ABA Liga round 18: Crvena Zvezda - KK Partizan 86:74

The blog is still alive, so am I. It’s winter break now, no football, no handball, as for basketball, let’s not talk about it.

This time I still watched basketball. An eternal derby is an eternal derby.

I still follow the happenings though. The basketball team got a brand new management, new president included. Head coach Miroslav Nikolić was sacked, now Nenad Čanak is sitting on the bench. Among players Patrick Miller has left, Đorđe Gagić arrived, or rather returned. Two foreigners were signed, too, Vaughn and Sy.

Dear Everyone, the team is still like a butterfly fart.

At the beginning of the first quarter we were leading. Then it was gone soon.

Both teams made a lot of mistakes. At first it was 5:10 for us, then Zvezda equalized. (12:12) Then they took the lead (16:14), as for us, well, I find no better words, we made brutal mistakes, such ones that simply aren’t allowed on this level. We could take back the lead at the end of the quarter, though we needed an amount of luck, too (we could score two 3-pointers in a row, yes, we needed luck for that!). The first part ended with 22:24, we could barely score field goals, most of our points came from free throws.

As the second quarter started, we could keep the lead here and there, with 1-2 points only though. Then Zvezda slowly started to overwhelm us. They were just one bit more determined than us, but that was enough. They visibly got together as a team better than Partizan. Our game lacked every idea, yet it was full of basic mistakes.

I noticed two things. First that there was no derby atmosphere at all. There were a lot of fans there (most of them were Zvezda-fans though, Grobari were barely allowed), but the game missed the usual “we-kick-out-the-walls-of-the-sports-hall”-feeling. There was no battlefield spirit on the court either, the game was almost average. Oh, my God, I remember when Simonović threw Milutinov to the ground, or when Zvezda-fans threw a firecracker among Partizan-players. Those were the days…

The other was told me earlier by a fellow Grave Digger, and here I had to agree with him. Namely that this is all what these players are able to. They simply can’t do more. They can’t play. They can run, they can fight, but they can’t play. (I add that they can’t function as a team either.) We have to lower our expectations.

The half-time result was 49:43, Zvezda tried with something that reminded of basketball, but even they were their own shadows.

We had no antidote even for that.

The image of the game didn’t change for the third quarter either. We reduced the difference to 53:52, but we couldn’t equalize. From here Zvezda jumped to 58:54, and until the end of the quarter we scored two (2) more points. In more than five minutes.

The opponent scored a row of 3-pointers, we just watched them with a kind of dry apathy. The third part finished with 71:56.

This means a 13:2-series by the neighbours. Duško Vujošević would lay the entire team on his knees now, one after the other, and spank their arses with shovel.

As for the last quarter, only two things could be mentioned. First that Zvezda couldn’t make the 20-point difference despite all efforts, the other was that Gagić was fouled out, and during those approx. 34 minutes he scored two (2) points.

The football season starts on 17th February. I try to survive somehow until then.

Scene from the game: two Cokes for Marinković, 3 Valium for head coach Čanak (photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Crvena Zvezda: Kešelj, Dangubić (12), Davidovac (7), Lazić (8), Dobrić (18), Janković (8), Rochestie (5), Omić (6), Lessort (13), Ennis (7), Jovanović, Bjelica (2)

Partizan: Williams-Goss (17), Vaughn (4), Sy (7), Tadić, Aranitović (9), Marinković (15), Tanasković, Veličković (20), Pecarski, Gavrilović, Gagić (2), Šalić

Current championship standings:

1. Crvena Zvezda 33 points

2. Budućnost 33 points

3. Cedevita 31 points

4. Mornar Bar 29 points

5. FMP 27 points

6. Partizan 27 points

7. Zadar 26 points

8. Igokea 25 points

9. Cibona 24 points

10 Petrol Olimpija 24 points

11. Mega Bemax 22 points

12. MZT Skopje 20 points

Handball superliga, round 13: RK Partizan - Mokra Gora 27:21

This match was back on last Saturday, but over here I had/still have Christmas - have a merry one everyone whom it may concern - that’s why I’m coming with this post just now.

Don’t expect basketball posts from me in the near future. I’m done watching this bunch of talentless, useless players who have no idea about the game. Life is too short to waste it on shitty matches and mediocre players.

