Fan blog of Partizan Sports Society (JSD Partizan) in Belgrade, Serbia. Football, basketball, volleyball, handball, ice hockey, water polo, news, players, all that are a matter of curiousity.
A subjective blog. English is not my mother tongue.
English version of http://jsdpartizanfan.blogspot.com/
Vladimir Savanović finished 42nd out of 80 competitors in men’s 50 km race walk. Only 49 athletes could finish the race
salutations to the other Serbian, Predrag Filipović to also be able to cross the finish line
but racers freaked out completely by the 32 degrees Celsius and the 80 % humidity. It’s a miracle 49 people could finish it at all.
I caught an interview with Bence Venyercsány, the only Hungarian athlete, who could finish the race. He said (while trying to find his breath) that it was his toughest race ever, the heat was killer and the worst was seeing fellow athletes giving it up, one after the other, many of them collapsing while walking.
Big respect to every single athlete, but especially to Vladimir Savanović, who completed the race. You are all champions!
Here is Vladimir Savanović’s post-race message to the fans.
In the evening came the men’s basketball semifinal. Australia vs. Serbia.
The Serbian team washed off Australia with a fantastic, amazing game, winning to 61:87 and marching into the final.
First quarter: 5:16
Second quarter (half-time): 14:35
They had such a game that they could make even this at the end of the first half. Teodosić throws the ball, and then... ALLEEEEY-OOOOOP!
And it continued like this, until the final buzz. Great game, basketball gala, at the end Australians just had a dry smile on their faces while assisting for Serbia. The final will be on Sunday, Serbia plays against the United States for the Olympic championship title.
Congratulations and salutations to Tijana Bogdanović for the silver medal and Ivana Španović for the bronze!
Bogdanović clashed with Kim So-hui from South Korea in the final of women’s 49 kg tae-kwon-do. Getting to the Olympic final at the age of 18 is a victory in itself. For the next Games it will surely be a gold medal :)
Tijana Bogdanović on the podium
Ivana Španović finished 3rd in women’s triple jump with 7.08. Two Americans got the two other medals, the gold went to multiple world and Olympic champion Tianna Bartoletta (7.17), while also multiple world and indoor world champion Brittney Reese won silver (7.15).
Ivana Španović and her bronze jump
And now the best part: the Serbian basketball team WON over Croatia in a bloody battle and qualified to the semifinal!
In the first quarter Serbia was leading with one point (19:20), for the half-time it changed to 38:32. Then came the Raduljica-Bogdanović-Mačvan trio
PARTIZAN!!!
and brought up Serbia to 52:66.
In the last quarter the Croats clenched their teeth and came up to 72:74. Bogdanović was fouled out around the end. Croats were just one step behind Serbs (79:80). The last minute was about fouls and free throws only. The game was fragmented. Finally Serbia won to 83:86 scoring their last points only from free throws. (Adriatic League feeling...) In the semifinal they will play against Australia.
So, as it always is, a fan is following Partizan's former players in their new teams. On one hand, they are still Partizan's players, no matter if they happen to play even at the other side of the planet. They were, are and will always be Partizan-players. Period. On the other, it feels good to see them being successful abroad, fans like them there and they take part in their new teams' successes.
So, Average Fan is browsing on Facebook, seeing former players' new teams, and then gets this right in the face. Milan Mačvan and his new team, Olimpia Milano presented their kit for the 2015/16 season. There's nothing special in it at first. We got used to it, that's what everybody else is doing, some teams make it with less fireworks, some with more, some appear in all media, some just in a few.
But this.
This is what is based on fan service on the MAXIMUM. They don't want to lick the media's ass, they want to serve their supporters. They obviously had their rounds with the media, but they didn't forget about their fans.
What is more...
While Average Fan is just watching it from here, at the northern side of Balkans and gets pale from jealousy and enviousness.
This was the beginning, smiling for the media, modestly and seriously. At the same it can't remain unseen that Maki and former Zvezda-player Jenkins stand as far from each other as possible
Meanwhile fans were gathering outside, because the team built a stage out in the square...
...where the whole team drew up...
...and presented the new jersey kit for the hundreds of fans being there.
