Scandalous, interrupted presidental (non-)election - a usual day in the office for FK Partizan’s management

FK Partizan’s management had decided to elect a new president on 24th May. Ivan Ćurković, who’s been currently reigning, functions only as a commissioned president after kicking out the resign of Zoran Popović. The leadership thought this was the right time to elect a new boss.
First there was a great hype around it. The entire assembly was taken to the Zemun training complex, but what was surely the best, it was all broadcasted live on Youtube.
Oh, by the way, journalists were banned out from the event.
What we knew earlier was that there were two presidential candidates, Ivan Ćurković and Nenad Bjeković.

Seriously, was there nobody better?

The scandal started at the arrival of the members. First security guards didn’t want to allow Ostoja Mihajlović to enter. Mihajlović allegedly threatened to call the police, if he was not allowed inside.
In the meantime Partizan’s legendary players arrived, one after the other: Momčilo Vukotić, Ivica Kralj, Savo Milošević, Zvonko Varga, Zvonko Živković (to name a few) and the crowd grew bigger and bigger at the entrance gate. There was candidate Nenad Bjeković among them, too, but if you watched well, you could see Dragan Đurić as well.
Needless to say, the media LOVED the scene, cameras were all on target.

Then finally they were allowed, except for Ostoja Mihajlović.

Bjeković arrives with his hangers-on

(photo: mondo.rs)

At the building’s entrance door security guards checked everyone with metal detectors.

"Everyone" means everyone

(photo: Twitter)

There were many security guards around. As if politicians would have visited SC Teleoptik’s training field, yet in reality just a bunch of demimonde mafiosi Partizan’s leadership wanted to elect a new president.

Rumours talk about Bjeković asking the Serbian police minister to send security guards to Zemun, because, as he said "certain forces will surely cause incidents to make the assembly unable to vote".

Guards with dogs

(photo: informer.rs)

Before the start the opponents led by Bjeković met Vuletić to discuss the case of Ostoja Mihajlović, whether they should let him inside or not. (To be very honest, as my Serbian is still not enough to understand the entire discussion here, I can guess what they were all about. One thing is sure though, Vuletić loves to hear his own voice.)
I made a couple of screenshots.

Since when resembles Vuletić the love child of Jabba and Winnie the Pooh?

When great minds (mwahaha) meet

Then this company entered the chamber. Vuletić grabbed the microphone to open the election.
I swear, they didn’t need more than two minutes to end up yelling and cursing. If I understood well, the problem was that the supporters of Bjeković wanted to have the floor, but Vuletić denied their request saying there was no time for that.
Hell broke loose. Some shouted "it’s unbelievable", "it’s impossible", "it’s mafia". First Savo Milošević had an outburst.

Then Zvonko Varga had a bitter shoutout demanding more respect for former players.

At this point they wanted to vote for validating the election board, but instead Dragan Đurić literally yelled off Miloš Vazura, who was standing at the microphone.

Vazura couldn’t keep things under his control. I didn’t even know this man was this nervous and frustrated and can’t handle conflicts this much.

Then Momčilo Vukotić and Milan Obućina had a short, but very heated argument.

For God’s sake, it was embarrassing and shameful for ME to see the club’s legends getting into such an undeserved situation.

Meanwhile Vazura threw a tantrum demanding to get Đurić out of the room, because he (allegedly) cursed Vazura’s mother.

Just my two cents: being Vazura’s mother is a curse in itself. Let’s not hurt the elderly lady even more.

Then Savo Milošević almost had a physical fight with Milan Obućina. Finally Gordan Petrić had to grab and pull away Milošević before hitting Obućina. (Later Bjeković tried to calm Milošević down.)

(photo: zurnal.rs)

Then the assembly was about to vote, but there were a few people who were present with power of attorney (e.g. Mile Jovičić among others, who had the power of attorney of Tomislav Karadžić). At this point another verbal karate started, because some claimed those with power of attorney should not vote, their votes are invalid. They came up with FSS’s regulations which forbid such "remote" voting. The opposition argued that voters with power of attorney could vote at the previous presidental election without problem. Finally after long struggle they agreed that power-of-attorney-bearers can also vote.
You can watch the entire show here:

At this point came the most normal point of this whole circus. Gordan Petrić had the floor and spoke.