On the other hand there is the handball team, a group of talented, skilled and dedicated youngsters, most of them coming from our own youth academy. They get far less attention than they would deserve. Well, handball itself doesn’t get enough attention...

We had an overwhelming start. When the standing is 11:4 fir us 10 minutes before the end of the first half, you can say we started it strong… Hats off to Mokra Gora, because they did come back for the middle of the second half to 16:15, they even took the lead. We equalized in the 45th minute (17:17) then took back the lead with Butulija’s goal. From then on we kept things under control until the final buzz.

Here’s a scene from the game and a photo of young Aleksa Maksić, the MVP of the game. (photos: super.rss.org.rs)

End result of the autumn season:

1. Železničar 1949 25 points

2. Partizan 17 points

3. Crvena Zvezda 17 points

4. Obilić 16 points

5. Rudar 15 points

6. Sloga 15 points

7. Spartak Vojput 13 points

8. Metaloplastika 10 points

9. Šamot 65 9 points

10 Mokra Gora 9 points

11. Požarevac 6 points

12. Jugović 4 points

Superliga, round 22: 156th eternal derby - FK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 1:1

There was really everything on this derby, like in a good bazaar. Mass fight with gendarmerie, penalty for Partizan (believe it or not!...), tension, yelling and swearing. There was just one thing missing.

Football.

Oh well. Nothing in this life is perfect, is it?

Let’s keep the chronological order.

Zvezda had a strong start. We were stuck around our penalty area, but they ran out of breath after 10 minutes. They had no attempt though, just put us under pressure. Meanwhile it was raining heavily, the atmosphere was so tensed that Tawamba was booked after 5 minutes for complaining. But as I said earlier, Zvezda could keep up the pace only for 10 minutes - then we could have actually attacked, but I guess I tell no secret by saying we didn’t. Instead the two teams were just kicking each other with clenched teeth and usually Partizan’s players came off badly, with Pantić or Everton falling to the ground. (The latter one had a hissy fit, as unnecessarily as possible.) Then in the 15th minute Ožegović ran upfield and shot. Ut was flat and generally a weak one, still it was good enough to show off. The answer came 2 minutes later, Kanga’s shot was too high.

Tawamba some time during the game (photo: partizan.rs)

At this point something strange started going on. Namely only Zvezda-fans were singing, cheering, waving flags and using pyrotechnics. Yet the southern tribune was silent. You get what I mean. Eternal derby, in Partizan’s home. The southern tribune usually prepare for such an event with special banners and choreography and 30 minutes before the start the stands are already on fire. Now there was nothing.

Something was definitely going on, it was obvious.

Meanwhile every link died. Desperate search for a working one, finally I found one from Germany.

Yes. A German sports channel actually broadcasted the Serbian eternal derby.

Stojković saved Kanga’s shot in the 25th minute, meanwhile a camera showed the still silent southern tribune, where there was a mass fight. So that’s why Grave Diggers were not singing… Such fights always have some deep background story and a heavy consequence.

Meanwhile the pace of the game slowed down, just Pešić made some eyebrows rise in the 29th minute with his shot, Stojković had a great save - just like in the 33rd minute.

Stojke (photo: partizan.rs)

Then nothing happened. Minutes walked by very slowly, the game turned from uneventful to boring. Then suddenly, around the 42nd minute all you could see was a group of gendarmerie pulling a few - maybe 6-8 - half-naked, bleeding men while fans were screaming and booing. Photos about the bleeding faces immediately ran through the Serbian internet (no, I won’t post here any, for me it was simply too much), and the good, old guessing game started right there.

Everyone said everything. All that I write here is - right now, on Thursday evening - non-official. All my infos are from the press and non-official sources.

Those men whom gendarmerie pulled out of the southern tribune were all Croatian citizens. All if them had a criminal record, for a few it was a pretty nice and long list. There were former kick-boxers among them. The Croatian press named them all, as the members of a gang in Split. They were joined by 20 Zvezda-fans, and this group could somehow get to the southern tribune and provoked a fight with the members of Alcatraz, who are also well-known for being not easily scared, to say the least.

Well.

It raises a long row of questions.

Who allowed these criminals to enter the country?

Where was the intelligence agency? Why didn’t they know about it? Or if they did, why didn’t they do anything?