After this their MC-looking small forward, Bruno Cerella also talked to the fans
Then the whole team stood in a line, so that fans could take photos of them
What is more, MC Cerella took a selfie with them
Then they went to the fans to give autographs and hugs, and pose for selfies
What an experience it could be for children
Maki did his share, too
So, the average poor fan is just watching it with a bitter sigh. Yes, yes, we know, little money, little football, as the legendary football player Ferenc Puskás said it. But, goddamn it, you still imagine it with Milenko Tepić, or, God forbid, Dragan Milosavljević instead of that MC. Or let’s take a step even further, with Saša Ilić and the football team. And it wouldn’t be the question of money, but rather of creativity and attitude. Oh, and professionalism as well. You can see on these pictures what happens, when fans are the most important for a sports team, and their attitude reflects it. It's the team that is for the fans, not the fans are for the team.
Dear Ms. Biljana Obradović, I’m looking at you now. That’s how a sports team’s PR actually works. Everything, I repeat, EVERYTHING for the fans. Welcoming them with red carpet, pampering them, worshipping them, getting them involved in every single activity, as if we were really one big family. Not just using this "we are one big family" as a corny cliché, but actually doing it, living up to it. To make the fans see and feel they are important for the club and the club counts on them (and not just at times of financial troubles). Dear Ms. Obradović, being a PR-manager does NOT mean showing off like a silly Barbie-doll at every public event, but working very hard, in the background. For the fans. In every other case you're incompetent for your task and for your position.
All the very best to Milan Mačvan and Olimpia Milano for the upcoming season, especially for Euroleague. Idemo, forza!
WE WON!!!
WE QUALIFIED TO THE NEXT ROUND!!!
My God, what a game it was.
It contained everything that's needed for a great match. Drama, tension, death and resurrection.
There was an unbelievable full house in ul. Humska, so full that even the otherwise always locked northern tribune was open this time. And even that was full.
30 minutes to go and the stadium is already full
(photo: Twitter)
(screenshot)
There were quite a few famous guests at the VIP-section, e.g. former Partizan basketball player and trainer Željko Obradović, who is currently the head coach of Fenerbahce basketball team.
(photo: Twitter)
Nikola Peković was also present, whom fans call "Pekmen".
(photo: Twitter)
And there was someone else, too, who got a very warm welcome by fans.
Yes, it was Milan "Maki" Mačvan personally
(photo: mozzartsport.com)
Teams walked out to the pitch for a warming-up.
(photo: Twitter)
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
The referee was István Vad from Hungary.
(screenshot)
Who was this funny guy at UEFA who thought a Hungarian (!) should be the referee at a match between a Serbian (!!!!) and a Romanian (!!!!!!!!!!) team? Who was this perverted, crazy idiot? By the way, big congratulations to István Vad for his job at this not so easy game. He was stern, impartial (!) and consistent. And the most important is that he was invisible. Dear Mr. Referee, keep up this great job!
The full stands were watered from water-cannons against heat and heat-stroke.
The match started with a moment of silence for the memory of the victims of Operation Storm 20 years ago.
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
Then the match started. The Grave Diggers of the southern tribune performed an amazing coreography.
(photo: Twitter)
(photo: Twitter)
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
(photo: Twitter)
(photo: Twitter)
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
We attacked in the 2nd minute, the answer was a Romanian counter-attack. It was dangerous, not much would have been needed for a goal, but finally it ended as a corner.
In the 4th minute we were back again at Steaua's penalty area. Babović’s pass ended in a corner. There was a goalmouth scramble, then the ball dropped in front of Andrija Živković. From him it got to Balažic. He shot - the goalkeeper saved, but only 1-2 millimetres from the goal line.
Then in the 8th minute Vulićević ran up with the ball on the right and passed it to the middle. The ball hit the defenders and dropped in front of Babović. Babović wasted no time, he shot and scored a giant goal, right into the middle of the net.
1:0
1:0!!!
WE ARE LEADING!!!!
