FK Partizan - Augsburg 1:3 (UEFA Europa League)

It’s just fucking hard now.
I can’t find the words. It just doesn’t work. Even if I deliberately slept it over.
What the hell could one say about it?...
The qualifying to the 1/16 final was in an arm’s length away. We were just an arm’s length away from Europe... and we couldn’t.
It was told before the match, the Germans need a 3:1 victory to qualify. For us even a 0:0 draw would have been enough.
And what was the result of this game?... 3:1 to Augsburg.
If I was about to make conspiracy theories, I’d say, the goddamned UEFA by default didn’t want Partizan to qualify, that’s why they sent here this lousy, cat-eater Italian, who refereed the game as it must have never been refereed. It was clear, even from distance that he hated to be there, he hated Partizan and wished to be as far from here as possible.

German fans set the tribune on fire before the game...

(photo: Twitter)

...Grave Diggers’ answer was this...

(photo: hotsport.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

...and this

(photo: Twitter)

Partizan’s water polo team were on the tribune, they came to support the football players

(photo: waterpolopartizan.rs)

The start of the game

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Partizan’s starting 11

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

You can see, Saša Ilić was not in the starting eleven.
Saša Ilić stayed on the bench for the entire game, he didn’t play even for a minute.
This wasn’t the only hair-raising anomaly in this match though.
We attacked right in the first minute. Andrija Živković crossed from the right, the goalkeeper caught it. Augsburg had a counter-attack, a player had a distant shot to our goal, it was way too high.
We were still in the 2nd minute, Andrija Živković got the ball on the right side. He made a row of fantastic dribbles, but the defenders kicked him on the ground. Free kick, from the line of the penalty area. Defenders headed it out, corner-kick.
In the 7th minute Bobadilla had a sudden, distant shot to our goal, but it was too high.
Then in the 11th minute Aboubakar got a fantastic pass. He ran up all alone, then shot and scored a giant goal. A-BOOM-bakar!!! 1:0!!! WE ARE LEADING!!!!

(photos: hotsport.rs)

This goal made Augsburg collapse. Even though they had two attempts after this, one in the 17th, the other in the 21st minute, but both avoided our goal. (First Stafylidis had a too high shot, then Trochowski attempted, but a leg appeared out of the blue and touched the ball, making the shot too wide.)
Then came the referee.
In the 22nd minute he whistled off a non-existing foul. Ninković tackled the German player arriving on the right. Džigi made it absolutely perfectly, even the slow motion replay confirmed it, but the referee ruthlessly gave a free kick to Augsburg. Our defenders headed it downfield, Andrija Živković could run up with an amazing dribble, just he gave himself a way too long pass.
Two minutes later Aboubakar sent a great cross from the right. Brašanac headed it to the goal, the goalkeeper saved. A minute later again Aboubakar passed the ball, now to Andrija Živković. Žile ran up, dribbled, then shot, the goalkeeper saved this one, too. Another minute later Brašanac headed upfield in the middle, crossed to Andrija Živković. Živković shot, it ended with a corner-kick.
In the 32nd minute Stafylidis had again a weak attempt, then almost immediately Janker brutally kicked Subić to the ground inside our penalty area. Subić was laying on the ground for long, finally he could stand up and continue playing - the referee didn’t whistle, there was no yellow card or any other retortion.
In the 34th minute again Stafylidis crossed from the right. It was very dangerous, Callsen-Bracker jumped up for the ball, Živko Živković had a great save.
In the 37th minute Callsen-Bracker fell on the ground after Ninković invalidated him. The German played "the dying swan", it took long minutes while the medicals picked his pieces together and carried him off the field. The game was on halt

by the way, the referee’s duty would be here to send everyone off the field, injured as well as medicals to continue giving assistance near the sideline, out of the field, so that teams can continue the game, wouldn’t it?

Then Partizan played defensive for quite a while. We were at the very end of the first half, playing the minutes of extra time, when the referee again stepped out of the dark. He gave a yellow card to Andrija Živković for a non-existing foul

he and Bandalovski were wrestling with an Augsburg-player at the sideline, then the guest player fell on the ground, the referee whistled it off, but I swear, my impression was that this rotten cat-eater guido was deliberately seeking for the chance to kill Živković

as well as a free kick for the Germans. The kick was headed to our net by Hong - it looked as if the ball dropped even on Živko Živković’s hand, but there was a too big goalmouth scramble, I’m not sure if I could see it clearly. 1:1

Živko Živković’s desperate face as he watches the ball dropping into the net

(photo: hotsport.rs)