Who let this bunch of criminals to the southern tribune?

I’ll be honest, I found the fourth question the most disturbing. Why did the intelligence agencies took no action? I can’t imagine they knew nothing about it. (If they really didn’t know anything, they must be fired right now, all of them, including the minister.)

It means that all authorities were just watching as criminals enter the country and provoke Serbian citizens. Some say that the fact gendarmerie pulled them out of the tribune was the result of an amateurish mistake in the very well-built plan. Otherwise it’s more than sure authorities would have turned a blind eye on them and let them run away.

Let it sink in.

Some people (obviously from the highest political ranges) invite a bunch of criminals to the country to provoke and attack citizens. Then they (are about to) let them flee.

If it doesn't give you cold shivers, then it was probably you giving order to import these criminals.

Let’s return to the game…

The link died again at the beginning of the second half. I could watch it again from the 50th minute, I think there was anything life-changing happening in those 5 minutes I missed out… While Partizan-fans returned back to life, from then on they were singing and cheering for the whole game. In the 52nd minute someone (not sure who it was, all I could see was that it was a Partizan-player) made such an awful, painful air-kick (when they kick the air and not the ball) that would result a two-week ban to the reserve team at better places. In the 56th Kanga shot from 18 metres and even though it was flat, it was dangerous and it was just a little bit too wide.

Then in the 60 th minute an amazing, unexpected, shocking thing had happened.

We got a penalty.

We.

At the derby.

You get what I mean.

The last time Partizan got a penalty on a derby was in 1995. 22 years ago. During these 22 years we suffered all sorts of fouls inside the opponent’s penalty area, but referees failed to give us penalty.

But now, when Ožegović was kicked to the ground by a defender, referee Milorad Mažić immediately pointed at the white dot - and he was right.

We got a penalty at the derby.

Here came another big moment. Soumah stood behind the ball.

Other than that Soumah was again invisible for those 70 minutes he spent on the pitch.

He shot. And scored.

From the penalty.

From that penalty we got.

At the derby.

(1:0)

What made it even more special was that Borjan almost saved it. He went to the right direction, even touched the ball, but couldn’t catch it.

After that not much happened really. The two teams were wrestling with clenched teeth, there was some fight in the 75th minute, Ožegović had a too high shot in the 78th, the in the 84th came the cold shower. Boakye equalized with a cheeky goal. A cross came from the right, defenders wanted to kick the ball downfield, but instead it dropped to Donald. Donald passed to Boakye, who took advantage of the goalmouth scramble and shot. The ball found its way to the box among the legs. (1:1)

As for the rest of the game, let’s just forget it.

Venue: Partizan stadium, Belgrade

Official: Milorad Mažić

FK Partizan: V. Stojković, Vulićević, kopasz Miletić, Ostojić, Antonov, Jevtović (Radin, 20.), Everton, Soumah (S. Ilić, 71.), Pantić, Ožegović (Jovanović, 90.), Tawamba

Crvena Zvezda: Borjan, Le Tallec, Krstičić, Kanga (Milijaš, 90.),  Boakye (Gobeljić, 89.), Donald, Rodić, F. Stojković, Pešić, Srnić (Jovičić, 62.), Savić

Goal scorers: Soumah (62. - pen.), Boakye (84.)

Yellow card: Tawamba (5.), Vulićević (14.), Savić (28.), Ostojić (35.), F. Stojković (51.), Everton (75.), Donald (75.)

End result of the 2017/18 autumn season:

1. Crvena Zvezda 57 points

2. Partizan 48 points

3. Spartak 40 points

4. Radički Niš 39 points

5. Čukarički 38 points

6. Voždovac 36 points

7. Napredak 34 points

8. Vojvodina 33 points

9. Mladost 30 points

10. Radnik 25 points

11. Mačva 24 points

12. Zemun 24 points

13. OFK Bačka 21 points

14. Borac 15 points

15. Javor 15 points

16. Rad 14 points

Superliga, round 21: Napredak - FK Partizan 2:1

Pictures appeared on social media sites the day before the game about the huge amount of snow on the Kruševac pitch. The leadership of Napredak asked everyone to help as much as possibly and asked for fans’ patience. For the morning of the gameday the pitch was cleaned, the referee delegation decided that it was eligible to play the game, there was no obstacle for the teams to clash.