"First, I’d like to congratulate to the team for winning the Cup and being able to enter Europa League. The credit goes to Ivan Tomić and his coach staff to make the team stable. Now, people, what’s going on here? I see people turning against each other who have been friends for 30 years, whom I looked up on, when I was a child. And these people can’t agree on a single thing now! I beg you to co-operate and help Partizan, and if it’s not possible, then I walk out, grow a long beard and move to the mountains instead."

He got a big applause.
Then Vučelić spoke, thankfully it was short. He practically left the chair saying that it’s impossible to work under such circumstances.

That’s all for now, but it’s surely not the end yet.

149th eternal derby: Crvena Zvezda - FK Partizan 3:1 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 9)

In a short, laconic style: it was a catastrophe. The match was a catastrophe for us, we played catastrophal, with catastrophal tactics (if we had any tactics at all), and it is very painful to say, but we deserved this defeat.
In the 2nd minute Aboubakar could run up with the ball on the right. He did so, he shot, it was too high.
In the 5th minute Kátai got the ball and sped up towards our goal line. He passed it to the middle, where the ball dropped away in the goalmouth and rolled out of the field through the line, thankfully. A minute later Andrija Živković got a huge pass from Saša Ilić on the right. He shot, the goalkeeper saved it, ending the attempt in a corner.
In the 9th minute Portuguese player Vieira passed the ball to Srnić. Partizan’s defense line got dropped behind (Balažic was laying on the ground after being kicked down). Živko Živković rushed out of the goalmouth and saved.

(photo: partizan.rs)

The game was more or less equal in the first 15 minutes with combative battles, sometimes with exciting, spectacular scenes. Then Partizan started to get stuck into their half, around their penalty area slowly but surely. In the 21st minute Petković got the ball on the right side and shot. The ball rolled away, passing through our goalmouth.
Three minutes later we got a free kick, 30 metres from the goal. The kick arrived inside the penalty area, Aboubakar headed it, right onto the side net.
Then in the 27th minute Zvezda attacked in the middle. Vieira suddenly broke out of the defenders’ ring, left them all behind and shot the ball right into the net next to Živko Živković. 1:0
As for us, we made it to the classic bunker football.
In the 29th minute we got a free kick, 25-30 metres from the goal line, in the middle. Babović stood behind the ball and shot it so high that he surely hit a cloud in the sky.
A minute later Zvezda had free kick time. 25 metres, left side. The ball rolled through our penalty area, through the line, out of the field.

Partizan-fans mocking the home team and their management

(photo: Twitter)

In the 34th minute Kátai got a pass on the right side. He shot it to the middle, where Vieira was waiting for it. Živko Živković saved near the right goalpost, just a few millimetres from the goal line.
In the 36th minute we got a corner kick. Andrija Živković shot, Balažic headed it to the goal, but it was too high.
Meanwhile the bunker got more and more suffocative. We got stuck to our half for long minutes. We could break out only in the 42nd minute, when Stevanović sent a fantastic pass to Aboubakar. The Cameroonian striker ran up, kicked the ball to the middle, where Stefanović was waiting. He shot, but it was way too high.
Finally in the 45th minute, almost at the end of the first half Babović forwarded a pass to Stevanović in the middle. Stevanović got it, thanked it and walked into the net with the ball. GOOOOAAAAAAAL!!!! 1:1!!!

(photo: partizan.rs)

Right in the beginning of the second half Aboubakar got the ball and ran up in the middle. He dribbled himself through the defense line and passed to Stevanović. Stevanović shot, the goalkeeper saved. A minute later Srnić got a pass on the left side. The slow motion replay made it look as if Srnić played a bit of handball before shooting, nevertheless the referee didn’t whistle, and Srnić missed out the chance.
In the 49th minute Vieira got the ball. The Portuguese player shot from 20 metres, all of a sudden.
And he scored. The ball dropped into the net as if it was a ripened pear. 2:1, shock, then wild and loud cursing.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

And it didn’t stop.
55th minute. Kátai gets the ball

or rather someone from Partizan lost it, Kátai just found it

dribbled - he could do it, nobody ever interfered. Then at 16 metres he sent a bomb shot, right into the middle of our net. 3:1

That’s all, folks. We can even go home now...

