Vanja Ilić has returned to Partizan!

After one year in Macedonia (Rabotnički Skopje) Vanja Ilić is again the player of RK Partizan. Balkan Handball shared the info about the Skopje-based team having a financial meltdown at the end of the season, so Ilić decided to return home.
Meanwhile other players left Partizan: Sretenović signed to Nimes (FRA), Radojković to Besiktas (TUR), goalkeeper Tomić to Krka (SLO), while Popović has been the player of Bidasoa (ESP) since this summer. All of them explained their decision with the same reason: the financial struggles of the team.

It seems though it’s still not as tough as in Macedonia.

Captain Vanja, welcome back home!

(photo: novosti.rs)

Crvena Zvezda - RK Partizan 25:26 (play-off, round 3)

VICTORYYYY!!!
What a victory!!!
Oh. My. God!!!
We raised up from the dead. Really.

RTS 2 broadcasted the game, the one and only working link died right at the beginning of the game. I was about to start cursing, when the superliga’s own broadcasting link popped right into my face. A million thanks to them, they saved my life.
Before the RTS-link died, I could still make this only screenshot.

Mršulja, Popović and Radojković before the game

(screenshot/RTS 2)

Until the 20th minute it was all relatively smooth. It was a bit like a ping-pong, the two teams switching the standing. The difference was always 1, maybe 2 goals. Then in the 21st minute, when the standing was 8:8 (we equalized with Radojković’s goal) Zvezda took the lead (9:8).
From then on it was like we were under some kind of spell. We made mistake after mistake. We missed out the chances. Either the attempt was too wide or too high, or if we could target the box, the goalkeeper saved with a nasty grin on his face. We even missed out a penalty in the 23rd minute.

Yet at the same time they got 3 penalties in the first half. And they scored from all of them, may the devils of hell take you for a sledge ride on your birthday, Dragutinović.

Zvezda jumped to 13:8. It was awful to see. Partizan-players fought hard, sweated, but it all seemed to be in vain. The difference was 5 goals. Average Fan started to compose the very sad blogpost about the game. Our dear sons died with their heads high, on the battlefield. We are proud of them. In the very last minute, just before the buzz Kukić scored one goal, to save our reputation. 13:9, end of the first half.

(screenshot/SRLS)

I’ll be honest: I love it when it turns out that I was wrong.
We walked out for the second half. Zvezda didn’t even leave the locker-room when Pešić smashed our 10th goal into the net.
We started to reduce the difference, slowly but surely. We made huge counter-attacks and Živković had a great performance.

(screenshot/SRLS)

There was a fierce battle on the court. Zvezda was always ahead of us with 1-2 goals, but they couldn’t run away anymore. In the 43rd minute Sretenović equalized (19:19), Tomić saved a penalty. Then we took the lead with Maksić’s goal (19:20).
A wacky race started here. Zvezda equalized (20:20), Živković took back the lead after a great counter-attack. (20:21) Zvezda equalized again (21:21), then the referee whistled and gave a penalty to Zvezda in the 50th minute. Kljajić stood to the 7-metre line...
...and Tomić saved this one, too!!!
What is more, we ran up for a counter-attack. And Kukić scored!!! We were leading to 21:22!!!
Zvezda equalized. Then the referee gave them another penalty. Only 6 minutes were left from the game.
Now Dragutinović stood to the penalty line...
...AND TOMIĆ SAVED!!!! It’s impossible, it’s unbelievable, our goalkeeper MUST get a statue right now at the entrance of the Banjica sports hall. Aleksandar Tomić’s performance was superhuman tonight.
Meanwhile Radojković took back the lead (22:23). Zvezda equalized again (23:23). Now the referee gave us a penalty shot. Maksić scored (23:24). Only 4 minutes were left from the match.
Zvezda equalized again (24:24). Živković ran up and took back the lead (24:25), but he stayed on the floor after the goal.
58 minutes, 32 seconds. Head coach Nenad Maksić asks for time-out.
We come back. Zvezda equalizes (25:25). We are in the very last minute, Average Fan desperately thinks that a draw is actually totally fine...
And we get another penalty. Only 11 seconds are left.
Maksić stands to the 7-metre line...
...AND SCORES!!!! 25:26!!!!!
Only 5 seconds are left. Zvezda’s head coach asks for time-out.
We come back. Zvezda attacks.
They miss it out!!!
End buzz!!! We won!!!!!
Celebration time.