The second half started with a German attempt. Trochowski shot, luckily a foot touched the ball, so it could avoid our net (it would have been most probably another goal otherwise). Thankfully the referee didn’t notice the foot, which almost surely belonged to a Partizan-player and whistled for goal-kick.
In the 50th minute Andrija Živković ran upfield and passed to Aboubakar. The Cameroonian dribbled, then he was kicked to the ground. (No, the referee didn’t whistle.)
A minute later it was 1:2.
I swear on anything that it was from offside, but there was no flag up. A very long pass came from deep, Dutch player Verhaegh jumped out and scored. (You can watch it here, if you have the heart for it.)
In the 52nd minute we got a free kick at the corner of Augsburg’s penalty area. Andrija Živković shot, the goalkeeper saved.
In the 56th minute Bobadilla crossed to the other side of our penalty area, to Ji. The Korean headed it to our goal line, Živko Živković saved. A minute later Aboubakar sent a big pass to Brašanac. Brašanac ran up, made a huge solo, fought himself through the defenders, then shot, the goalkeeper saved it. In the 60th minute again Aboubakar got the ball and passed to Ninković. Ninković ran up, dribbled, shot, it was too wide.

My nerves were wrecked way before the game. At this point I was in a catatonia, laying on the floor. I didn’t even have the strength to cry for a defibrillator. And the end was still way too far.

In the 61st minute Trochowski had a sudden, distant shot, Živko Živković had a great save.

Why does Živković have to stay on the bench?... Don’t take me wrong, I have nothing against Kljajić, he is skilled and talented, but Živković have these cat-alike reflexes. Just because someone had this idea that he made too many mistakes earlier?... Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is always the easiest to blame the goalkeeper for lost games. Kljajić is a great player, but he may need a bit more time to mature...

In the 69th minute a cross came from the left, Živko Živković caught it.
In the 71st minute we got a free kick, from about 25 metres. Andrija Živković shot, Ćirković headed it to the goal, it was a great movement, but the referee whistled it off, for him it was offside.
In the 73rd minute Ninković sent a distant, amazing cannon shot to the goal. The ball hit the crossbar and dropped to Andrija Živković. Živković shot, it was too wide.
In the 77th minute Živko Živković had a GIANT save with his leg (!!!). Earlier a Partizan-player was kicked to the ground again, the referee didn’t whistle again, even though our player stayed laying on the field. Brazilian player Caiuby ran up and shot, Živko Živković saved not just the goal line, but also fans from another heart attack.

We had quite a few of them during the game...

In the 79th minute we played "pinball football" on Augsburg’s half, passing the ball very quickly among each other, finally the ball dropped to Ninković. Ninković ran up on the left side, dribbled and shot, just barely missing the goal.
And here the referee sent off Andrija Živković.
The reason was simple, Žile touched the ball with his hand, and he already had a yellow card. He had to leave the field.

You rotten mafioso idiot referee, I hope you’re satisfied that you could turn off Partizan’s best player...

After this Andrija Živković was watching the game standing at the tunnel

(photo: mondo.rs)

In the 88th minute Brašanac got a fantastic pass. He run up all alone in the middle, shot, it was too high.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

The 89th minute brought the coup de grace.
Augsburg attacked, with the usual goalmouth scramble. Suddenly Caiuby headed the ball to Bobadilla. The Paraguayan had nothing else to do than walk into the net with it. He did so. 1:3
That was the end.
End of the game, end of all hopes.

(photos: hotsport.rs)

Here is a video about the moments right after the final whistle. It says more than any words.

I won’t put any video highlights here. Sorry. On one hand UEFA blocked all videos, as usual, on the other I just have no heart for that. If you want to see it, you can search for it, you’ll surely find it uploaded, if not else, then the goals.

Here I’d like to take the opportunity to congratulate Lazar Marković and Petar Škuletić that their teams (Fenerbahce and Lokomotiv Moscow) qualified to the 1/16 final of the Europa League. An extra high five to Markec for his fantastic goal.

After the game hell broke loose. Head coach Ljubinko Drulović plain and simply didn’t go to the post-match press conference. A few journalists could catch him as he tried to sneak out - he said something to them that he had a very important discussion with Iliev, that’s why he didn’t take part at the conference, then he disappeared.

WTF?... How?... And why?... It’s just impossible that the head coach deliberately misses out the press conference. No matter how many goals we get, no matter how deep is the shit we are in, the head coach must stand out and talk to the press. Responsibility, my ass...

After this even crazier rumours started to circulate. B92 talked about the entire Partizan-presidency resigning after the match. Though they added, these news are not confirmed. Unfortunately they are still not.

Rumours speak about raging Partizan-fans surrounding the club’s headquarters, demanding the resigning of the leadership. Press says the presidency collapsed for this heavy pressure and resigned. It smells a bit like Njuz.net, but if it really happens so, I’ll celebrate with champagne.