Fans of the home team made a bonfire. For this the match was halted for a few minutes, thick smoke covered the field.

We used the smoke-pause to consume some water

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

In the 62nd minute Zvezda got a free kick, 25 metres from our goal line, in the middle. Ibánez stood behind the ball, he shot, missed.
No need to attenuate it: these two quick goals had the effect of a cold shower on us. Everyone was nervous, kicking Zvezda-players to the ground. Zvezda took control in their hands, they dictated the pace, they fought, so, in a word, however much it hurts, they were better than us. The next 10 minutes were about us trying desperately to attack, and Zvezda deactivating us.

Maybe Ibánez wanted to take Andrija Živković’s jersey home as a souvenir

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

We were weak, we lacked ideas and as the second half passed by, we got more and more apathetic. Finally in the 72nd minute substitute player Bojinov tried to shake up the team somehow. He shot from 18 metres, the goalkeeper saves with a great movement.
Partizan was struggling and suffering. It was very sad to see, I think you know what I’m talking about.
In the 80th minute Aboubakar got a huge pass from Bojinov. He ran up, all doors and windows were open, Aboubakar shot... and it was too high.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

It was a physical pain to watch this match. Seriously.
Finally, in the 90+2nd minute Leković got a fantastic ball from Ninković, who kicked it across the field. Leković shot, it was too high.
Then it ended.

Grave Diggers during the match. They were much more spectacular than the game

(photos: Twitter)

There are still a lot of burning questions.
I try to be as short as possible.
- What were the tactics the head coach sent the players out to the field with? Have there been any tactics at all?
- What the hell is Babović doing in the team?
- Why did Šaponjić not play at all? Any trainer in the world would give an arm for a player with a quality like him. Here he is molding on the bench, with barely any chance to play.
- What is the reason behind these lot of new players that were brought here recently? Why don’t we put our own players and/or those who worked excellent earlier, but the management either put them on loan or they are used as bench-warmers. Why do Bandalovski, Luka, Ninković, Šaponjić, Bogosavac and the others barely or never get any chance?
- Saša Ilić. I can talk about them only with the highest respect and praise. He can be talked and mentioned only with the highest respect and praise. He is a living legend. Being almost 40 he is still playing at league games. But maybe he too feels that it is soon time to give his place to younger players.

(photo: partizan.rs)

He has all my respect. Really. Whenever I talk about him, I do it with standing in attention, saluting with my hand. But it couldn’t remain unseen at previous games, that Saša Ilić plays it more and more in the pace of a veteran player. Against smaller teams it’s not much a big deal, but at such a game, and especially at European competitions it’s not enough.

- Why is Zoran Milinković still on the bench? Why did he not pack up yet and went back to Voždovac together with his hangers-on?
- Why have the management not left ul. Humska yet and gone to hell, once and for all?
- When will they come back?... :(

At the end, here is the tweet of the day, from Andrija Živković.

Čestitam mojim drugarima i saigračima iz Zvezde na zasluženoj pobedi! Samo ću kratko reći, večeras nije bio moj i naš dan! #derbi #czv #fkp

— Andrija Zivkovic (@JustAndrija) September 12, 2015

"Congratulations to my friends and fellow sportsmen at Zvezda for the well-deserved victory! I’ll be short, tonight was not my day, nor ours!"

That’s what we call fair play.

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Rajko Mitić Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 35 000
Referee: Milorad Mažić (assistants: Milovan Ristić, Dalibor Đurđević - 4th assistant: Nemanja Petrović - goal line assistant: Danilo Grujić, Nenad Đokić)

Crvena Zvezda: Kahriman - Petković (Luković, 86.), Pavićević, Jovanović, Ibánez - Donald, Grujić - Plavšić (Ristić, 74.), Kátai, Srnić - Vieira (Sikimić, 68.)
Head coach: Miodrag Božović

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Vulićević, Balažic, Ćirković, Leković - Babović (Ninković, 86.), Brašanac - A. Živković, S. Ilić (Jevtović, 74.), Stevanović (Bojinov, 64.) - Aboubakar
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Goal scorers: Vieira (27., 49.), Stevanović (45.), Kátai (55.)
Yellow cards: A. Živković (33.), S. Ilić (37.), Grujić (37.), Brašanac (52.), Balažic (69.), Leković (77.), Srnić (87.), Pavićević (88.)