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
I have scolded Babović earlier quite a few times on this blog. You can decide yourself whether I was right or wrong. But it is a fact that on this match Babović played very well - independent of this goal or not. He ran a lot, passed a lot, dribbled, he was even there when building up attacks. Keep it up, Babinjo! We want more of this.
But the sad fact is that the fans’ happy screaming after the goal hasn’t faded away when Steaua equalized. They ran up on the right, passing the ball into the middle. A Partizan-defender headed it out, and the ball dropped in front of Muniru. The Ghanian player shot and scored. 1:1, cold shower, the bitter type.
Oh, well. Nothing is lost yet. In the 18th minute Aboubakar shot from 25 metres, but missed. Two minutes later he passed to Vulićević on the right side. Vulićević then passed it to Babović to the middle. Babović shot with a bicycle kick. Pity it was too wide, it could have been a spectacular goal.
The thing is, Romanian players weren’t so technically skilled, but they were very fast and made counter-attacks in a moment. They were also very aggressive, kicking and pulling Partizan-players to the ground. Despite this they got a free kick in the 25th minute, 22 metres from the goal line. Chipciu stood behind the ball, but his shot flew out above the crossbar.
A minute later Aboubakar got the ball. He passed it to the middle, but the Romanian defenders caught it and kicked it to their midfielders for a counter-attack. Tade got the pass at the corner of the penalty area. He shot, Živko Živković touched it, the ball hit the goalpost. Corner kick. Then another corner kick that flew out, far from the goal line. Goal-kick, for us.
In the 29th minute Steaua got another free kick, about 30 metres from the goal line, on the right side. The kick was headed to the goal line by Varela, but it was too hight.
In the 31st minute Vulićević got the ball and ran up immediately to the Romanian penalty area, but his pass was caught by the goalkeeper. A minute later Fabricio lost the ball. Hamroun grabbed it, ran up on the right side and passed to the middle. For our luck the attackers in the middle were too slow to kick or head it.
Then in the 33rd minute Romanians took the lead. Popa arrived on the right with the ball and passed it to the middle, where Hamroun was waiting. The French player got it, thanked and shot it into our net. 1:2
Collapse. Death. No, just no. I can’t believe it. There is always an icy hand around your heart when such a thing happens, then it slowly turns into anger. Average Fan made it through the entire scale of political incorrectness within a short period of time. In hindsight I feel ashamed; for my defense, in the heat of the match common sense has waved me goodbye quite early and travelled to the Bahamas, probably.
In the 38th minute we got a free kick, about 30 metres from the goal line, on the left. Babović stood behind the ball, he kicked..
...and scored!!! GOOOAAAAAL!!!!
No way. It was never a goal. At the moment of the kick the assistant waved offside. Bojinov got stuck in the front lines. The referee invalidated the goal. There was not even a chance to question it, the slow motion replay clearly showed the offside.
In the 42nd minute Romanians attacked again. Tade kicked it in from the left side, but thankfully the others were too slow for it. We immediately started a counter-attack. Aboubakar got the ball from Babović, but the goalkeeper ended their attempt.
Brašanac some time during the match against Brazilian player Guilherme
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
In the beginning of the second half the referee showed the red card to Varela in the 48th minute. The Cape Verde player pulled Brašanac to the ground, who was running up to the goal line. Foul as last person, plus inside the penalty area.
In the second half István Vad left his mild-tempered attitude in the locker-room and used a stern approach towards the rough Romanian players, who sometimes used acting (rolling on the ground with a painful face) to convince the referee about Partizan players’ alleged fouls. In the first half Vad just warned those who fouled, but in the second half he started using the cards.
Penalty for Partizan!
But we couldn’t stand up to kick it, because Varela didn’t want to walk off the ground, the referee had to push him towards the tunnel.
Then world peace was settled back. Bojinov stood behind the ball.
Whistle.
Bojinov ran up...
...and the ball hit the goalpost. Goalkeeper Cojocaru had a short dance of joy at the goal line.
Brain death. Catatonia. Someone, please, wake me up, it is surely just a bad dream.
But the match continued. About 10 minutes passed, both teams were continuously attacking. Referee Vad gave out 4 yellow cards to Steaua during these 10 minutes.