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 20 000
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (assistants: Alessandro Giallatini, Matteo Passeri - 4th assistant: Filippo Melli - goal line assistants: Marco Guida, Andrea Gervasoni) - ITA

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Bandalovski, Ćirković, Fabricio, Subić (Petrović, 64.) - Brašanac - A. Živković, Babović, Jevtović, Ninković (Grbić, 83.) - Aboubakar
Head coach: Ljubinko Drulović

FC Augsburg: Hitz - Verhaegh, Janker, Callsen-Bracker (Hong, 40.), Stafylidis (Max, 80.) - Koo (Caiuby, 60.), Baier, Trochowski, Ji - Bobadilla, Matavz
Head coach: Markus Weinzierl

Goal scorers: Aboubakar (11.), Hong (45+1.), Verhaegh (51.), Bobadilla (89.)
Yellow card: Ninković (36.), A. Živković (45+1), Bobadilla (90.)
Red card: A. Živković (80. - second yellow card)

FC Augsburg - FK Partizan 1:3 (UEFA Europa League, Round 2)

Before I start this match report: high five and hats off to Augsburg for this warm welcome. Fair play at its highest. I very much hope when Germans play in Belgrade, they’ll be received the same cordially.

(photo: Twitter)

The match was a completely surrealistic 90 minutes.

Augsburg attacked in the very first minute. Matavž (if I could see it well...) sent a distant shot to our goal line, Živko Živković saved.
Our answer came in the 2nd minute. Andrija Živković and his distant shot, but it was too high.
The first part of the match was awful. As if we would have gone out to the field without tactics. We passed the ball backwards, barely ever ahead. Augsburg was easy-going, playing football peacefully, we didn’t really interrupt them. In the 13rd minute the Bavarian team’s attack came on the right side, then their player shot the ball to the other side. After a goalmouth scramble the ball dropped to the middle. An Augsburg-player kicked it, but his shot hit a Partizan-defender. Finally it ended in a goal-kick.
A minute later Stevanović ran up with a great solo on the left. He reached Augsburg’s penalty area and shot. Goalkeeper Hitz saved.
In the 15th minute Andrija Živković passed to Babović in the middle, but the goalkeeper interrupted and caught the ball.

As if the entire team would have been put on Andrija Živković’s shoulders again... Every pass, every kick was sent to him.

In the 18th minute again Stevanović ran up with the ball on the left. He passed it to the other side to Aboubakar, but he was tackled.

During the tackle he got injured and had to come off. Bojinov was his substitute.

In the 21st minute Augsburg got a free kick, 17 metres from our goal line. Altintop stood behind the ball, his shot was too high.
Augsburg seemingly didn’t push themselves too much, as for us, we were fumbling, as usual, without any useful ideas.
In the 28th minute Bobadilla was dribbling in the middle and sent a distant shot to our goal. Živko Živković had a great save. Almost immediately came a pass from the left. Matavž headed it, Živko Živković saved it again.
Then in the 31st minute Babović passed the ball to the right to Andrija Živković. Žile ran up and sent a bomb shot from the penalty area line, right into the net. 0:1

In the 36th minute Augsburg got a free kick, 22 metres from the goal. Hong stood behind the ball, he shot, too wide. Two minutes later Augsburg attacked from the left. Altintop headed it to our goal, Živko Živković caught it.
In the 40th minute Feulner kicked a powerful shot from the distance, Živko Živković saved it.
At this point Augsburg put us under constant pressure. They wanted to equalize by all means, they possessed the ball a lot (61:39 was the ball possession ratio). At the very end of the first half they got a corner kick, Partizan defenders headed it out. The ball dropped to Feulner, he shot from the distance, but it was too high.
In the second half Augsburg kept on pressuring us. In the 47th minute a pass arrived from the left, to substitute player Esswein. He shot from 1-2 metres, Živko Živković saved it to corner.
In the 48th minute Bobadilla got the ball in our goalmouth. He was all alone, the assistant did not wave offside, yet the Spanish player started to fumble instead of shooting the ball into the net near Živko Živković, who ran out of the goalmouth. Finally, after long time he decided to shot, but he hit Partizan’s goalkeeper.
In the 53rd minute we got a corner kick, then immediately another. At this second one Ji somehow touched the ball and it got dropped into the net from his foot. Own goal. 0:2
In the 56th minute Bobadilla got the ball. He was again all alone, the assistant again didn’t wave offside. All doors and windows were open, but Bobadilla was just fumbling again, then he was tackled.
Two minutes later it was still him who scored for Augsburg. He got a pass from the left and sent it back to the left to Altintop. Altintop passed it back to him, Bobadilla shot and scored. 1:2
In the 62nd minute Babović kicked an Augsburg-player to the ground. The referee didn’t whistle. Jevtović got the ball, he passed it to Andrija Živković. Živković got it, thanked it, shot and the ball fell into the net. 1:3

