Yesterday’s match blew the fuse for many fans. The editors of volimpartizan.net wrote an open letter, of which I try to write here the extract. The whole text (in Serbian) can be
read here.
It’s quite long even this way, but it is worth to read the whole.
The editors of this homepage of Partizan fans feel the need to address the public and demand in the name of all loyal Partizan fans the immediate dismissal of the team’s management as well as the head coach.
We do it in the name of all fans who truly supports Partizan and who, in the light of previous results, feel hurt seeing all that happens on and out of the field.
What we see now is NOT FK Partizan. Bobek, Moca, Mance, Mijat and the still active Saša Ilić were not, is not fighting for this.
At this moment FK Partizan consists of a bunch of self-styled white-collars, who gave evidence of only their incompetence during their 9 months of reign. The leadership pushed the team on the verge of ruins, their functioning lacks every logical steps up to now. After selling Nikola Drinčić, Branko Ilić, Danko Lazović, Petar Škuletić and Aleksandar Mitrović as well as UEFA’s support for the Europa League there should be more than 10 million euros on Partizan’s bank account. From this money Partizan spent 0 (zero) euros to investment. At the same time they signed only players of free agents. The current leadership follows the policy of the previous one. We don’t even want to give any thought what will remain from the club after those who are currently in power.
The management made evidence of minimal competence during the summer and winter transfer season. As if they would have someone else’s interests in their minds instead of Partizan, as if someone, or someones would control the happenings outside of Stadion JNA. When the current leadership took over authority, Partizan was a serious team that needed only a little investment to be a successful club, even by European standards. Players put their heart out to the field, they were willing to die for the club and all of them understood the responsibility of wearing Partizan’s jersey. These all brought success.
Then came the new leadership and destroyed everything with a stroke of a pen, all that was built through the years before them: positive atmosphere, fellowship and winning attitude. During the winter transfer season they sold out half the team, and when after this (otherwise absolutely predictably) the first failures showed up, they immediately discharged Marko Nikolić. During the summer transfer season they sold out the other half of the club. The new ones were proven to be not better than reserve players. The question is now why the money, that these newcomers get as salary, could not be given to e.g. Danko Lazović, Branko Ilić and Nikola Drinčić? They all honestly had Partizan at heart, but the new leadership ruined them financially.
Then there is Zoran Milinković. We can’t not see the connection between him and the current management. Back then Vuk Rašović was discharged for the lack of good results (the former leadership did everything though for these not good results). Then came Marko Nikolić and it seemed he would pull the team out of chaos. Now we have Zoran Milinković. Since he’s been the head coach, Partizan has a 9-point-drawback compared to the eternal rival. We have only 2 points of advantage compared to the team on the 8th place - in the new championship system the 8th place is the lowest place to be still able to qualify to the play-offs. The question is, why does the leadership use double standars? Why can Zoran Milinković stay on Partizan’s bench? Why does he have support of the entire management? Or from now on the perfect head coach of Partizan will be only that person who watches without a word how the management destroys the team, without raising his word, as they sell out players?
Marko Nikolić was discharged after 3 draws - and these were matches he could not take part in as a head coach. With Zoran Milinković we lost the cup final, we were eliminated from Champions League, we lost at the eternal derby, producing the worst championship the past 25 years... as if the head coach would be giving the title to the eternal rival with one of his hands. And despite all he is still on Partizan’s bench. We demand in the name of all Partizan-fans the immediate discharge of Zoran Milinković as well as the resignation of the entire management led by Zoran Popović.
Currently Partizan is 3rd on the league table, which is inacceptable. It’s still September, but even now it seems we lost this championship. During the summer transfer season we could not sign one normal defender, midfielder and striker (only one left back arrived, but then it was already too late), that’s why we were eliminated from CL. The head coach forces the same tactics on every match, with the same players, while putting players in and out of the team without any logics, even those who performed well on previous games. For this reason numerous players are worn out, even though we didn’t even reach the middle of the autumn season.
Volimpartizan.net has certain informations in their possession that say, nobody wants to take on the position of Partizan’s head coach, because nobody would bear the pressure of the leadership for too long.
Some say, even Darko Milanič was asked to accept the position, but the veteran coach declined it without hesitation.
After we lost the eternal derby, Veljko Paunović’s name showed up as a possible new head coach. It finally didn’t happen, because due to Paunović he would not have been guaranteed that freedom he needs for his work. Nobody, neither young and beginner, nor older and experienced coaches want to accept the position. Behind it all there is one person, Miloš Vazura. He and Milorad Vučelić embody that ordeal Partizan is undergoing now, they are those who keep only their own interest in mind while not willing to guarantee the independence of the coaching staff.
Partizan is going through the worst crisis of their history, and there is only one solution for this: everyone who is responsible for this even just a bit, must immediately leave the club. The team needs a new start, with new people, until it’s not too late, until we can save this season, at least on the European level. That’s why we demand in the name of all loyal Partzan fans the instant discharge of the head coach and the leadership.
In this society filled with corruption, incompetence and injustice we call all loyal Partizan-fans. Don’t watch passively as your beloved club fall into ruins! Partizan will be 70 years old this year. It could survive this long only by your love and loyalty. Now the club needs you even more than ever, please, stand up for it, don’t let it get ruined! Let’s not allow to ruin all that fame, glory and honour that we built up during these 70 years. Changes are inevitable. Partizan can’t wait any longer. Partizan must wake up instead of falling into coma.
Grave Diggers, don’t let your beloved team down, don’t let their history and your love for them get ruined! Don’t let Partizan down!