Everyone who threw a hissy fit about pitch conditions, namely that it looked like a pigsty full of mud, all of you please go and fuck yourselves. First, a professional football player MUST endure even such conditions, because this is his job, that’s why he gets salary. If they don’t like it, they are free to leave and switch profession to be ballerinas. Second, obviously nobody wanted to postpone this game until spring, so obviously both teams’ leadership agreed to play this game, regardless of pitch conditions.

FYI, professionalism exists in this world, not just whining and making excuses.

Then the game was about to start, but it just didn’t start… A few home fans found it funny to throw snowballs to Stojković from the stands. Seeing this both teams decided to leave the pitch. Nothing happened for 5 minutes, just fans got more and more annoyed, booing and hissing. When teams returned to the pitch, something broke in Partizan-fans, they threw a firecracker onto the grass.

It came to my mind already at this point that FSS would fuck us. And the end wasn’t even near...

Then we could finally start the game (and mud-wrestling). We had a strong start, in the 6th minute the goalkeeper saved Ožegović’s sho, then in the 12th Pantić’s free kick crossed to the goalmouth, a defender kicked it downfield, the ball dropped to Radin, he shot, the goalkeeper had a great save.

The game had a halt again in the 14th minute. Partizan-fans hanged a banner on the tribune on which they let FSS and the referee committee know their opinion about them. (In short, ‘go and fuck yourselves, bastards’.) They also threw firecrackers on the pitch.

I have no idea what those on the southern tribune thought when hanging out this banner. Did they really think the leadership of FSS will sprinkle ash on their heads and resign with deep regret about their sins when seeing this banner? No, you idiots, seeing this banner FSS will fuck us so hard that those at Brazzers will clap their hands and I’m sure they would offer a certain amount of percent for the rights as well.

Meanwhile on the other side Stojković was again thrown with snowballs. So, it was a nice, peaceful, Sunday afternoon atmosphere with high-level, intellectual entertainment.

Oh, wait...

The match continued in the 18th minute, right with an attempt by the home team. Alivodić ran upfield, he was tackled, we made a counter-attack, Tawamba got the ball, he was tackled inside the penalty area. The Cameroonian fell, many complained for penalty. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see clearly what happened, so I rather say nothing.

We still had a Tawamba-moment in the 29th minute… he got the ball again, defenders fell asleep, Tawamba dribbled the goalkeeper, shot…

…and it was such a terrible shot being too wide with metres that the ball burst into tears as it flew out of the pitch to the southern tribune. In the 31st minute baldhead Miletić got the ball after a goalmouth scramble. Baldhead shot, it was too wide with 1-2 centimetres.

Then… Then came the 34th minute. Alivodić ran upfield on the right side, crossed to the middle where Vukanović arrived all alone. Defenders were just watching as Vukanović shot and scored a huge goal. (1:0)

It was really a huge goal, plus the action itself was spectacular as well.

Not much later Alivodić shot after a solo, but that was saved by Stojković.

For the left of the first half we just struggled. It looked as so that if the ball fell into the opponent’s penalty area and someone from us was hanging around there, then we were dangerous. If not, then not. Additionally our defense line was painfully tragic.

In the halftime Partizan-players went to the fans to talk. Even though it didn’t come to spotlight what they discussed, but it was almost surely something like ‘guys, be kind enough to stick up all your fucking transparents in your arses, ecause the team will (again) get fucked because some of you (again) can’t behave’. (photo: partizan.rs)

The second half started with another Tawamba-moment. 49th minute, all doors and windows are wide open, and Tawamba shot too wide…

In the 54th minute Napredak scored again. This one was even more spectacular than the previous. Boranijašević got a great pass, crossed to the middle, nobody was there, only Đerić, who simply walked into the box with the ball. (2:0)

This was again a huge goal from a fantastic action.

There was only one problem with it.

We received it.

We could score only once, in the 59th minute, even then it was just a penalty. I’m not even sure if it was just… What I could see from the slow motion replay was that the defender who tackled Tawamba actually did touch the ball before tackling the Cameroonian. Anyway, penalty is (just like goal) what the referee validates, and referee Milorad Mažić pointed at the white spot. Here came another weird situation.