League table comes tomorrow, there are quite a few matches from this round left.

Zvonko Varga discharged

Zvonko Varga was sent off from Partizan’s coach staff after Marko Nikolić. The news is not even official yet, but the facts that the new trainer Zoran Milinković just announced his second trainers today and Zvonko Varga was not among them, what is more, he is even deleted from the coaching staff page of the team’s website speak for itself.

You get what I mean. No press release, nothing. All in stealth mode. Not even a thank you.

Before anyone would complain saying that the new coach has the right to bring his own staff: yes, he indeed does have the right. Fans also have the right to get informations about the changes instead of putting events together as if it was a puzzle game, because the management has been suffering from the worst complication of amateurism. It's called dilettantism, while staying silent, not speaking a word, launching their worst Hollywood-styled satellite smile, claiming that everything is going the finest.

Let's see things, one after the other.
Zvonko Varga earned two championship titles in the 80's as a player before signing to Standard Liége in 1986. Here are the highlights of the 1986 Dinamo Zagreb - FK Partizan derby, that was won solely by Varga. (And those goals...)

As a trainer he spent 6 seasons on the bench, winning the championship title 3 times. He worked with the most different trainers, with Lothar Matthäus, Vladimir Vermezović, Vuk Rašović and of course with Marko Nikolić, among others.
And now he is elbowed into the corner, as if he was some piece of furniture. Some say, he'll be put back to Teleoptik, where he used to be a trainer earlier.

If I was malicious, I'd say, it was all made up to prevent him to start talking and the public would get to know interesting things about the new management, maybe even about how Nikolić was discharged. What keeps on bothering me is this unbelievable and disgusting dilettantism, this backboneless attitude, when it is not simply the lack of professionalism, but they don’t even try to show any seriousness. The only thing that matters is who is whose family member, friend, neighbour, servant, vassal, etc. It doesn’t matter if the person in question is an expert or not. It doesn’t matter if the person in question has experience, committment, routine or results. Even the team doesn’t matter. It clearly doesn’t. All their gestures speak loudly that they take players only as living chess pieces. Fans don't count at all, even if, for God's sake, it's still the fans that keep the club alive, not Čika Acika’s slowly dropping state money.
Apropos, Čika Acika. Of course I’m talking about Vučić, even if I made a vow never to talk about politics. When this terrible, slimy attitude, this "washing my hands" way of thinking, that shifts the blame to others, that is so typical to the highest political circles appears in the club's management, I can't help but think it all has a political tail-wind. And the goal of it all is to discredit Partizan. This awful, dilettant attitude can be found in the political leadership as well as in the team's. What happens in big, happens in little, too. There are these overlord-vassal relations at everywhere, and the worst is that nothing helps against them. None of these rats can be bombed out of their places, not even with a nuke, because the network of friends, family members, vassals, servants and most different servile idiots is too strong. Even if one of them would resign (with or without external pressure), another would immediately get his place. Well, in case they would resign at all, because they would surely keep on lobbying at their political connections until being assured in their position forever.
As long as it's going like this, nothing will change. Until this pussy-lipped whore openly Crvena Zvezda-fan Vučić and his vassals are in power, that Vučić, who was whining in public for not being able to do anything to make a law for the privatization of sports teams, because pleasedearvotersunderstanditistotallyimpossible, meanwhile he occupies every media station in the country, do you know, dear fellow fans, what will we get?
A middle finger, spiced with Čika Acika’s greasy, red-white smile. Maybe we can scream "Vučiću pederu" or "Uprava napolje".

As for Zvonko Varga...

Dear Maestro,
Thank you very very much for all your struggles, your commitment and work that you did with unbreakable faith even when the wind was blowing against you. I very much hope we can see you again soon on Partizan's bench. Maestro, you are not just an old souvenir that the owner simply throws away, getting bored to see it daily. I believe, and I hope many other fans also believe justice, commitment and skill eventually win over lies, backbonelessness and slyness.
We are waiting for you to come back, Maestro.