Then in the 57th minute Andrija Živković was kicked to the ground at the corner of the penalty arae. Free kick, Babović shot, the goalkeeper caught it.
And then came the 60th minute...
...AND GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!! 2:2!!!!!!!
Aboubakar passed the ball to the middle from the left, to Jevtović. Jevtović didn’t waste any time, but sent a 25-metre bomb shot to the goal line. And he scored!!!! And what a goal it was!!!! Oh, my God, what a goal! We equalized!!!
(photo: Google)
In the 61st minute Babović was brutally kicked to the ground. Free kick, from 30 metres. Fabricio stood behind the ball. Then "Fabi" shot, it was quite a good one, the flat shot was caught by Cojocaru. In the 63rd minute Tade broke out and ran up to the goal line all of a sudden. He shot, thankfully it was too wide. A minute later Steaua tried again. The ball came from the right, ending in a corner kick, which was kicked out by our defenders.
In the 65th minute Partizan got a free kick. Andrija Živković shot.
And at this moment the net died here (me too, a bit). It wasn’t too long, maybe only 3 minutes, but when connection got back to normal, I could see the referee invalidating a Romanian goal. The situation seemed to be the same as with Partizan in the first half: one of their players got stuck in an offside position. The standing was still 2:2.
Not for long.
In the 69th minute Aboubakar was dribbling on the left side, then passed to Andrija Živković.
AND ŽILE SCORED SUCH A FANTASTIC GOAL THAT MADE THE NET TORN TO PIECES!!!! 3:2, PEOPLE!!!! WE ARE ON THE LEEEEAAAAAAAD!!!!!
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
Oh. My. God. We came back from the grave.
In the 73rd minute Steaua got a free kick. Živko Živković caught the ball with a crushing elegance. The pace was quite fast even until now, but after the goal it got even faster. The Romanian team was fighting for their survival, while Partizan’s players got an extra amount of courage from the goal. Fans were chanting "Srbija, Srbija". We attacked more and more, Steaua got a bit stuck in their half. In the 84th minute Brašanac shot from the penalty area line, but it was too high. A minute later we ran up to a counter-attack after a corner. Andrija Živković had the ball with himself, but the referee whistled it off, Saša Ilić was on offside.
In the 89th minute Aboubakar got the ball on the left and ran up immediately. He dribbled and passed it to Andrija Živković. Žile also dribbled, then passed it back to the middle, but it was too long for Aboubakar.
This was the point when the 4th assistant raised the board showing that the extra time would be 5 minutes. Fans were booing and whistling, but afterwards we could see how these 5 minutes came to hand for us.
Such things come to light always in hindsight.
In the 90+1st minute we got a corner. This time it was just a short kick, then someone passed it to the middle. Trujić, who just joined the game as a substitute, headed it to the goal line. The goalkeeper saved, the ball dropped back to Trujić. This time he didn’t miss it out, but headed it into the net. 4:2
4:2!!!!!
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
Unbelievable, just unbelievable. We came back from death, performing such a resurrection that only Partizan can do.
There was a Steaua-attack left for the last minute, but Živko Živković saved it with a French-styled elegance. And then came the final whistle. WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE QUALIFIED!!!
Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 30 000
Referee: Istvád Vad (assistants: Péter Berettyán, László Viszokai - 4th assistant: Sándor Andó-Szabó) - HUN
FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Vulićević, Balažic, Fabricio, N. Petrović - Brašanac, Jevtović - Aboubakar, Babović (Trujić, 90.), A. Živković - Bozsinov (S. Ilić, 60.)
Head coach: Zoran Milinković
That’s it, folks. It’s needless to attenuate it. We failed at the basketball final and lost the championship title.
We can analyze it though. We can blame the terrible financial state of the team, we can blame all the injuries, we can call it bribe, we can shame the absolutely not impartial referees, we can even call political tailwind. The fact will still remain fact. We could not win even one game during the final.
At the beginning we warmed up.