(screenshot/SRLS)

The hero of the day is Nemanja Živković with 6 goals. He is followed by the two 5-goal warriors Stevan Sretenović and Mihajlo Radojković. Živan Pešić and Aleksa Maksić both scored 4-4 goals, while Lazar Kukić added 2 to the victory.
Next round will be on Saturday against Sloga.
A few more pictures from the derby:

Teams stand up for the national anthem

Sretenović blocks Todorović

Todorović was stopped by Pešić, too

(photos: Facebook/Super Rukometna Liga Srbije)

Nobody can stop Sretenović

(photo: Facebook/Rukometni klub Partizan)

Current standing of the play-off:
1. Metaloplastika 6 points
2. Partizan 4 points
3. Spartak Vojput 3 points
4. Vojvodina 3 points
5. CZ 2 points
6. Sloga 0 point

RK Partizan - Metaloplastika 20:20 (superliga, round 8)

Referees fought hard for this draw, so much that 4 minutes before the end we were leading to 20:16 and then came the twist of the storyline.

The atmosphere could have been fantastic at the Banjica sports hall with 1300 spectators.

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

Update: Grave Diggers making a fantastic atmosphere

Earlier this week Grave Diggers made an appeal to all Partizan fans, calling them to come as many fans to this match as possible. The handball team - just like almost all other departments of Partizan - has got very serious financial problems. The income they got from the entrance tickets literally meant survival for them.

This match was broadcasted live by RTS 2. Dear fans, miracles do happen.

The problem was that the only available link was more dead than the mummy of Tutankhamon. The only option left was the usual ’prayingwhilesittingneartheinternetconnection" for ’thesoonestpossiblevictory’.

In short: we were leading for the whole first half. At the very beginning Metaloplastika scored the first goal, then they could only try to equalize. We finished it with 9:9.
For the second half the guest team picked themselves together. They took the lead, though they couldn’t keep it for too long, the difference was always only 1 goal. Then in the 41st minute Radojković equalized (13:13), then we took back the lead with Đuričić’s goal (14:13). From this point on we didn’t let control out of our hands. We were always leading with 2, 3, sometimes even 4 goals (19:15).
Then came the 56th minute. The standing was 20:16 for us, when referees decided that their time has come. They sent off two Partizan-players immediately, Metaloplastika thanked the chance and equalized for the end (20:20).
The hero of the day was Igor Mršulja with 7 goals. He is followed by Andrija Đuričić (3). Mihajlo Radojković, Lazar Kukić, Aleksa Maksić and Ivan Popović all scored 2-2 goals, Nemanja Živković and Matija Pižurica added 1-1 scores to the result.

Update: end of the game - high fives and celebrating together

Igor Mršulja in a "sandwich"-position, but he was still unstoppable

Goalkeeper Tomić was in shape

Grave Diggers

Ivan "Parni valjak" Popović

Nemanja Živković

(photos: srls.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 13 points
2. Sloga 13 points
3. Metaloplastika 12 points
4. Partizan 11 points
5. Požarevac 7 points
6. Morava 7 points
7. Jugović 7 points
8. Rudar Kostolac 6 points
9. Radnički 3 points
10. Železničar 1 point

RK Partizan - Sloga 28:24 (superliga, round 4)

While half the world was watching with bated breath as the Serbian football team beat the hell out of Albania, Partizan's handball team had an easy victory against Sloga in the 4th round of superliga.
We had an excellent start (3:1), Sloga equalized after more than 10 minutes (3:3). We took back the lead (5:3), the guests equalized in the 20th minute (6:6). From this point on there was no stop, we were leading continuously, in the 21st minute our advantage was 2 goals (8:6), then 10:7, 11:8 and so on. 3 minutes before half time the standing was 12:9, a minute later we scored another (13:9), Sloga shot one before the end of the half. We finished the first part with 13:10.
In the second half we continued to march. The guests had no chance at all. We were leading with 2-3-4 goals for the whole time. 15:11 (33rd minute), 16:13 (36th minute), 20:16 (43rd minute). We kept on scoring, 2 minutes before the end we were leading to 28:23. Sloga scored one last goal before the end buzz (28:24).
The hero of the day was Captain Igor Mršulja with 8 goals. He is followed by Stevan Sretenović (5) and Lazar Kukić (4). Nemanja Živković, Mihajlo Radojković and Ivan Popović all scored 3-3 goals, while Andrija Đuričić added 2 to our victory.

Ivan Popović - Ivan the Terrible, with his ultimate beard

Stevan Sretenović

Our goalkeeper Tomić’s great moment

You can’t just stop Radojković. For that even a wrecking ball wouldn’t be enough, not mentioning a simple defender

I told you...

Igor Mršulja defends the ball with his body, if needed

Aleksa Maksić’s attempt

Stevan "Parni Valjak" Sretenović

If the Captain speeds up...

Lazar Kukić runs up and scores

3 defenders are trying to block Mršulja...

...but he shoots anyway

(photos: srls.rs)

I’ll bring you league table at weekend.

Update: current championship standings:
1. CZ 7 points
2. Partizan 6 points
3. Sloga 5 points
4. Požarevac 5 points
5. Metaloplastika 5 points
6. Rudar Kostolac 4 points
7. Morava 3 points
8. Jugović 3 points
9. Radnički 1 point
10. Železničar 1 point