Actually, we wait for both of you to come back

(photo: sribjadanas.com)

There is something extra for the end of this post.
As I discussed it in the beginning, the new trainer, Zoran Milinković brought his staff with himself. One of them is Zoran Lončar, former player and second trainer of OFK Beograd, his last workplace was the bench of Voždovac. The other one is Ilija Stolica, he has never worked as a trainer yet. Not even at an U6 or U16 team. His "training experience" section is as white as the fresh snow.

Before someone would ask me "but where are the trust and credit?", my answer is "there are none, there haven't been any at all".

Donji Srem - FK Partizan 1:2 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 18)

The team ran out to the field and immediately grabbed Donji Srem at their throat. Right in the 3rd minute Ninković got a chance. Drinčić had a free kick on the right side, the ball was tossed out by defenders. One of the Partizan-players (Branko Ilić?) caught it and kicked it back to the goalmouth. Ninković was waiting there, made a movement trying to flick the ball into the net, but the goalkeeper made a great save.
The home team slowly got stuck on their own half and stayed there for most of the first half. Partizan kept on attacking, in the 14th minute Balažic sent an excellent pass to Saša Ilić. He dribbled himself through the defense line of Donji Srem up to the penalty area and gave the ball to Kojić, who was waiting there. Kojić shot, but goalkeeper Belić was right in the ball’s way. Two minutes later Babović got the ball from Ninković. He shot, but the goalkeeper saved this one, too. We still possessed the ball. Ninković got it, he tricked Donji Srem’s defenders with marvellous "umbrella" dribbles, then made a distant shot to the goal line. Pity it was too wide, it could have been a giant goal.

Ninković was one of the best players of the match. On this photo one of the little ball-boys is giving him the ball

The 17th minute was the moment when Donji Srem could reach Partizan’s penalty area for the first time. But even then it was just some minor demonstration by them, Živko Živković had absolutely nothing to do.
A minute later Saša Ilić ran up on the left side and wanted to pass the ball to Grbić, but a defender was faster and headed the ball to corner. In the 20th minute we got a free kick, about 22-25 metres from the goal line. Kojić headed the shot towards the goal line, but he missed it, yet we still possessed the ball. Ninković was dribbling around the penalty area, it ended with a corner.

Forever young Zvonko Varga. I always have the impression he could still play quite a few youngsters off the ground

In the 23rd minute again Ninković rushed up and passed to Saša Ilić. He sent it to Kojić, the striker wanted to shot the ball into the net with a cool "Oxford" trick, but this chance was missed as well. In the 29th minute Ninković gave a fantastic pass to Babović, who missed it from the goalmouth. A few seconds later Volkov sent a shot again from the goalmouth, right onto the side net.
In the 33rd minute Donji Srem was again seen around Partizan’s penalty area, but Branko Ilić soon made their fun to an end.
And then came the 36th minute.
Ninković ran up on the left side and sent a giant pass to Kojić. Kojić thanked and walked into the net together with the ball.
GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!! 0:1!!!

For the rest of the first half there was a missed chance by the home team, saved by Živko Živković as well as a Partizan free kick that also missed the goal line.

A little ball-boy

At the very beginning of the second half Saša Ilić got a chance, but his shot flew out above the crossbar. Meanwhile Donji Srem started to break free from the bunker, slowly but surely. They possessed the ball more and more and appeared around Partizan’s penalty area. They had a dangerous attack in the 56th minute

I almost got a heart attack

the ball arrived from the right, our luck was that everyone missed it and it rolled out of the field through the line.
In the 57th minute we had a short smoke break, a firecracker flew onto the field. The game continued a minute later with a free kick by the home team. Košutić was trying around the penalty area, his shot was too wide.
The next approx. 10 minutes were spent by Donji Srem trying more and more brave. Still Partizan controlled the game, but the home team could run up to our goal line more and more often. Then in the 68th minute Kojić ran up with the ball on the right side and passed it with a fantastic movement to Ninković. It ended as a corner. Three minutes later Donji Srem was trying, but the referee whistled offside.