Nobody wanted to shoot the penalty. Neither Soumah (who was again invisible for the whole game, literally doing nothing for 90 fucking minutes), nor Ožegović. Finally Jevtović was brave enough to stand behind the ball. He scored. (2:1)

Then nothing happened for 13 massive minutes. The first action came in the 72nd minute, Napredak attacked, just everyone was way behind Vukanović’s cross. It was actually very good, because our defenders were way behind, too...

It was a bit muddy (photo: partizan.rs)

The home team attacked immediately afterwards. Eskić’s shot was too high, our defenders were again in the woods probably… In the 82nd minute Solomon headed the ball so wide that it caused physical pain to watch.

The end game brought the most unbelievable situation. We got a free kick in the extra time (90+4.), even Stojković left his box and came to the opponent’s penalty area. The problem was that the home team made a turnover and Alivodić was already running upfield towards the empty box like a hurricane. Two desperate defenders tried to catch him, they couldn't… Stojković disappeared, Alivodić was unstoppable, just reached the penalty area, making one of the world’s biggest solos, shot…

…and the shot was too wide with just a millimetre, the ball rolled out of the pitch near the goalpost. Maybe the gods of football thought it would be a way too big shame for us. After this referee Mažić quickly gave the final whistle to the game.

Venue: Mladost stadium, Kruševac

Official: Milorad Mažić

Napredak: Nikola Petrović, Boranijašević, Nemanja Petrović, Miladinović, Simonović, Eskić, Alivodić, N. Mitrović, (Vulić, 90.), Vukanović (Ivanović, 90+5.), Sekidika (Milisavljević, 84.)

FK Partizan: Stojković, Vulićević, bald Miletić (M. Mitrović, 77.), Ostojić, non-bald Miletić, Jevtović, Radin (Solomon, 69.), Pantić, Soumah, Ožegović, Tawamba

Goal scorers: Vukanović (34.), Đerić (54.), Jevtović (59. - pen.)

Yellow card: Nemanja Petrović (74.), non-bald Miletić (84.)

Current championship standings:

1. Crvena Zvezda 56 points

2. Partizan 47 points

3. Spartak 39 points

4. Radnički Niš 36 points

5. Voždovac 35 points

6. Čukarički 35 points

7. Vojvodina 32 points

8. Napredak 31 points

9. Mladost 27 points

10. Radnik 25 points

11. Mačva 23 points

12. Zemun 21 points

13. OFK Bačka 18 points

14. Borac 15 points

15. Javor 15 points

16. Rad 14 points

ABA Liga, round 11: KK Partizan - Cedevita 82:92

I deliberately didn’t write about the game against Lietuvos back on Tuesday. It would have been senseless, just as the game itself was. We lost, we were shit, it just wrecked my nerves, it was useless, simple as that.

Just like this one.

I’ll be honest, I missed out the entire first quarter

I’ll be even more honest, I have no regrets.

The second quarter was interesting, because sometimes we took the lead. What is more, sometimes our actions distantly reminded of basketball. Williams-Goss carried the team on his back, not just here, but for the whole game. I’m not a fan of this American, but this time he deserves a high five. (photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

The half time result was 44:44, Cedevita equalized right before the buzz. The third quarter was again a surprise

at least for the worn-out, tired-as-hell-of-it-all fan

because we still did things that actually looked like basketball. No, not for the whole quarter, come on. Still, there was some pace, running and some very very distant idea in the heads. In tracks only though. For a while it was nip-and-tuck, then the Zagrebians got bored of this fumbling and made a jump from 56:56 to 59:63. The quarter ended with 62:67, but the team ran out of oxygen already after 5-6 minutes.

Seriously, the best part of this whole game was Cedevita’s commercial with all those bears in a break.

As for the last quarter… let’s just forget it.

Šalić and Cherry had a fight right at the beginning. Other than that time passed slower than a rheumatic snail. I just hoped they would finish it until the game between Juventus and Inter starts. (They did.) Still there were moments that brought me new grey hair… Cedevita was leading to 74:79, maybe two minutes were left, Miller stole the ball from a Croatian player, then wanted to run up to slam, but he dropped the ball from his hand, and the ball rolled out of the court.

Then about a minute before the end Cedevita reached the 10-point-difference (78:88) and kept it until the final buzz.