Two minutes later Subić got a red card after pushing Esswein to the ground, for which he got his second yellow card. Augsburg got a free kick, 18 metres from our goal line. The shot was headed out by Partizan-defenders, but the German team still possessed the ball. Finally our defenders cleared the area.
In the 70th minute Max sent a shot to our goal after a corner kick, but it was too wide.
The home team put us under heavy pressure, while we played bunker football. In the 74th minute Augsburg got a free kick, 17 metres from our goal line, between the sideline and the penalty area line, on the left. Esswein got the ball, he shot, his attempt ended in a corner kick. The corner kick was headed to our goal by a home team player, Živko Živković saved.
In the 76th minute a pass arrived from the left. Ji headed it to our goal, it was too high. Two minutes later Bobadilla got the ball after a corner-kick. The Spaniard shot, but it was too high. In the 81st minute came another corner kick for Augsburg. Now Ji headed it, Živko Živković saved it.
In the 83rd minute we could break out of the bunker and made it to a corner kick, but Augsburg got bakc the ball and started a counter-attack. Bobadilla got the ball, he ran up, but he was kicked to the ground by Petrović. Free kick for Augsburg, 20 metres from our goal line, on the right. Trochowski got the ball, shot, Živko Živković punched it out.

In the 86th minute Beier got the ball, he shot, but he hit Živko Živković. A minute later Koo got a pass, he shot, the attempt ended in a corner kick.
Their last attempt was in the 89th minute. Trochowski sent a distant shot to our goal line, Živko Živković saved it.

Andrija Živković celebrating with fans

If there’s any video footage, I’ll update the post. Until then send flowers to Vazura and Vučelić and tell them how you love them.

Facts:

Venue: WWK Arena, Augsburg, Germany
Number of spectators: 23 000
Referee: Alexandru Tudor (assistants: Radu Ghinguleac, Vasile Florin Marinescu - 4th assistant: Ovidiu Artene - goal line assistants: Cristian Balaj, Radu Petrescu) - ROM

FC Augsburg: Hitz - Verhaegh, Hong, Callsen-Bracker (Trochowski, 75.), Feulner (Max, 46.) - Baier - Koo, Altintop, Ji - Bobadilla, Matavž (Esswein, 46.)
Head coach: Markus Weinzierl

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Vulićević, Balažic (Ostojić, 46.), Fabricio, Subić - A. Živković, Babović, Jevtović, Brašanac, Stevanović - Aboubakar (Bojinov, 22., Petrović, 66.)
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Goal scorers: A. Živković (31., 62.), Ji (54. - own goal), Bobadilla (58.)
Yellow cards: Jevtović (5.), Callsen-Bracker (16.), Vulićević (41.), Subić (56.), Hong (71.), Bobadilla (90+1.)
Red card: Subić (64.), second yellow card

Current standing of Group L:
1. Partizan 6 points
2. Athletic Bilbao 3 points
3. AZ Alkmaar 3 points
4. FC Augsburg 0 point

(unmarked photos: partizan.rs)

News

The football team has departed to clash with Bavarian team FC Augsburg tomorrow in the UEFA Europa League competition.

Still at the Belgrade airport, everything’s as usual. Balažic is optimistic, Andrija Živković is sleepy

HEY EVERYONE!!! GRBIĆ IS ALIVE!!!!

Travelling on the escalator is fun

Dear Everyone,

this photo is the essence of everything FK Partizan at this moment. Save this photo and keep it well so you’ll always be able to remember that even such things can happen

When one photo says more than 1000 words

In the meantime Živković woke up and now signing enthusiastically

At the airport in München

...wait a minute, we must buy some souvenir at the duty free shop...

(photos: partizan.rs)

The match starts tomorrow at 19:00. RTS 2 broadcasts it live from 18:45.

***

Now it’s official: two former players, Kosta Perović and Andrej Magdevski have returned to KK Partizan. Additionally two other players are also signed: TBB Trier’s Adin Vrabac and Aleksandar Cvetković - this latter one was put on loan by Crvena Zvezda to MZT Skopje, from there he signed to Partizan.
There are rumours that Danilo Anđušić might also return to Partizan, but so far there’s no official confirmation about it.
Adriatic League starts this week, KK Partizan plays on Friday at 21:00 against Metalac. ArenaSport 1 will broadcast it live.