Živko Živković

Then in the 74th minute Saša Ilić got the ball and passed it ahead (to Babović?). Then Volkov got it, who started to run up and served the ball on red carpet, with golden plate to Kojić arriving in the middle. The striker nodded, the ball landed in the net. 0:2
In the 77th minute Donji Srem reduced the difference. A not much precise pass arrived from the left in the middle of the penalty area. Yet, Špalević was at the right place in the right time. He made a shot with a half-turn and the ball flew into the net near Živko Živković, who tried to throw himself inot the ball's way, unsuccessful. 1:2

I'd say it was a beautiful goal, but I won't, because it wasn't scored by Partizan.

In the 79th minute Andrija Živković substituted Saša Ilić

The fans were singing and chanting "Jer je Sale samo jedan".
A minute later it was almost 2:2, and I don’t say our defense line would have been innocent... Finally they cleared the area, it ended in a corner. In the 83rd minute we got a free kick, about 18 metres from the goal line, on the left side. The goalkeeper was flying through the air to save it.

In the meantime it happened twice that a Partizan player was pushed to the ground inside the penalty area. No, the referee didn't whistle...

In the 88th minute Drinčić had a free kick bomb, Balažic headed it ahead, but the ball flew out above the crossbar. In the 90th minute Donji Srem got a free kick, after one of their players theatrically threw himself on the ground.

The, ahem, foul happened at the penalty area line, but Živko Živković made a great save.
We were in the extra time when someone from the tribunes was trolling, imitating the final whistle. There was a big chance for Donji Srem left, then the final whistle could really come together with the well-deserved celebrating.

Match highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Karađorđe Stadion, Novi Sad
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Bojan Nikolić (assistant: Srđan Milutinović, Milan Minić - 4th assistant: Jovica Milin - goal line assistants: Majo Vujović, Ilija Brdar)

Donji Srem: Belić - Lakičević, Prjević, Vukobrat, Josimov - Košutić (Stanković, 69.), Šarac - Abubakar, Jelić (Hristov, 85.), Obuobi  (Sinđić, 85.) - Špalević
Head coach: Zlatomir Zagorčić

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Bandalovski, Balažic, B. Ilić, Volkov - Drinčić, S. Ilić (A. Živković, 78.) - Grbić, Babović, Ninković (Brašanac, 69.) - Kojić (Šaponjić, 90+2.)
Head coach: Marko Nikolić

Goal scorers: Kojić (35., 73.), Špalević (76.)
Yellow card: Abubakar (18.), Josimov (43.), Babović (59.), Volkov (80.)

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 43 pont
2. Crvena Zvezda 39 pont
3. Čukarički 35 pont
4. Vojvodina 33 pont
5. OFK Beograd 26 pont
6. Rad 25 pont
7. Novi Pazar 24 pont
8. Jagodina 24 pont
9. Mladost 22 pont
10. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 21 pont
11. Napredak 19 pont
12. Donji Srem 19 pont
13. Borac 17 pont
14. Radnički Niš 17 pont
15. FK Voždovac 17 pont
16. Radnički 1923 11 pont

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

FK Partizan - FK Voždovac 3:3 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 16)

There are these occasions, when Average Fan gets a bit emotional, when e.g. the spring season of the current football championship starts and the boys run out to the field. How very much I missed the game, the broadcasts, cheering fans...
Marko Nikolić was watching the game from the tribune, he was substituted on the bench by Zvonko Varga.

(photo: blic.rs)

The first mentionable action happened in the 4th minute, when Lukač was wandering a bit far from his goalmouth and Voždovac’s attackers suddenly appeared at the penalty area. Our goalkeeper made a sliding tackle, kicking the ball out of the sideline. (Then he ran back quickly to the goal line.)
Not much later Ninković was rushing up on the left side, but his pass was caught by defenders. Then in the 14th minute Babović gave a pass ahead to Kojić, who was standing inside the penalty area. He headed it to Ninković, who was sneaking around there. Džigi thanked and walked in the net with the ball. 1:0
In the 17th minute it was again us in action. Živković passed the ball to Volkov, who gave it to Brašanac from the left side, but the chance was missed.
5 minutes later Voždovac was attacking. We could demilitarize them, but here came a period when it was mostly about how to kick Partizan-players on the ground. Živković spent more time laying on the grass than running, then in the 24th minute Kojić fell on the ground (you could hear the striker’s painful scream even through the stream).
Then came the 25th minute. Voždovac’s Nigerian player got the ball in the middle. He dribbled one here and one there and passed it to Karaklajić. The midfielder ran up to our penalty area and passed the ball into the middle. Lukač was watching shocked as Slovenian player Škerjanc appeared out of nowhere, behind his back and headed the ball to the net. 1:1
In the 30th minute Voždovac was attacking again. Odita sent a shot from 20 metres, thankfully it flew out of the field above the crossbar. We could instantly go for a counter-attack, but Ninković’s shot was too wide.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