After the game raging Grave Diggers hissed and booed the team, as they walked back to the locker-room, while throwing curses on head coach Miroslav Nikolić demanding his resign.

I really don’t want to look overly pessimistic, but dear everyone, I don’t think it will change in the near future.

KK Partizan: Miller (15), Williams-Goss (25), Aranitović (2), Tanasković (7), Veličković (2), Tomić, Pecarski, Gavrilović (4), Andrić (7), Čakarević (4), Stevanović (9), Šalić (7)

Cedevita: Ukić (23), Krušlin (8), Perković, Katić, Nichols (12), Žganec (2), Musa (16), Cherry (10), Markota (5), Ramljak, Stipanović (8), Murphy (8)

Current championship standings:

1. Budućnost 21 points

2. Cedevita 19 points

3. Crvena Zvezda 18 points

4. FMP 16 points

5. KK Partizan 16 points

6. Zadar 16 points

7. Petrol Olimpija 16 points

8. Mornar Bar 16 points

9. Mega Bemax 15 points

10. Igokea 15 points

11. Cibona 14 points

12. MZT Skopje 13 points

Europa League, group stage, round 6: Dinamo Kiev - FK Partizan 4:1

Well. This was just shit. We were knocked out. And I can’t even say it was unjust, because it wasn’t. (photo: partizan.rs)

There was pace, though. And action, too. In the beginning it was really a good game. Both teams fought, clashed, they all played it hard, Everton had a marvellous shot in the 5th minute, hitting the crossbar, seriously, only a little would have been needed for a goal.

One minute passed. One goddamn, rotten minute.

Dinamo attacked. Someone shot, Stojković saved, but couldn’t catch the ball. Morozyuk arrived, he was all alone, defenders were… God knows where they were… Morozyuk did what every striker has to do in this situation, he shot and scored. (1:0)

Afterwards… well, the boys really worked hard. They ran, fought, slid, clashed - but it all resulted only one attempt by Solomon in the 11th minute, shooting from 16 metres, right into the goalkeeper’s hands. Clashes were more and more tough, once Everton fell on the ground, then Tsygankov.

Then we got an awful goal.

28th minute. Shepeliev crossed from left, Shaparenko headed it forward, Morozyuk received it and immediately - and very selflessly - passed to Moraes. Moraes ruthlessly kicked it into the box. (2:0)

And the end wasn’t even near…

31st minute, fans still cheering after the previous goal. Pivarić headed the ball forward, Morozyuk placed it to the middle, all Partizan-defenders were just staring out of their heads with mouth open, Moraes arrived and just had to walk into the box with the ball. (3:0)

3 goals within 25 minutes, one shittier than the other. Fucking record. I really don’t remember when was the last time our defense line was this amateur.

Only the end of the first half brought again action. In the first minute of the extra time Dinami had a big chance, Shaparenko  hit the sidenet. Then in the very last minute we got a penalty. Soumah was tackled and fell to the ground inside the penalty area.

Seriously. Soumah was invisible for the whole fucking game. He barely touched the ball for 90 minutes. This was his one and only useful action to fall and earn us a penalty.

Jevtović stood behind the ball, shot and scored. (3:1) He had luck, because the goalkeeper moved to the right direction, but couldn’t save.

There were a few attempts in the beginning of the second half. The Ukrainian goalkeeper had a big save, when Pantić shot in the 50th minute. 5 minutes later Shaparenko had a huge solo, running upfield, finally Stojković saved. And there’s no Partizan-match without the usual Tawamba-performance… He shot the ball with full force into the goalkeeper’s face in the 58th minute. (Goalkeeper Bushchan felt a bit dizzy, but he could continue the game.)

Then nothing happened for long-long minutes. We were just struggling.

I was thinking - and actually felt very sad - that these boys now really worked hard and did all that they could. And really that’s all they know. Not more. Not physically, but rather, and much more mentally.

The coup de grace came in the 76th minute. Bald Miletić and a Ukrainian clashed inside the penalty area. The home player fell to the ground, the referee gave penalty.

All slow motion replays from all angles made it clear that Miletić did touch the ball before sweeping off the Ukrainian, so it was a regular tackle. The referee did make a big mistake.

Let me be honest. In that situation one more or less penalty really didn’t matter anymore.

Moraes scored. (4:1) Hat-trick.