Little Mara, everyone’s angel helped Marinković to warm up
A handful of Partizan-fans were allowed only, but they overscreamed red fans even in the beginning, holding torches, making smoke. In the first quarter the two teams battled bitterly with clenched teeth. It was a nip and tuck game, the standing was 16:16 soon before the end. There was a great fight on the court, Zvezda pressured one more basket into the ring (18:16), the end result of the quarter was 18:17 after Marinković scored 1 from free throw.
In the beginning of the second half we took the lead. Milutinov dunked Pavlović’s rebound. What is more, Milosavljević scored a giant 3-pointer from at least 8 metres (18:22). In the meantime Pavlović was wrestling with two Zvezda-players. The referee didn’t whistle, instead he let Zvezda equalize. That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it, Mr. Referee?... (22:22) Never mind, Mačvan took us back the lead (22:24). Kalinić rubbed himself to Pavlović with a homoerotic twerking, hoping for the referee to whistle foul (he did). Despite all we kept our advantage. At 23:26 Andrić scored a 3-pointer (23:29). Kalinić took full advantage of the "moron idiot" mode, but eventually he was freaked out when the referees validated Andrić’s next score (23:31), even though he, or rather He, Nikola Kalinić personally smashed the ball off the backboard, just when it was about to fall into the ring. (Rules of basketball say it clearly: when the ball is about to fall into the ring, but an opponent player blocks it right before it touches the ring, it must be still validated as a regular score.) Mitrović also yelled at Andrić after referees whistled the 3rd foul on Zvezda’s player. Yet this was the point when the fuse was blown for the referees. They gave a lot of free throws to Zvezda while whistling foul for Partizan-players, one after the other. Zvezda reduced the difference to 27:31. At this point Mačvan, Milosavljević and Milutinov put their reserve energies into action and increased the difference to 27:37. Our advantage was 10 points. We could have made it for the half-time, but referees just had to whistle a free throw for Zvezda right before the buzz. (28:37)
Fans again sent their greetings to everyone
When 3rd quarter started, the stream collapsed. A desperate search for a working one started - thanks to KLS’s stream I could see Zvezda brutally reduced their difference.
I wish I didn’t see that.
At first it was 33:39
at this point I found ArenaSport 2’s stream, thank God. I watched the first half on RTS - their speaker was beneath criticism
then it was 44:44. What the hell was going on?... Did these red-white striped trolls lick plutonium in the locker-room during half time or what?...
And then came the coup de grace. Right at the buzz.
The referees validated it. Rules say, if the player drops the ball, and the ball leaves his hands still before the buzz, the score must be validated. Well, after numerous re-watching I’m still not sure whether Zirbes threw the ball before or after the buzz. I admit though, I’m not impartial.
We finished the third quarter with 46:44.
It quickly became 48:44. Kalinić pushed Mačvan to the floor within the paint, but the referees didn’t mind it. We kept the pace even though everything was against us. Red fans yelled disgusting swearings on Partizan-players, referees openly favoured Zvezda, but despite all we kept ourselves to 50:48. Again it looked like whenever we had a chance to reduce the difference, equalize, or God forbid, took back the lead, Zvezda immediately got a free throw gift to keep them safe. That’s how 50:48 quickly became 54:48. Yet when Tepić was pushed down to the ground heavily, and someone from Zvezda squeezed the ball out of his hands, nobody whistled (maybe only Partizan-fans, as the sign of their disapprove). But when someone from Partizan wanted to tackle Kalinić, referees immediately whistled foul. There were only 9 seconds left. We got a free throw. Milosavljević stood to the paint.
And a rotten bastard from the red mass dazzled him with a laser pointer. The green laser dot was clearly seen in the replay.
May your hand rot off your arms, you lousy moron, who did it.
The Captain missed out the first throw, well, no wonder. He scored from the second. 56:54.
9 seconds left. Hell broke loose on the court. Players were wrestling and fighting. And in the very last moment referees gave a free throw to Zvezda, because it couldn’t have happened any other way.
58:54.
The end.
Players went up to the tribune among fans at the end
They were a bit out of clothes when they walked back to the locker-room, but this time nobody bothered
Mačvan will not stay at Partizan. He himself announced, he’d play at another team in the next season (no details yet).
Rumours say, Dragan Milosavljević might also leave for Spain