Meanwhile fans of the southern tibune was chanting "Uprava napolje" loud (in English, approx: "Out with the management!").
In the 37th minute Ninković again missed a chance, then 3 minutes later it was Bandalovski sending a shot to Voždovac’s goal line. The shot ended as a corner, Volkov headed it to the goal line, but it was too wide.
In the 42nd minute the world was again watching Bandalovski, but not necessarily for the reason the defender originally wanted. A Voždovac player pushed him down to the ground, and after all these the referee gave the guests a free kick. Lukač saved. Two minutes later we were possessing the ball and we got a free kick. Drinčić sent it in from the left side, Volkov shot it to the goal line while falling on the ground, but Supić saved it.
It was already extra time, we again got a free kick, approx. 20 metres from the goal line. Drinčić was standing behind the ball, but his kick dropped down on the wall. Živković immediately grabbed the ball and made a 25-metre shot. The goalkeeper had to fly in the air to save it to corner.
The very last minute had a Voždovac-attack left, Odita shot from 15 metres, but it was too wide.

Bandalovski in action. The Bulgarian played very well

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

The second half started with Volkov getting kicked on the ground. In the 49th minute we got a corner. Drinčić kicked, Volkov got it, but the goalkeeper saved with leg, and the ball dropped right in front of Branko Ilić. Ilić headed, the ball fell into the net. 2:1
In the 53rd minute Voždovac attacked. The ball arrived in the middle from the right, being about 25 metres from the goal line. The shot was dropped from a Partizan defender, right in front of Zlatković, who immediately shot. Lukač jumped and saved. Corner. Finally Brašanac cleaned the area. Two minutes later the guests got a free kick, it was headed on corner by Kojić. In the 57th minute we headed for a counter-attack after a corner. Živković gave a great pass to Kojić from the left, the striker headed it over the crossbar.

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

In the 61st minute Ninković was maneuvering to be able to get a corner. It was cleaned by the defenders, but we still possessed the ball. Volkov tried with a heading, the goalkeeper pushed the ball in front of Kojić, the striker shot too wide. Two minutes later Voždovac started a counter-attack after a corner, but Bandalovski interrupted. In the 68th minute the Bulgarian player dribbled himself through the guest team’s half and passed the ball to Ninković, but his shot flew out of the field above the crossbar. A minute later the goalkeeper could barely save Drinčić’s corner, making another one for us. From that corner the guest team grabbed the ball and wanted to head for a counter-attack, but we got the ball back. Živković passed it to Babović from the right, but his heading was too wide.
In the 72nd minute, after a counter-attack there was an upheaval in front of Partizan's goalmouth. A shot came from the left, defenders saved it to corner. A minute later Bandalovski made an amazing sprint while a Voždovac-attacker was trying to find his way to our goal line. The Bulgarian defender won, the ball ran out through the sideline. Throw-in for Voždovac, then the attacker kicked the ball into our goalmouth. Odita was standing there between two defenders. The kick was awful, our defenders headed it down, but the ball dropped in front of the Nigerian, who shot and the ball was in the net. 2:2
In the 79th minute Lovrenčić made a too distant shot above the crossbar from 8 metres. After the goal kick the ball got back to Voždovac (a Partizan defender just simply lost the ball). They didn’t waste time, Džugurdić made a shot from 20 metres. The ball dropped into the net from Lukač’s hand. 2:3

There was about a handful of Voždovac-fans who made a happy dance on the tribune after this goal, while the entire southern tribune was shouting "Uprava napolje".