And it could have been 5:1… Besedin scored in the 87th minute, but he was on an at least 1-meter-long offside, the referee invalidated the goal.

Then it finally ended.

Venue: Olimpiyskyi stadium, Kiev, Ukraine

Official: Pawel Gil (POL)

Dinamo Kijev: Bushchan - Kedziora, Khacheridi, Kádár, Pivarić - Shepeliev, Buyalskiy (Garmash, 66.) - Morozyuk, Shaparenko (Besedin, 77.), Tsygankov (González, 83.) - Moraes

FK Partizan: Stojković - Vulićević, bald Miletić, Mitrović, non-bald Miletić - Pantić, Everton (Đuričković, 72.), Jevtović, Soumah - Solomon (Ožegović, 66.), Tawamba

Goal scorers: Morozyuk (6.), Moraes (28., 31., 77. - pen.), Jevtović (45+4. - pen.)

Yellow card: Everton (40.), non-bald Miletić (48.), Morozyuk (62.), Đuričković (89.), Shepeliev (90+1.)

Superliga, round 20: FK Partizan - Vojvodina 1:1

This was interesting. At the beginning there was no beginning. There was such a big snow on the pitch that fans gathered together and cleaned it off. (photo: partizan.rs)

Rumours say that Their Majesties Vazura and Vućelić also took a shovel and helped to clean the pitch. I hope there are photos about it. I want to laugh. The Fat Pig and the Old Commie actually doing something useful. A real fairy tale.

Let me note though, I hope players also helped to clean the pitch. On one hand they are athletes, on the other shoveling snow is an excellent way to warm up. Not mentioning the benefits of it to the team collective.

One additional thing: all other football games in Belgrade were cancelled, except for this one. Neither the pitch of Čukarički, nor of Rad was eligible for football. (The game was also cancelled in Čačak, but poor Borac, they are happy that they exist at all.)

Finally, after an hour-long delay the match started. It was actually exciting in the beginning, lots of running, sliding, actions and attempts on both sides.

It lasted for 10 minutes.

It was still snowing heavily and it brought life to the dull game. Partly because both the pitch and the ball were white, partly because after a while the pitch lines disappeared under the snow. There was just a big, white plain where players desperately ran after and fought over something invisible. Sometimes it was pure comedy.

As for the game itself, Tawamba had his private show in the 20th minute, heading Vulićević’s precise-as-possible cross too wide from the goalmouth. After that Vojvodina had chances. Stojković saved Mesarović’s shot in the 30th minute, then they missed out two attempts around the 37th. After the second one we had a counter-attack, at the end Rockov had a great save, when Tošić shot.

They found a red ball for the second half to play with, also two men with shovels cleaned the pitch along the lines, so we could see something out of the nervous players running up and down. And it seemed we did have luck. In the 48th minute Tošić took us the lead. A cross arrived from left, the ball rolled through the defenders trying to find their balance on the snowy ground, nobody saw Tošić appearing from behind. He grabbed the ball, Rockov desperately jumped out into the goalmouth, but couldn’t save, Tošić pushed it into the box. (1:0)

After this it was snowing heavily, other than that nothing happened. (photo: partizan.rs)

In the meantime I watched Getafe - Valencia on TV. The sun was shining there.

In the 64th minute non-bald Miletić was pushed to the ground inside the penalty area. The slow motion replay made it obvious that the ball wasn’t even nearby, but referee Zoran Široki whistled goal-kick instead of penalty.

Many felt revolted, and they were right. As for me, I just sigh every time this happens, I can’t get upset anymore, seeing it way too often. Just one little note, from here, at the sideline: could we maybe score from action perhaps? Because if our victory and honour depend on penalties, then it’s all fucked up.

Then in the 70th minute fans made a pyro show, it was much more spectacular than the game itself. The 73rd minute brought a snow-cleaning break, two workers entered the pitch and shoveled away the snow from the lines. (photo: partizan.rs)

Let me ask again, why not those big, well-trained athletes cleaned the snow? Does it hurt them or what? Even if they can’t be gentlemen, at least they would have done something useful instead of getting slowly deep-frozen.

And let’s be honest, the majority of them would be eligible only as a snow-cleaner.

