there are 2 (two) strikers in the team: Kojić and Šaponjić, the latter one is not even 18 years old yet. Did those know-it-all’s up there in the management mean it seriously that we must start the championship season like THIS? Not to mention Marko Nikolić being still suspended, which means, he is not allowed to sit on the bench until mid-March.
Who is responsible for this? Who allowed it all, the team to be destroyed this way? Who is that rotten traitor who got into the team’s leadership? And why do the others let it all happen, to disorganize that little we still have?
So many questions, I know I’ll never get any answer to them ever.

And if you’re still not raging (or crying), then here is a video.


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

KK Partizan - Levski Sofia 94:66 (Adriatic League)

That's how the match started.
Yes, dear fans, readers and visitors, Grave Diggers applaused Bulgarian players. No booing, no whistles. Only fair play, the most noble type.


Levski's trainer, Konstantin Papazov was amazed by this welcome, and he spoke it at the press conference after the match. This gesture from fans was indeed chivalrous, especially after the first match in Sofia, where fans clashed and the sports hall was destroyed.

Newcomer Božo Đumić was there watching
(photo: Twitter)

The match started with a bad omen. Same day, in the afternoon basketball president Todorić had a car accident. He was even taken to hospital to get medical attendance. But for the match he was already out, wearing a brace-alike thing around his neck (sitting next to Đumić). He made it.

(photo: kurir.rs)

It was at the beginning of the match, Milosavljević threw the ball and Milutinov dunked it into the ring with an alley-oop trick. Partizan’s bench jumped up like one man and cheered.


Still the first quarter was not a reason to be satisfied. Levski sped up the pace, they did not let control slip out of their hands, no matter how much Mačvan and Milutinov were threwing baskets. We could equalize only 20 seconds before the end buzz, to 22:22, after Dallo made a miracle.


Levski was leading for the whole period, our defense had more holes than an Emmenthaler cheese. At a point cameras focused on Duško Vujošević as he was shaking his head.
In the second quarter we picked ourselves together slowly but surely. Dallo had a great moment in the beginning (24:24), then we took the lead, thanks to Marinković (26:24). A lot of chances were missed out on both sides (too much fumbling, for both us and them), but our defense line started to make a shape, we blocked with more and more self-confidence the attempts of the opponent. Tepić made the difference to two-digit (40:29), then it was Edo Murić Time.


Levski scored a lot of 3-pointers, they reduced the difference to 44:39. Saša Pavlović set the half-time result 17 seconds before the end (46:39).
We kept things under our control in the third quarter, too. Bezbradica scored (50:39), Levski again tried with 3-pointers, but there was still a firm difference (59:50). We also scored some 3-pointers, first Andrić (62:50), then Marinković (65:50). Bulgarians reduced it to 66:58 and it was only 35 seconds left, when we set the two-digit difference back (68:58).
The last quarter was a festival. Like, when Murić bit himself onto the opponent player, made a fantastic steal and demonstrated the greatest scene of the match, for the joy of the audience.


Levski was fighting hard and brave, but we swept them off for the end. At the very end the team was joined by Ioannis Kouzeloglou, the young Greek, who immediately scored his first basket. And then, his first 3-pointer. With that he set the final result of the match.

(photo: Twitter)

Kouzeloglou was still standing on the parquet after the match, surrounded by fans, giving autographs
(photo: Twitter)