In the 85th minute after a row of amazing dribbles and passes Volkov headed the ball right into the goalkeeper’s hands. Almost immediately Ninković ran up on the right and passed to Šaponjić, who just joined the game as a substitute. Šaponjić ran up to the corner flag and passed the ball into the middle. A Partizan-player was waiting there for the ball, but a too eager Voždovac-defender was quicker - and the ball dropped into the net from him. Own goal. 3:3
In the 88th minute Marinković had a distant shot, but missed. Two minutes later Voždovac was again heading to our goal line and it looked to be rather dangerous. Our defense line cleaned the area, but it wasn’t a too easy task... For the 92nd minute there was a Partizan free kick left, the referee sent Drinčić backwards at least 4 times before allowing him to kick, because the midfielder was not at the very place where the foul previously happened... Finally Drinčić could kick the ball into the middle, but the chance was missed.
At the end of the game the bitter choir of Grave Diggers still chanted anti-management rhymes instead of the usual singing and greeting the players, while the few fans of Voždovac have probably never been happier than now, to be able to steal one point from Partizan. And the thing is, dear fellow fans, we can be grateful that they stole only one and not three points from us, and we didn’t start the season with a humiliating loss.

Update: some news resources say, the always tight-lipped, barely outspoken Saša Ilić didn't make a secret of being upset after the match, in the locker-room. The team captain put the entire team in their place, also a few players got a personal scolding from him.
And he was right.

Highlights:

Facts:

Location: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (assistants: Nemanja Petrović, Jovica Milin - 4th assistant: Milan Mihajlović - additional assistants:Nenad Đokić, Igor Stojilković)

FK Partizan: Lukač - Bandalovski, Ćirković, B. Ilić, Volkov - Brašanac (S. Ilić, 77.), Drinčić - Babović, Ninković, A. Živković (Marinković, 83.) - Kojić (Šaponjić, 77.)
Head coach: Marko Nikolić

FK Voždovac: Supić - Kitanovski (Stanimirović, 82.), Nikolić, Stojković, Zlatković - Jokić (Sinđić, 88.), Pavlović - Karakljajić, Lovrenčić, Škerjanc (Džugurdić, 76.) - Odita
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Goal scorers: Ninković (14.), Škerjanc (25.), B. Ilić (49.), Odita (73.), Džugurdić (78.), Stanimirović (85., own goal)
Yellow card: Zlatković (26.), Kitanovski (33.), Kojić (38.), Pavlović (87.), B. Ilić (90.)

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 39 points
2. Crvena Zvezda 33 points
3. Čukarički 31 points
4. Vojvodina 30 points
5. Jagodina 24 points
6. Novi Pazar 23 points
7. OFK Beograd 23 points
8. Rad 19 points
9. Mladost 19 points
10. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 18 points
11. FK Voždovac 17 points
12. Napredak 16 points
13. Borac 16 points
14. Donji Srem 16 points
15. Radnički Niš 13 points
16. Radnički 1923 10 points

The boys hit the road for the winter training camp in Turkey (photos + video)

Seeing Kojić smirking in the background anyone would make a suspicious face, not just Ninković

Pantić was travelling with the team despite there have been rumours about him and a possible transfer to Chelsea

Babović is excited, Lukač is rather sleepy

The "stuff" they need for trainings: balls, etc.

The "kids" - Lukić and Bogosavac

Technical staff with the forever young Zvonko Varga in the middle

For Škuletić it’s still too early o’clock

Photo of the day: "Contrasts in the existence of standing in a line" - Živković’s wide grin and Petrović’s priceless expression

(I’ve been laughing hard on this photo for quite a while)

(Photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

Update: they arrived in Turkey, there’s a video about it, too

Update 2: photos, just for you. (Source: partizan.rs)

Still at the airport: Volkov is explaining something to the others

Lukić, Šaponjić and Brašanac

Nemanja Kojić

Determination in the eyes (Bogosavac, Stevanović and Živković)

Duty free shops seem to be very popular among players (Babović, Lazović and Šaponjić)

Goalkeeper of goalkeepers

Joyous spirit on the way to the first training

Let’s stop for a moment and shed a teardrop for these poor boys who have to train hard and sweat hard among palm trees at the beach

(yes, this was supposed to be a joke from me - my bad)

Even the power training can’t wash the huge grin off from Brašanac’s face