Then… Everyone was watching the romantic snowfall when Vojvodina equalized out of the blue. 86th minute, cross arriving from the right, Stojković could only hit the ball with his gloves, but couldn't catch it. It fell right in front of the arriving Kojašvić, who thanked the gesture and scored. (1:1)

Did we fuck it up? - We did, as always.

Have we been lame ducks? - When have we NOT been lame ducks?... (Alternative answer: we are always lame ducks, just sometimes we have luck.)

What does that person deserve who used the snowfall as an excuse for our shitty performance and the result? - To get fucked by a cartful of tiny monkeys.

What does that person deserve who seeks only for excuses instead of taking a deep breath, standing in front of the public saying ‘dear everyone, we were/are shit and this is also my fault because…’ (and here they would nicely make a list about what they fucked up)? - To get fucked by a T-Rex.

Venue:  Partizan stadium, Belgrade

Number of spectators: 3000

Official: Zoran Široki

FK Partizan: Stojković, Vulićević, Mitrović, Miletić I., Ostojić, Miletić II., Everton (Radin, 33.), Tošić (Marjanović, 51.), Pantić, Ožegović, Tawamba

Vojvodina: Rockov, Saničanin, Kojašević (M. Zličić, 89.), Lakićević, Antić, Vukašović, Jovančić, Kalezić (L. Zličić, 60.), Mihajlović, Mesarović (Subotić, 66.), Veselinović

Goal scorers: Tošić (48.), Kojašević (86.)

Yellow card: Mitrović (38.), Jovančić (81.)

Current championship standings:

1. Crvena Zvezda 53 points

2. Partizan 47 points

3. Spartak 36 points

4. Voždovac 35 points

5. Vojvodina 32 points

6. Čukarički 32 points

7. Radnički Niš 30 points

8. Napredak 27 points

9. Mladost 24 points

10. Radnik 22 points

11. Zemun 21 points

12. Mačva 20 points

13. OFK Bačka 18 points

14. Borac 14 points

15. Rad 14 points

16. Javor 14 points

ABA Liga, round 10: Budućnost - KK Partizan 86:79

I worked out a new strategy for Partizan-games. Whenever the team play, I search for a TV-broadcast that runs parallel with it (it can be anything, football, basketball, handball, waterpolo, ice hockey, Formula 1, athletics, even archery… no matter whether domestic or foreign, it can even be a rerun), because I really can’t take this shit anymore and life is too short to waste it for crappy football (or basketball or whatever).

I watched this rubbish labeled as basketball in such a way that the meantime I watched Ferencváros - Videoton on TV. Watching Marko Nikolić, Marko Šćepović and Danko Lazović on a derby is a must, I won’t miss it out, no way.

I didn’t regret it. It was a tough, combative and exciting game with lots of action. Lazović even scored a goal, but FTC was better, stronger and more aggressive, they deserved the victory. (3:1)

As for Partizan…

Whatever. Never mind.

The first quarter was a pure torment. In the second we took the lead a few times for 1-2 points, but none of these lasted long. The third one should is better to forget

I’m looking into my notes I made during the game, but all I see is Budućnost leading for the whole time, also “nothing extraordinary happening”

then came the fourth quarter.

Without this FTC - Videoton and Lazović’s goal I would have surely got a convulsion. Veličković missed out a chance from which even I would have scored

even though I’m small (less than 170 cm) and slow and the last time I had basketball in my hands was approx. 30 years ago

then, when Average Fan thinks this is the bottom line, Marinković misses out an even bigger chance.

Listen, my dearies.

Veličković, GO TO HELL, RETIRE RIGHT NOW, FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!! Dude, you make more harm to the team than well.

Marinković, my dear son, please, go abroad to play there. As soon as possible. Anywhere, to Italy, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Spain, Greece, it doesn’t matter. Just go and don’t stay, because here you’ll just regress.

The same goes for you, my dear Andrić.

And now I share with you the most memorable moment of the basketball game.

Yep. It was Lazović’s goal.

Bye.

Current championship standings:

1. Budućnost 19 points

2. Cedevita 17 points

3. Crvena Zvezda 16 points

4. Partizan 15 points

5. FMP 14 points

6. Igokea 13 points

7. Petrol Olimpija 13 points

8. Mornar Bar 13 points

9. Mega Bemax 12 points

10. Cibona 12 points

11. Zadar 12 points

12. MZT Skopje 12 points